[Info-vax] X86 first boot? - A Really Stupid Question

[William]

Early Intel Unix ports in the 80's had very limited hardware lists. And not so long ago, not every 64 bit Intel PC could run x86_64 Linux dependably. Limited hardware support is a fact of life for newly ported operating systems.
Maybe Intel VMS could support something similar to NDISwrapper to jump-start support for devices.

On Friday, March 29, 2019 at 2:35:55 PM UTC, David, Island Computers wrote:
> Seeing as how incompatibilities exist even on 1 Alphaserver or Integrity 
> server, how the hell is VSI going to maintain drivers/support for 
> options and servers and workstations running VSI x86-64 VMS?
> 
> I mean, just buy a DELL server for example.
> Even under the same part number,  1 server may have a Broadcom network 
> chip on the board, while the other may have an intel chipset.
> Same goes for SAS controllers, with ever changing firmware levels...
> 
> And the support for a multitude of different branded servers using ever 
> changing chipsets and cpus?
> 
> Even Proliant servers, which are more parts-vendor stable, come from the 
> manufacturer with different firmware levels. Everything seems to go out 
> to the highest bidder on memory products, USB chips.....
> 
> This is going to be TRUE HELL unless there is a very small and finite 
> date code, product code, firmware version etc.
> 
> Otherwise it is going to be a Sh*tstorm for VSI Support.....
> 
> Methinks 2 very specific servers - HPE only - with some seriously 
> limited options and expansion capabilities, is the only way forward...
> 
> My opinion but experience does sometimes trump logic.