I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron
based machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards
could be fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a
SPARC based machine.

It might seems silly - a PC inside a PC, but it would avoid the need for
dual booting. I could then leave the machine on all the time running
Solaris x86, safe if the knowledge on the odd occasions I need Windoze,
I could bring it up.

Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
although I know nothing of marketing!!

I've never written a device driver and doubt something as complex as a
SunPCi card would be a good place to start on, but if the SPARC drivers
could be released on Open Solaris, or similar, someone might take on the
challenge of a port to x86.

Perhaps Sun could get the drivers written free by providing an
interested person(s) with a free card in return for a serious attempt at
writing a driver.

--
Dave K MCSE.

MCSE = Minefield Consultant and Solitaire Expert.

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: month-year@domain. Hitting reply will work
for a couple of months only. Later set it manually.

IMHO it would be nicer to be able to completely swap between systems. If
a system could dump it's memory, registers, etc to disk and then load a
different set you could swap between running operating systems. This has
been done before. Just a pipe dream now, but it would make life easier
for me.
Gary Meerschaert

Dave (from the UK) wrote:
> I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron
> based machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards
> could be fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a
> SPARC based machine.
>
> It might seems silly - a PC inside a PC, but it would avoid the need for
> dual booting. I could then leave the machine on all the time running
> Solaris x86, safe if the knowledge on the odd occasions I need Windoze,
> I could bring it up.
>
> Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
> although I know nothing of marketing!!
>
> I've never written a device driver and doubt something as complex as a
> SunPCi card would be a good place to start on, but if the SPARC drivers
> could be released on Open Solaris, or similar, someone might take on the
> challenge of a port to x86.
>
> Perhaps Sun could get the drivers written free by providing an
> interested person(s) with a free card in return for a serious attempt at
> writing a driver.
>

On Thu, 25 May 2006, Dave (from the UK) wrote:

> I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron based
> machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards could be
> fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a SPARC based
> machine.
>
> It might seems silly - a PC inside a PC, but it would avoid the need for dual
> booting. I could then leave the machine on all the time running Solaris x86,
> safe if the knowledge on the odd occasions I need Windoze, I could bring it
> up.
>
> Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
> although I know nothing of marketing!!

I too think it would be a good idea. I wonder if in future we'll be able to
run WIndoze using Xen and/or a Branded Zone, and avoid the need for a separate
PCI card?

--
Rich Teer, SCNA, SCSA, OpenSolaris CAB member

President,
Rite Online Inc.

Voice: +1 (250) 979-1638
URL: http://www.rite-group.com/rich

Dave (from the UK) wrote:
> I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron
> based machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards
> could be fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a
> SPARC based machine.
>
> It might seems silly - a PC inside a PC, but it would avoid the need for
> dual booting. I could then leave the machine on all the time running
> Solaris x86, safe if the knowledge on the odd occasions I need Windoze,
> I could bring it up.
>
> Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
> although I know nothing of marketing!!
>
> I've never written a device driver and doubt something as complex as a
> SunPCi card would be a good place to start on, but if the SPARC drivers
> could be released on Open Solaris, or similar, someone might take on the
> challenge of a port to x86.
>
> Perhaps Sun could get the drivers written free by providing an
> interested person(s) with a free card in return for a serious attempt at
> writing a driver.
>

I have not tried these but they might work: Bochs, Xen, QEMM, or Wine?

"Dave (from the UK)" <see-my-signature@southminster-branch-line.org.uk> writes:

>I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron
>based machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards
>could be fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a
>SPARC based machine.

Why, with qemu and other virtualization techniques around the corner?

>Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
>although I know nothing of marketing!!

I think that time and money is better spend getting qemu to work
better/faster on Solari/x86.

Casper
--
Expressed in this posting are my opinions. They are in no way related
to opinions held by my employer, Sun Microsystems.
Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
be fiction rather than truth.

Casper H.S. Dik wrote:
> "Dave (from the UK)" <see-my-signature@southminster-branch-line.org.uk> writes:
>
>
>>I'm not the first to think of this, but having just set up an Opteron
>>based machine, I realise just how useful it would be if the SunPCi cards
>>could be fitted in a PC running Solaris x86 / x64, rather than just in a
>>SPARC based machine.
>
>
> Why, with qemu and other virtualization techniques around the corner?

They must be more advanced than I thought. I agree a software solution
would seem preferable when you are not trying to emulate a different CPU.

>>Would anyone else find it useful? I feel it would be quite marketable,
>>although I know nothing of marketing!!
>
>
> I think that time and money is better spend getting qemu to work
> better/faster on Solari/x86.

Point taken


--
Dave K MCSE.

MCSE = Minefield Consultant and Solitaire Expert.

Please note my email address changes periodically to avoid spam.
It is always of the form: month-year@domain. Hitting reply will work
for a couple of months only. Later set it manually.