[PLUG] ISA shared memory card by Tyco...

[Rodney W. Grimes]

> Does Linux support the shared memory card in a Quad QSP-2 gui machine? The card is ISA based. The original OS is Windows 98, but the mass storage support is poor. Windows ME is giving us major driver problems with NVIDIA 6200 cards. The story is, many hardware vendors refused to release updated drivers for ME and when you google search it is a dead end. Nothing exists before Windows 7 supposedly... thank you Microsoft. A QSP-2 made by Tyco is a circuit board assembler with cameras and vacuum lines, the works. Modern iterations are Windows 7 based, but replacing the two computers is not cheap. Think $7k. Not an option. If Windows 98 on top of Linux can support the ISA shared memory card, that may be a better way to go to get Mass Storage and the shared memory card working. Windows 98, even SE, doesn't support usb2 and mass storage well. The shared memory card is proprietary Tyco hardware. A thin Linux running X with Virtualbox that can support the ISA bus in a Windows 98 gues!
>  t is need
>  ed. What Linux distribution is needed for the job and how old?

I have to ask why is the linux layer needed here?  Is that
some attempt at hardening the OS from attack surface, or
is that to get some type of support that is needed on this
box?

I have had to work with similiar problems on control computers
for various devices that the vendor wants $$$$ to upgrade to
even windows 7 that is radiculous amounts of money.

Are you trying to fix what your calling "the mass storage
support is poor"?  Why does this node need lots of mass
storage, can that problem be solved in another way?

As for usb support, yes, limitid, but functional and again
why does this machine need to have enhanced USB support?
Can that be solved in another way?

When dealing with this particular problem (ancient hardware
that needs an ancient OS to keep running) I usually just
strip the support box down to bare minimum and provide
support via other means for new methodologies, even doing
nasties such as, ok, no SMB, fine, usually only need to
get files onto the box, not gona be doing any edits locally,
so put up a web page with pserve, serve out a directory ONLY
to that box, and let it grab files that way.  Works ok,
just be sure to clean out the download folder now and again.


>  -- Michael C. Robinson
Regards,
-- 
Rod Grimes                                                 rgrimes at freebsd.org