NeXT ROM Format

NeXT Computer, Inc. -> NeXT Black Hardware

Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: Venture37 on April 11, 2017, 12:50:25 PM
Is there any documentation on the ROM Format or any code which interacts with it?

I've opened an issue in radare2 to get support for the ROM added and some reference material besides binaries is needed to help things along.
Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: neozeed on May 07, 2017, 07:11:47 AM
CD-ROM or PROM ROM?

I'm still looking to see how they made those UFS CD-ROM master images.
Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: Venture37 on May 09, 2017, 07:18:37 AM
Hi Neozeed
Long time :)

I'm looking for details about the PROM.
I recall someone made a bootable iso on here but that might just have been for x86 (adding the bootfloppies to an iso perhaps).
Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: neozeed on May 09, 2017, 08:15:02 AM
Quote from: "Venture37"Hi Neozeed
Long time :)

I'm looking for details about the PROM.
I recall someone made a bootable iso on here but that might just have been for x86 (adding the bootfloppies to an iso perhaps).

Long time!   I couldn't find u last time I was in the UK..  I'm in Hong Kong now though.. sadly without any black kit, my ex took everything.  :cry:

Check out the porting thread.  Darwin source has been located, and it builds!!!  I think this is what we've been waiting for!  It'll boot single user from a NeXTSTEP or OPENSTEP CD!!!
Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: neozeed on May 09, 2017, 08:40:41 AM
Oh I forgot.

We also have source to the plan9 port

http://unix.superglobalmegacorp.com/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/lucent/sys/src/9/next/?cvsroot=Plan%209
Title: NeXT ROM Format
Post by: cuby on May 09, 2017, 12:10:51 PM
It seems that the Plan 9 sources don't make much use of the NeXT ROM functions - however, NetBSD does. Some information on the available functions can be found in the standalone boot sources and header files included from there.

See
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/arch/next68k/next68k/nextrom.h?rev=1.11&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup
for offsets into a jump table and
http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/arch/next68k/stand/boot/machdep.c?rev=1.7&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup
as well as http://cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/arch/next68k/stand/boot/machdep.c?rev=1.7&content-type=text/x-cvsweb-markup for an example of how these are used (MON macro, but there also seem to be some relocations used outside of standalone mode, didn't look into what happens there so far).

Hope this helps,
   Michael

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