Replace Cisco IOS/CBOS with freebsd - possible?

[Patrick Mahan]

Chris H presented these words - circa 1/30/09 4:54 PM->
> Hello Patrick, and thank you for your reply.
> 
> Quoting Patrick Mahan <mahan at mahan.org>:
> 
>>
>>
>> Chris H presented these words - circa 1/30/09 7:03 AM->
>>> Hello Bruce, and thank you for your reply.
>>>
>>> Quoting "Bruce M. Simpson" <bms at freebsd.org>:
>>>
>>>> Chris H wrote:
>>>>> ...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I know Peter Grehan was looking at getting FreeBSD onto the Cisco 
>>>>>> 827 a while back.
>>>>>
>>>>> That's good news. I'll have to see if I can get more info on that.
>>>>> I just purchased a "lot" of cisco *DSL/routers on ebay, in an effort
>>>>> to push this project forward (I can experiment on these with less 
>>>>> concern).
>>>>
>>>> IMHO pfSense beats the pants off OpenWRT from a user/deployment 
>>>> point of view, and often that is ultimately what counts.
>>>
>>> I guess I'd have to agree, except if it weren't for the fact I always
>>> have a zillion things going simultaneously, I wouldn't even know what
>>> X was - I can't get enough VC's (virtual consoles), so I'm forced to
>>> use X. But, of course for most "end users" /convenience/ is everything,
>>> and most don't want to any more that how to turn it on. :)
>>>
>>>>
>>>>    Thing is, it's "only" for x86-based PCs. I had the foresight to 
>>>> purchase some relatively quiet 1U boxes, but they're still too noisy 
>>>> to have in a room where people sleep live or socialise -- they 
>>>> belong to the computer nook at the front of the apartment (I have a 
>>>> very odd C-shaped apartment).
>>>
>>> Yes, the (older) cisco's CPU's were MIPS - aka - Motorola, and ran AUX.
>>> I've got the latest version of AUX, which is a newer version than they
>>> ran. In fact, it wouldn't be a bit surprised if I could load AIX on it.
>>>
>>
>> Yes, most of the core CPU's used by Cisco were MIPS, however, they were
>> not made by Motorola
> 
> Please take no offense. But as I look inside, the CPU does, in fact
> say Motorola. The documentation for it also confirms that most of
> (if not all) of the 800 series also used the Motorola RISC.
> 

None taken.  I was never directly involved with any of the 800 series platforms,
but do not doubt they might have Motorola RISC chips.  My point was the where
MIPs CPUs were used, they were (mostly) not built by Motorola.  These were (are)
probably some of the PPC platforms.  I do know that some platforms used CPUs
(e.g. Cavium Octeon) that are MIPs cores.

>> and didn't run AUX (if by AUX you mean Apples Unix
>> OS).
> 
> I probably stand corrected on this. :)
> But I'll bet - given the CPU, it wouldn't be much of a streatch to
> run either AUX, or AIX on it.
> 

Maybe.  I do know that some of the common stuff in the kernel (like pci)
would probably not work.  I distinctly recalled having to craft a UART
driver when doing some early linux and FreeBSD investigations.

Patrick

> 
> Thanks again for your response.
> 
> --Chris
> 
>>  Instead they ran Cisco's own IOS kernel/software.
>>
>> Patrick Mahan
>>
>>>>
>>>>    I believe something that could really make pfSense fly, would be 
>>>> a viable port to mass-market, low-power consumer hardware. Then 
>>>> again, old Ciscos "sort of" fit the bill.
>>>
>>> Funny you bring that up. I was thinking the very same. As a matter of
>>> fact I have been contemplating whipping something up myself, and doing
>>> just that. While psSense initially seems appealing. The more I look into
>>> it, the more I find it's laking - where a simple roll-out is concerned.
>>> There isn't anything in the way of documentation. What's there is 
>>> /horribly/
>>> unorganized. It's scattered all over the place. What's more, the front
>>> page of the wiki suggests that reading the m0n0wall documentation would
>>> probabl;y be a better choice. Make no mistake, I know how daunting and
>>> hectic an opensource project can be, and am grateful to /anyone/ whom is
>>> willing to share the fruits of their labor at no cost. But I think I
>>> could do better, that's all.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>    Repurposing old vendor hardware is just as subject to engineering 
>>>> process as anything else, in some cases, the varying 
>>>> Bill-of-Materials may make the economic cost too high to do things 
>>>> on a mass scale.
>>>
>>> I think I have a solution for that. I'll elaborate further when I can
>>> confirm that.
>>>
>>>>
>>>>    If people would be reasonably expected to use such a system, they 
>>>> should not have to understand the mechanisms, in great detail, of 
>>>> how firmware is loaded onto a device. This is one of the main 
>>>> stumbling blocks behind mass uptake -- we can't just say "fire up 
>>>> this tool and click this 1 button" to extend/build new network 
>>>> infrastructure.
>>>>
>>>>    Given the current economic and ecological situation, though, 
>>>> devising systems which allow people to do this might be something 
>>>> worth investigating, and funding to that effect may be available 
>>>> "out there".
>>>
>>> I /quite/ agree, and intend to persue just that. I've already
>>> commissioned the artwork - and it looks GREAT. :)
>>>
>>> I'll elaborate further as things firm up.
>>>
>>> Thanks again Bruce, for taking the time to respond.
>>>
>>> --Chris
>>>
>>>>
>>>> cheers
>>>> BMS
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>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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