[OffTopic]: No Linux on Merced (fwd)

[Antonio Varela Lizardi <antonio en naiki com>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 05:55:49 -0900
From: John Totten <john en totten com>
Reply-To: caldera-users en rim caldera com
To: linux-list en ssc com
Cc: suse-linux-e en suse com, caldera-users en rim caldera com
Subject: No Linux on Merced

This can't be good...

	http://www.ymmv.com/yesterdaily.html

> 
> UNIX Vendors Commit to 64-Bit Intel Merced Chip, But Linux Locked Out
> 
> UNIX vendors are champing at the bit to develop for Intel's new 64-bit CPU.
> But one group is conspicuously absent from the list of developers: authors
> of freely distributable OSes such as Linux and FreeBSD.
> 
> Sean Eric Fagan, a developer of the FreeBSD operating system, says that
> these increasingly popular UNIX derivatives may be excluded from the race.
> "First," says Fagan, "Intel is only releasing information about the Merced
> under NDA.  This makes it impossible for gcc to be ported to it, and for
> free OSes to support it. Second, the Merced will work on 'PC98' computers.
> These computers all have I2O support, and information on how to talk to an
> I2O board is only available under NDA. So, I do not believe that FreeBSD
> or Linux or any other free operating system will be quickly ported to the
> Merced, if ever. "
> 

					John Totten
					Sitka Alaska