There are actually two separate issues here; one is the console and boot
interface, and the other is PALcode.
In reverse order: Linux requires OSF-compatible PALcode. The NT PALcode
implements a completely different set of semantics, and Linux doesn't have
a prayer of running with it.
As for booting from the ARC console... that's actually theoretically doable
*IF* you have some way of switching to the OSF PALcode once you're up.
On many systems (e.g. Jensen) this is possible. On systems that do not
have access to any kind of OSF PALcode, it's not.
The reason we haven't done ARC-style booting yet is that most members of
the team find the prospect of writing a Linux ARC booter using the NT
development environment HIGHLY distasteful 8-) Dave Rusling is taking
the plunge in a different way; he's working on conjuring up an ARCboot-style
header to paste onto an existing boot image, so it won't be necessary
to develop a booter under NT...
-- Jim Paradis (paradis@amt.tay1.dec.com) "It's not procrastination, Digital Equipment Corporation it's my new Just-In-Time (508)952-4047 Workload Management System!"