NetBSD On DreamCast 7.0.1 Over G1ATA By: Izumi Tsutsui

First off i would like to say thanks to Tsutsui for developing the G1 Patch, and upon request provided the patch.

Update: 11/07/16

added source code for the multi launcher with new 1st_read.bin unscrambled. use boot dreams
also new bundle hdd image coming soon for NetBSD 7.99.38. w/ all pkgs installed.



I've attached two unzipped kernels. these are a combo of the scimci patch and g1ide patchs from Tsutsui.



heres a diff patch for sdmmc on scif0 + g1ata + maple driver updates for people who wana follow this guide: http://pasted.co/7eebbaa0
http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-fetch.html#chap-fetch-tarball

So i have linked here: https://mega.nz/#!Z04WCDBY
My Two kernels plus the 7.0.1 base file system archives.
First kernel is a standard PVR display kernel. For using a TV.
Second kernel is a Serial Console kernel. For using putty, etc. Baud = 56700.
Both kernels use the G1ATA mod with the standard NetBSD disk label and ffs partitions.

Mini Tutorial with a existing NetBSD or *BSD Host.
Connect your hdd to the host *bsd os.

1: Locate its name under /dev, if using usb to ide adapter should be called sd0.

2: Enable super user "su".

3: Use fdisk to create an active NetBSD (ID 169) partition. Should remove all partitions and just make 1 netbsd partition.
# fdisk -iu sd0

4: Use disklabel to make a disk label(s):
# disklabel -i -I sd0
Then when u get this prompt "partition>" type "a" and then it ask the partition type enter "4.2BSD" then after that at the start index, type "0". After select the ending index for the "a" partition, minus 32MB so we can create a 32MB swap partition. Then when ur back at this prompt "partition>" type "b" after that type "swap" as the parition type, thenhit "enter" to set the last index as start for the next partition. And then select the size of swap on the next prompt marking the end of the swap partition with "32M". Then we'll at the "parition>" prompt type "W" to write the new disk label. Then "Q" to quit disklabel.

5: Use newfs to format the new partition "a"
# newfs /dev/sd0a

6: Unzip the archive sets using these commands:
# mount /dev/sd0a /mnt
# for file in *.tgz do tar -zxvf $file -C /mnt done

7: Configure fstab under /mnt/etc/fstab with these two lines mandatory.
"/dev/wd0a / ffs rw 0 0"
"/dev/wd0b none swap sw 0 0"

8: Edit /mnt/etc/rc.conf changing the rc_configured=NO to YES

9: cd into /mnt/dev and run this command:
# sh ./MAKEDEV all wd0

10: cd to / or out of the /mnt folder then:
# sync
# umount /mnt

11: Plug the newly created NetBSD HDD into the G1ATA mod location on your dreamcast.

12: Burn or execute over serial your desired kernel. And Enjoy !

https://gist.github.com/tsutsui/62efefd25ca72c27959b
https://gist.github.com/tsutsui/42859d8a3414976958a2415accf443e3

 

Any way somebody could post some videos of this build in action, and exactly what is possible with this OS on the DC?

 

sure ill show you over the putty kernel. but i just made an attachment in OP. Its a Burnable multi boot program to launch either kernel with one binary program.

 

video up on OP

 

That is pretty awesome. I remember seeing the old pictures of NetBSD running on Dreamcast with the IDE HDD hooked up to them back in the day. This was way before anybody did anything with the G1 Bus though.

 

this is like my 4th dreamcast in 2 years due to excessive modifications and wearing out the motherboard / breaking shit lawl.
the serial port can download just a little over ~1.5MBits or ~400KBytes

 

So this is for a writable filesystem yeah?

It would be cool if someone developed an SD card driver as an extra option. I know running an OS from an SD card is far under optimal, but the G1 IDE can be a big mess. Though those cheap boards from Asia make this a really interesting possibility

Anything within the hardware's capability, literally anything. I never used BSD-DC, I used a bunch of LinuxDC. A writable filesystem at least in the case of Linux means being able to install packages, compile programs, and coding your own programs. But the biggest benefit might be not needing the ram filesystem to mount the OS. In the case of Linux it'd free up 1/2-3/4 of the RAM (I think)

I actually started hobby learning C in Nano on LinuxDC and compiling/running on the Dreamcast

I'd assume most anything that applies to Dreamcast applies to BSD. So you can most definately get the xFree86 desktop enviroment working on this if there's a mouse driver now, linuxdc has mouse driver. So yes this is some cool stuff if I ever get one of those G1 IDE boards for my spare Dreamcast

 

yeah its rewritable.
pretty fast too. imho.
its very similar to Linux except the partitioning portion and the kernel. check op

 

This might be a silly question but this will work with these http://assemblergames.com/l/threads...ard-inexpensive-gd-rom-hdd-replacement.60458/ right?

 

yep just if you don't have the gdrom drive youll need another method to run the program. Dreamshell can boot the kernels also.

 

finally found my micro sdcard breakout board. today I plan on installing the scimci mod for use with the NetBSD setup. also I'm about 15-20% done with my G2 expansion board, its to the point were I'm either guna go ahead and build the ISA slot based g2 board. based off the oldschool netbsd g2 bus schematics. would be nice to use Ethernet on it with the NE2000 isa cards.

 

Slightly unrelated, have you tried running Linux on it at all? AFAIK the Linux kernel still has support for the Dreamcast enabled. I'm not sure how maintained it is anymore though

 

Well fwiw the defconfig is still present, but I'm guessing running a 4.x kernel wouldn't leave you much memory to work with. The penguin has put on quite a bit of weight since the 2.4 days, when you could fit a minimalistic but generic generic x86 system on a floppy or two. These days my custom, pared down kernel alone weighs in at 5.2MB