> > Did you ever try to boot off a PCI SCSI controller with a BIOS/firmware
> > for i86 in a MIPS or Alpha machine ?
>
> Yes. Works fine.
>
> > That works only with very few controllers/motherboard combinations.
>
> Actually, the AlphaPCs have got i386 code emulation in software in the
> BIOS for exactly this reason. SCSI cards, ethernet cards, S3 video
> adapters... all manner of intel/PCI devices are in use on AlphaPCs
> with no problems at all.
1:0 for Alpha. Unfortunately not all MIPS systems do have such an
emulator which results in serious problems especially when you as much
docs as some companies like Deskstation provide. So Mike's answer was
correct.
Even worse, NetPower so far prevented any attempt to port Linux/MIPS to
their machines by not providing docs.
Ralf
(with a bit of hope that this negative propaganda for the named companies
will help change their minds ...)