*nix on "classic" systems

[Tim Shoppa]

"Ensor" <classiccmp at memory-alpha.org.uk> wrote:
> I've recently been looking at setting up an old HP Vectra P-90 to run Linux 
> (or some form of *nix) and started wondering what ports exist for "classic" 
> systems.
>
> Looking around I see that "NetBSD" in particular supports quite a few 
> architectures including VAX, SGI, NeXT etc etc, but I've struck out 
> regarding Linux ports.
>
> So, can anyone point me at a website listing Linux ports to architectures 
> other than PC's.

bash-3.00$ cd /usr/src
bash-3.00$ ls
linux-2.6.17.4	linux-2.6.17.4.tar.bz2
bash-3.00$ cd linux-2.6.17.4
bash-3.00$ ls
COPYING        MAINTAINERS     arch	fs	 kernel  scripts
CREDITS        Makefile        block	include  lib	 security
Documentation  README	       crypto	init	 mm	 sound
Kbuild	       REPORTING-BUGS  drivers	ipc	 net	 usr
bash-3.00$ cd arch
bash-3.00$ ls
alpha  cris   i386  m68k       parisc	s390  sparc    v850
arm    frv    ia64  m68knommu  powerpc	sh    sparc64  x86_64
arm26  h8300  m32r  mips       ppc	sh64  um       xtensa

> And what modern *nix ports, if any, do other list members 
> use on their classic iron?

FBOFW, modern "free" *nix ports tend to use gcc, and gcc is such
a resource hog for anything smaller than a VAX. Even on a VAX it's
colossaly slow.

Not on a VAX, but small and spritely, is Minix. The Amsterdam
Compiler Kit wasn't free, though! The thought of a Unix without
a compiler is not very well accepted in hackerdom (or, at least by
me), even though I despise C compared to high level languages like
SNOBOL and FOCAL.

Tim.