OpenBSD/hppa
Overview
OpenBSD is an open source BSD Unix-like operating system, that was ported to HP PA-RISC computers in 32-bit during the 2000s. OpenBSD/hppa supports most on-board components and HP expansion options in supported systems, with significant support for generic/third-party devices and newer open source software.
OpenBSD provides a rather modern Unix userland on PA-RISC. However, OpenBSD/hppa development slowed down around 2008-2009, as did other open-source PA-RISC systems. It seems interest in and usage of OpenBSD/hppa port has declined in the community since the 2010s. PA-RISC Linux might be more stable.
NetBSD/hppa is heavily based on OpenBSD/hppa.
Systems support
Class | Computers |
---|---|
700s | 705, 710, 712, 715, 720, 730, 750, 725, 735, 755 |
740s VME | 742i, 743i, 744, 745i, 745, 747i, 748i, 748 |
A-Class | A180, A180C |
B-Class | B132L, B160L, B132L+, B180L+, B1000*, B2000*, B2600* |
C-Class | C100, C110,C132L, C160L, C160*, C180*, C200*, C240*, C360*, C3000*, C3600*, C3700* |
D-Class | D220, D230, D320, D330 |
J-Class | J200, J210, J280*, J282*, J2240*, J5000*, J5600*, J6000*, J6700*, J6750*, J7000*, J7600* |
K-Class | K100, K200, K210, K220, K400, K410, K420 |
Portables | RDI PrecisionBook, SAIC Galaxy 1100 |
Unsupported are PA-RISC 1.0 systems and older HP 9000/800 servers like Nova, E-Class and older systems. In doubt are some newer 64-bit server systems with rp designations due to their chipsets and I/O systems.
Hardware support
Processors
32-bit PA-RISC
PA-7000,
PA-7100,
PA-7100LC,
PA-7200 and
PA-7300LC
64-bit PA-RISC in 32-bit:
PA-8000,
PA-8200,
PA-8500,
PA-8600 and
PA-8700.
Up to 2 GB of memory is supported.
Buses and chipsets
All PCI, GSC and Runway buses and onboard bus controllers such as ASP, LASI, Dino/Cujo, U2/Uturn, Astro and Elroy on the listed systems are supported. Additionally, Yenta-compatible PCI-Cardbus bridges are supported, as for instance found on the RDI Precisionbook.
ISA, EISA and HP-PB, VME buses and controllers are not supported.
Networking
On-board Ethernet and Fast-Ethernet network interfaces on the above machines are supported, FDDI on the 735/755 are not supported.
Expansion cards for the GSC/HSC and PCI bus slots with a supported Ethernet chipset, like Intel i82596, DEC 21142/43 Tulip, Intel EtherExpress PRO/10 and PRO/100 series, Intel Gigabit chipsets, in various incarnations for the PCI bus, NE2000-compatible, 3Com 3c9xx EtherLink XL, should also work.
PCMCIA and to a lesser extent Cardbus devices are supported in a compatible PCI-Cardbus bridges, including various WLAN and Ethernet cards.
Storage
Storage is supported on NCR 53C700 Narrow, NCR 53C710 Fast-Narrow, NCR 53C720 Fast-Wide HVD/differential or the NCR 53C875 Ultra-Wide SE SCSI controllers.
GSC/HSC and PCI expansion cards with 53C7x0 or 53C8xx SCSI chipsets and Adaptec 2940 PCI SCSI adapters should also work, though are not neccessarily bootable.
Various newer PCI SCSI controllers based on Adaptec AHA and LSI Fusion-MPT chipsets are also supported, though not bootable.
Graphics
All on-board graphics adapters are supported for text-mode via STI routines, similar to PC VGA BIOS. Additionally the CRX, CRX-24, HCRX-8, HCRX-24, Visualize-EG and Visualize-FX (FX2, FX4 and FX6) graphics expansion boards on GSC and PCI are supported.
X11 graphics capabilities are apparently working, in some way, since April 2015.
Human I/O and multimedia
Input/output is supported via PS/2 or HIL on-board interfaces, though not all HIL devices are supported.
Various USB devices are supported, including networking adapters and I/O devices attached to expansion USB controllers, PCMCIA/PCI.
Harmony
16-bit audio, found on many PA-RISC workstations, is supported.
Documentation
Websites
- OpenBSD/hppa official page, OpenBSD (October 2023)
- Discontinued OpenBSD/hppa64 official page, OpenBSD (2019. Accessed 2020)
Software
There might be newer OpenBSD/hppa versions than listed below.
- OpenBSD/hppa 7.4 release (October 2023) ftp.openbsd.org
- OpenBSD/hppa snapshots ftp.openbsd.org
- Packages for add-on software see OpenBSD: Getting Packages
- Software is available through the OpenBSD Ports tree, a framework for open source software.
Manuals
- INSTALL.hppa (snapshot) installation instructions, OpenBSD (2020)
- INSTALL.hppa (7.4 release) installation instructions, OpenBSD (2023)
Other documents
- Michael Shalayeff: OpenBSD on PA-RISC talk NYCBUG (2007: NYCBUG 2005 talk. Accessed January 2009)