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[[!meta title="NetBSD/ia64 Frequently Asked Questions"]]

[[!toc startlevel=1 levels=2]]

* * * * *

# General problems and questions

## How do I get started?

Development for NetBSD/ia64 is on HP's "SKI" emulator:

<ol>
<li>
Install the <a href="https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/current/pkgsrc/emulators/ski/README.html">ski emulator</a>
from <a href="https://pkgsrc.org">pkgsrc</a>
</li>
<li>
Build the ia64 toolchain:
[[!template id=programlisting text="""
 build.sh -mia64 tools
"""]]
Build the bootloader:
[[!template id=programlisting text="""
cd arch/ia64/stand/ia64/ski
$TOOLDIR/bin/nbmake-ia64
"""]]
</li>
<li>
With both bootloader and kernel binaries (or softlinks to them)
in the current directory, type:
[[!template id=programlisting text="""
ski skiload
"""]]
This will launch the ski debugger prompt.
Type 'c' to continue. This will launch the bootloader in a pseudo terminal
window. Type 'boot netbsd' to boot the kernel. Have fun!
</li>
</ol>

## What needs to be done to make the port functional?

Must have tasks:

1. pmap module: Clean ups and debug.
2. Boot Code Cleanup: clean up glue code between FreeBSD's boot code
and NetBSD's standalone library.
3. IA64 Stack unwind code: Support remaining unwind descriptor types.

Nice to have tasks:

1. Kernel module pre-loading via the bootloader.
2. Write a ski network driver.
3. Enable SMP support.

There is a longer and more detailed list of tasks in
<a href="https://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/~checkout~/src/sys/arch/ia64/TODO?content-type=text/plain">src/sys/arch/ia64/TODO</a>.

## How can I help?

Pick a task you like, send mail to <mailto:port-ia64@NetBSD.org>
to avoid duplication of work, and start hacking!

## What are the goals of this port

Currently our focus is to make NetBSD/ia64 to run reasonably well
on the ski emulator. In order to enable NetBSD to run
on a real Itanium machine, further code needs to be written.
Some important tasks are:

1. The uga console driver.
2. The bus_dma framework.
3. device drivers.