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The Open Genera version for the Alpha is a lot easier to obtain. There's also a bootleg version that ported the Alpha assembly to C. It apparently run on Linux

The Open Genera version for the Alpha is a lot easier to obtain. There's also a bootleg version that ported the Alpha assembly to C. It apparently run on Linux x64 at some point. IIRC, it depends on some removed X11 features, so it may be difficult to run on a current OS.

db48x 2y ago
https://archives.loomcom.com/genera/genera-install.html https://archives.loomcom.com/genera/genera-install.html
floren 2y ago
Yeah, you need an old Linux version IIRC because it depends on a particular NFS version... I think it's important to get a feel for how the actual hardware felt, though.
- p_l 2y ago
  It needs NFSv2 in the images as distributed on OpenGenera 2.0 distribution CDs - there exist patches for NFSv3, but there are also userland NFSv2 servers that can be used. For integration of some of the network details, you need NIS (aka Yellow Pages). The big issue is X11, because around X.Org R7 they have made changes that result in hangs of the Genera X11 client in certain conditions, including IIRC handling of modifier keys - and crucially it will hang on shutting down the machine (for example to save new image). There are patches for everything other than NIS (and you can avoid using NIS), but you have to hunt for them. AFAIK they are included as part of Portable Genera.
  - floren 2y ago
    Are the NFSv3 patches available anywhere in a form I can use without having an existing running Genera system? Also if you can recommend me a userland NFSv2 server I'll give that a shot too.
    - p_l 2y ago
      It seems nfs-ganesha which used to have v2 support dropped it since then, but you might be able to compile 1.5.x release tree which is still on github. As for patched systems, I know I have seen places which had patched images to load from, but there's non-trivial chance that they are slightly bitrotted. One place is here http://www.jachemich.de/vlm/genera.html http://www.jachemich.de/vlm/genera.html Of course, Portable Genera has official patches for the issues involved.
nxobject 2y ago
Another thing you might choose to do is run another (closer) descendant of one the last MIT AI Lab versions of Lisp machine system software, pieced together from tape backups of the AI Lab. Like Plan 9, the community seems to have spun itself its own living distro, still running on MIT CADR simulators. [1], [2]. [1] https://tumbleweed.nu/lm-3/ https://tumbleweed.nu/lm-3/ [2] https://metebalci.com/blog/cadr-lisp-machine-and-cadr-processor/ https://metebalci.com/blog/cadr-lisp-machine-and-cadr-proces...
lproven 2y ago
Howto: https://gist.github.com/oubiwann/1e7aadfc22e3ae908921aeaccf27e82d https://gist.github.com/oubiwann/1e7aadfc22e3ae908921aeaccf2...
- floren 2y ago
  I've followed the loomcom instructions before, but the problem is that as far as I can tell, Debian has entirely removed the ability to run NFSv2 servers from their distribution: https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/nfs-utils/-/commit/2c2c36c59fa1de2ff7fd28917e54700ecb39b730 https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/nfs-utils/-/commit/2c2c... I'll try configuring a FreeBSD VM and see if I can get NFSv2 running there, then it's just the trick of figuring out how to make the Genera VM talk on my actual network instead of just that tap...
  - p_l 2y ago
    At least once my approach for running involved having an Solaris 10 VM running Xsun for the console, might try that again with lx branded zone :V

db48x 2y ago

https://archives.loomcom.com/genera/genera-install.html https://archives.loomcom.com/genera/genera-install.html

floren 2y ago

Yeah, you need an old Linux version IIRC because it depends on a particular NFS version... I think it's important to get a feel for how the actual hardware felt, though.

p_l 2y ago
It needs NFSv2 in the images as distributed on OpenGenera 2.0 distribution CDs - there exist patches for NFSv3, but there are also userland NFSv2 servers that can be used. For integration of some of the network details, you need NIS (aka Yellow Pages). The big issue is X11, because around X.Org R7 they have made changes that result in hangs of the Genera X11 client in certain conditions, including IIRC handling of modifier keys - and crucially it will hang on shutting down the machine (for example to save new image). There are patches for everything other than NIS (and you can avoid using NIS), but you have to hunt for them. AFAIK they are included as part of Portable Genera.
- floren 2y ago
  Are the NFSv3 patches available anywhere in a form I can use without having an existing running Genera system? Also if you can recommend me a userland NFSv2 server I'll give that a shot too.
  - p_l 2y ago
    It seems nfs-ganesha which used to have v2 support dropped it since then, but you might be able to compile 1.5.x release tree which is still on github. As for patched systems, I know I have seen places which had patched images to load from, but there's non-trivial chance that they are slightly bitrotted. One place is here http://www.jachemich.de/vlm/genera.html http://www.jachemich.de/vlm/genera.html Of course, Portable Genera has official patches for the issues involved.

nxobject 2y ago

Another thing you might choose to do is run another (closer) descendant of one the last MIT AI Lab versions of Lisp machine system software, pieced together from tape backups of the AI Lab. Like Plan 9, the community seems to have spun itself its own living distro, still running on MIT CADR simulators. [1], [2]. [1] https://tumbleweed.nu/lm-3/ https://tumbleweed.nu/lm-3/ [2] https://metebalci.com/blog/cadr-lisp-machine-and-cadr-processor/ https://metebalci.com/blog/cadr-lisp-machine-and-cadr-proces...

lproven 2y ago

Howto: https://gist.github.com/oubiwann/1e7aadfc22e3ae908921aeaccf27e82d https://gist.github.com/oubiwann/1e7aadfc22e3ae908921aeaccf2...

floren 2y ago
I've followed the loomcom instructions before, but the problem is that as far as I can tell, Debian has entirely removed the ability to run NFSv2 servers from their distribution: https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/nfs-utils/-/commit/2c2c36c59fa1de2ff7fd28917e54700ecb39b730 https://salsa.debian.org/kernel-team/nfs-utils/-/commit/2c2c... I'll try configuring a FreeBSD VM and see if I can get NFSv2 running there, then it's just the trick of figuring out how to make the Genera VM talk on my actual network instead of just that tap...
- p_l 2y ago
  At least once my approach for running involved having an Solaris 10 VM running Xsun for the console, might try that again with lx branded zone :V