Sparc vs i386 architecture

[Robert Slade]

On Sun, 2006-01-08 at 04:51, Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> What machine code exploits currently exist for FreeBSD on the i386
> other than the F00F bug, which has already been patched out?
> I wasn't aware of any.
> 
> Ted
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >[mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Michael
> >Bernstein
> >Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 1:53 PM
> >To: Robert Slade; jasonharback
> >Cc: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> >Subject: Sparc vs i386 architecture
> >
> >
> >Hi group, I was just wondering if there's an advantage to
> >running FreeBSD on
> >a SPARC than compared with a regular PC. Obviously the architecture is
> >different (CISC vs RISC). How ever you can purchase a higher
> >powered PC box
> >for less money than it would cost for a SPARC.
> >
> >The main advantage I'm seeing here is for security. It's going
> >to be harder
> >to break into a SPARC running FreeBSD than an Intel/Amd running
> >FreeBSD b/c
> >most machine code exploits will be for the i386 type architecture.
> >
> >Any insights are much appreciated.
> >
> >Michael
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Robert Slade" <bsd at bathnetworks.com>
> >To: "jasonharback" <jasonharback at frontiernet.net>
> >Cc: <freebsd-questions at freebsd.org>
> >Sent: Saturday, January 07, 2006 2:43 AM
> >Subject: Re: Sparc dual boot problems
> >
> >
> >> On Sat, 2006-01-07 at 03:47, jasonharback wrote:
> >> > Here's the situation
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > The machine is a SUN ULTRA 5 and I have 4 IDE devices. I am
> >new to SUN
> >hardware I know much more about PC's.  The first device primary
> >master is
> >the cdrom which Solaris 10 and FreeBSD were successfully installed from.
> >Currently Solaris 10 which is the primary slave is the default
> >boot device.
> >FreeBSD is installed on the primary slave drive.  I am used to
> >the FreeBSD
> >install on a PC and during that install it gave time for configuring the
> >boot loader but I can't find it on the recent Sparc FreeBSD
> >edition?  During
> >the partition process it says I will have the option to
> >configure the boot
> >loader latter.  Right now I can't boot FreeBSD and I have no idea how to
> >configure this machine to make it dual boot?  I would like to
> >have Solaris
> >10 as the primary O/S, FreeBSD as the secondary and Sparc Linux
> >on the third
> >hd.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Can you please help?
> >> >
> >> > Jason Harback
> >>
> >> Jason,
> >>
> >> You don't need to use a boot loader with the U5, just boot to
> >the promt
> >> (Stop A). Then just type boot followed by the alias of the slice you
> >> want to boot.
> >>
> >> Rob
> >>

Ted,

Good point. However, in my case I'm using the sparc (its a U10) because
it there. I originally got it as I needed to find out about
Solaris/Sparc. It was lying in the back of a cupboard so when I started
to investigate replacements for a domain based on W2k using FBSD I
dusted it off and I'm using it for the BDC. The only thing I really
noticed is the disk(s) are slow compared (SUN's IDE) to the PDC which
has a fast scsi setup. Given the choice I think I would still go for a
good sparc from Ebay over a i386.

Rob