johnrash / bebox

# BeBox
BeBox is a Haiku application that emulates Be Inc.'s BeBox, the
dual-processor computer that BeOS was born on. It runs both PowerPC models
from their original boot ROMs, with BeOS for PowerPC from Developer Release
6 through R5.0.3. It also runs the Hobbit prototypes that came before them,
built around two AT&T Hobbit processors, with Be's 1993-94 system from
their surviving disks.
| Model | Processors | Bus |
|---|---|---|
| BeBox Dual603-66 | two PowerPC 603 at 66 MHz | 33 MHz |
| BeBox Dual603e-133 | two PowerPC 603e at 133 MHz | 33 MHz |
| Hobbit prototype (1993-94) | two AT&T 92010 (Hobbit) at 25 MHz | BeBus, 25 MHz |
The window shows the emulated screen between the two front panel LED
columns (the "blinkenlights"), sixteen light pipe segments each: a CPU load
bar of fifteen LEDs over the power LED (left) or the disk LED (right), lime
and amber like the real ones (or red and green, if you prefer).
## What is emulated
- Both processors (a PowerPC 603/603e interpreter with the 603's software
 TLB), the MPC105 bridge, the BeBox interrupt and CPU control registers.
- Boot ROM: the nub and main ROM in a writable flash (BeOS's ROM updater
 works), NVRAM and real time clock.
- Video: Number Nine #9 GXE64 (S3 Vision864, AT&T 21C498 RAMDAC) with its
 graphics engine, the default; or Cirrus Logic CL-GD5434. 640x480 to
 1280x1024, 8 and 32 bits per pixel (what the BeOS drivers offer).
- Sound: Crystal CS4231A codec, played through the Haiku media kit.
- AT keyboard and PS/2 mouse; four game ports (axes and buttons).
- Storage: NCR 53C810 SCSI (disks and CD-ROMs on IDs 0-6), IDE, floppy.
- Four serial ports: to a console window, a TCP server or client, a host
 serial port or a log file.
- Ethernet: an NE2000 compatible ISA card on a private network behind the
 host (NAT, through libslirp): the BeBox reaches the host and the
 Internet, and host ports can be forwarded to it.
- Shared folders: a Haiku folder appears to BeOS as a SCSI disk it can read
 and write; the changes come back to the folder when BeOS shuts down.
Not emulated yet: the parallel port, GeekPort, MIDI and infrared ports.
## What you need
- **The BeBox boot ROMs**, which are not included: `bootnub.rom` (16 KB)
 and `bootmain.rom` (Be Boot ROM 1.1d7) from a BeBox, in a folder of your
 choice.
- **BeOS for PowerPC**: CD images (ISO, BIN/CUE or Toast).
- For the releases with the Be File System (Advanced Access to R5): a
 newer boot ROM, which the Preview Release 2, R3 and R4.5 CDs carry as
 `/beos/etc/bebox_bootmain.image` (Advanced Access, Preview Release 1 and
 R5 use one of those). BeBox extracts it for you (see below).
## Getting started
1. Open **Machine > Preferences > ROM & NVRAM** and choose the folder with
 the ROMs. For a BFS release, choose its CD image as **Boot ROM image**:
 BeBox copies the boot ROM from the CD (PR2's also boots Advanced Access
 and PR1).
2. In **Storage**, put the CD image on a SCSI ID as CD-ROM (ID 3 is the
 classic choice), and give another ID a dis