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From: bdale@hp-col.HP.COM (Bdale Garbee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.nsc.32k
Subject: Re: Questions about 32?32 projects, fortran and GNU
Message-ID: <530018@hp-col.HP.COM>
Date: 19 Jan 89 21:35:10 GMT
References: <9550@ut-emx.UUCP>
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division
Lines: 35

>     1. What are the various camps ( power, price, etc ) working
>        on these days?  ( I lean towards power; >= 80386 )

I'm working with a small group of friends on a flat-out performance
implementation of a 32532 single-board, probably with NuBus for expansion.
Most relevent I/O onboard, a separate board for workstation-class graphics.

>     2. Has the possibility of using the future GNU kernel increased?
>        What is a popular wag ( wild a** guess ) for the date of
>        availability of the GNU kernel?

The current intention is to port BSD unix, or perhaps Mach, and run with GCC
and mostly GNU utilities.  If/when a kernel becomes available, it would then
not be hard to use.

>     3. What are the possibilities of getting a decent fortran 
>        compiler to run on a NSC kit that might result from work
>        discussed in this newsgroup?  Will there be a GNU f77?

I have no idea.  I'm standardizing on the GCC/G++ compilers for the system,
but have no interest in Fortran.

>   Within the next few months I will be in a position to participate
>   in the development of a system by buying a computer and at least
>   providing 1 dumb user to test software and hardware.  

I hope to have a proto up some time this spring, and to publish the design
and maybe do a PCB run this summer.  Wild-ass scheduling at it's best!

>        It's not bad even without floating point hardware but faster
>        is better.

Faster == Better.

Bdale Garbee, N3EUA