Replace Cisco IOS/CBOS with freebsd - possible?

[Chris H]

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.

> 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.


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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