Re: [linux-usb] Anti-NDA petition (fwd)

["Adam N. Thompson, MCNE, MCSE" <athompso@commerced.com>]

> If more info is necessary for these Toshiba laptops, what is it?  I
know
> this is a newbie question, and if people would like to respond off the
> list that would be great.  I would be more than happy to make some
calls
> to Toshiba to help get the necessary info, just need to know
specifically
> what that info is.

Toshiba uses a rather unique chipset known as the ToPIC'95 or ToPIC'97
to control a whole whack of functions - it's the PCI bridge; it's the
PCMCIA controller; it's the CardBus bridge; it's the docking-station
interface, and it replaces the 2 PICs on a normal motherboard.

Given that the ToPIC *emulates* all of the *legacy* components quite
well, most people never notice the difference.  However, the odds of the
PCI slot in the Toshiba docking station (not the "port replicator", I'm
talking about the $2500 docking station) ever working under OpenBSD are
pretty much nil.

At least, I assume that's the issue, 'cuz that's the issue under
half-a-dozen other OSes as well.  The only OSes properly supporting that
PCI bridgeset are 98/NT and SCO ODT 4/5.

--
Adam Thompson, MCNE, MCSE, CWT, A+
Vice-President / Chief Technology Officer, Commerce Design Inc.
<athompso@commerced.com>
tel: (204) 942-1648, fax: (204) 989-8080, cell: (204) 782-6198