NetBSD/hppa on QEMU - System Information

NetBSD on PA-RISC

Originally inspired by OpenBSD/hppa the current NetBSD/hppa started as a port for HP 9000/700 systems and carried the name NetBSD/hp700. An initial experimental source release with NetBSD 2.0 in 2004, was followed by a binary release with NetBSD 3.0 in 2005. For NetBSD 7.0 in 2021 the port adopted the 'hppa' architecture name. The port now covers most PA-RISC HP 9000 systems, albeit in 32-mode.

Platform

HP developed the Precision Architecture (HP-PA or PA-RISC) RISC processor during the early 1980s in order to consolidate its compute platforms on to two architectures: Intel x86 and HP PA-RISC. The PA-RISC based HP 9000 series 700 entered the market in 1991

Emulator and Platform

The QEMU system emulator provides a 32-bit PA-RISC emulation based on the HP Visualize B160L (9000/778), a 1996 HP-UX workstation. From HP Visualize B132L, B160L, B180L PA-RISC Workstations - OpenPA.net the B160L system specifications are:

• CPU: PA-7300LC 160 MHz
• RAM: 32 MiB to 1.5 GiB max.
• Bus: GSC, EISA, PCI
• Storage controllers:
• NCR 53C710 narrow SCSI-2
• NCR 53C720 Fast-Wide HVD SCSI-2
• Network interface: Intel 82596CA 10 Mb/s ethernet
• Graphics: Visualize-EG (Graffiti) 2MB
• Audio: Harmony

The emulated system doesn't implement the audio, ethernet or SCSI controllers (yet), instead replacing the SCSI controllers and ethernet interface with PCI devices to provide the same functionality:

• CPU: one (or more) PA-7300LC at 250 MHz
• RAM: 512 MiB default, up to 3.0 GiB
• Bus: GSC, EISA, PCI
• Storage controllers: Symbios Logic 53c895 Fast Wide LVD SCSI-2, PCI
• Network interface: DEC Tulip 21142/43 100 Mb/s ethernet, PCI
• Graphics: HPA208LC1280 aka. Artist

The addition of multi-processor (SMP) support diverges from the source workstation, but provides an alternative means for increasing the system performance.

HP-UX 11i v1 (32-bit PA-RISC) on QEMU - System Information

HP 9000 Family

In the early 1980s Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced the HP 9000 family (Wikipedia), the initial offerings were re-badges of existing workstation lines featuring machines based on the Motorola 68000 and HP FOCUS processors. In 1991 the HP 9000/700 series was introduced, based on HP's Precision Architecture RISC processor (HP-PA or PA-RISC) (Wikipedia). The earlier 32-bit PA-RISC 1.0 processors had appeared in HP's mainframe and server systems back in the mid-1980s, but this was the first appearance of PA-RISC in a workstation line, and used the improved PA-RISC 1.1 processors. This marked the final stage in the consolidation of HP's non-x86 computer lines on to a single processor architecture. In 1996 HP introduced its first systems using the 64-bit PA-RISC processors, including the HP Visualize C160 and C180 workstations (both model 9000/780).

Other than some early systems, and some systems based on the acquired technologies from Apollo Computers (these could also run Apollo Domain/OS), the HP 9000 line shipped running versions of HP's UNIX operating system: HP-UX (Wikipedia). Initially based on AT&T UNIX System III, and later UNIX System V, HP-UX was a major commercial UNIX from the 1980s through the 2000s. The rise of the open source UNIX-like operating systems and the market reception of Itanium (IA-64) servers would ultimately see HP-UX relegated to a maintenance role, with the last release being HP-UX 11i v3 in 2007, the last update in 2020, and support ending on PA-RISC in 2021 and on IA-64 in 2025.

QEMU

Emulates a HP 9000/778/B160L , normally known as a HP Visualize B160L workstation (HP Visualize B132L, B160L, B180L PA-RISC Workstations - OpenPA.net).

Emulated system specification:

• CPU: 1x PA-7300LC at 250 MHz (32-bit PA-RISC)
• RAM: default 512 MiB, up to 3.0 GiB (hardware supported up to 1.5 GiB)
• Disk controller(s): SCSI C895 Fast Wide LVD (Symbios Logic 53c895 chipset)
• Network controller(s): Ethernet (DEC Tulip 21142/43)
• Graphics: HPA208LC1280 aka. Artist.

Since the B160L is based on a 32-bit PA-RISC 1.1 processor, the latest version of HP-UX that can be used is HP-UX 11i v1 (see HP-UX Unix Operating System for PA-RISC - OpenPA.net), later versions only support 64-bit PA-RISC and Itanium systems.

Linux for PA-RISC (32-bit) on QEMU - System Information

HP PA-RISC

In the mid-1980s Hewlett-Packard (HP) introduced the first version of its Precision Architecture RISC processor (HP-PA or PA-RISC) (Wikipedia) in its mainframe and server product lines. In 1991 the HP 9000/700 series was introduced based on the improved PA-RISC 1.1 processors. In 1996 HP introduced its first systems using the 64-bit PA-RISC 2.0 processors, including the HP Visualize C160 and C180 workstations (both model 9000/780).

In the 1990s PA-RISC was one of the main RISC processors seen in UNIX workstations, along with AXP Alpha, PowerPC/POWER, SPARC and MIPS. The phasing out of the PA-RISC systems, in favor of Itanium (IA-64) based HP Integrity systems (Wikipedia) during the 2000s mean there is an interest in replacing ageing hardware with emulation options.

As well as the proprietary UNIX from HP (HP-UX), PA-RISC systems can also run the Linux, NetBSD and OpenBSD open source operating systems.

Linux on PA-RISC

The Linux on PA-RISC project added support for PA-RISC system starting with Linux 2.6, and the Debian and Gentoo Linux distributions have support for PA-RISC.

While official support for PA-RISC ended with Debian Linux 5 (lenny), the Debian for PA-RISC port does provide an un-official  network installation CD image for the current release. However the current Debian Linux for PA-RISC ports repository is for Debian Linux "unstable" (sid), which can cause problems with installation.

For the purposes of this exploration I'm going to use the Debian Linux 5 (lenny) distribution DVD, this means the results presented here will be easily reproducible. For those curious about PA-RISC Debian Linux 10, there is a pre-made disk image at Qemu - Linux PARISC Wiki that might help.