Re: got drivers?

On Fri, 21 Jan 2005 11:14:43 +0000, Dieter <[email protected]> wrote:
> Having used NetBSD for many years now, the biggest problem I see
> with NetBSD is device drivers.

Having just tried to get Linux running on an Nvidia based Athlon64, I
can't agree with you.

Initially I installed NetBSD 2.0 on it, no problema.   It is fast, it
is stable, and basically "it just worked" for me.

Then I decided I wanted to install a Linux/amd64 system to run the
latest / greatest Nvidia 6800 drivers, and get some OpenGL speed.

I booted Fedora Core 3 (official release) and "sata_nv" can't find my
drives.  Searching around it is a driver issue that is fixed in a new
kernel.  Of course that does zero good when you're trying to boot the
installation DVD.  I messed about with an external USB2.0 / IEEE1394
drive.  Linux couldn't use it to install off of or onto.

A coworker swears up and down that Gentoo is a better Linux
distribution so I tried that.
Passing the "doscsi" (the Nvidia SATA is treated as a SCSI now) causes
sata_sis to wedge the kernel.  Manually loading sata_nv works but
can't find my SATA DVD burner.

Finally I end up using NetBSD to copy the CD contents to an external
USB HD formatted with ext2fs and with some screwing around I got
Gentoo installed.

So I look back and realize that NetBSD's driver support was *WAY*
better than two of the more popular Linux distributions.

So your results differ, but the reality is NetBSD is pretty darn good
and is whipping the pants off Linux on some very modern hardware.

-Andrew