After testing the waters with a Linux for Jaguar port; I basically set myself to get similar results on the 32X add-on for the Sega Genesis. Turns out that, even without hardware synchronization primitives, you can get smp-ready Linux: https://github.com/cakehonolulu/linux_ports
faragon•Jul 13, 2026
Thank you very much! Is the SSFv2 mapper supporting memory writes in the MiSTer FPGA, too? (Megadrive and/or 32x cores). Also, now that there's a SH3 core already available ([1] for replicating the Cave CV1000 system), it could be mind blowing having a system with 512MB of RAM on a SH3 at 100MHz running Linux.
Honestly, no idea if Krikkz's Extended SSFv2 is even implemented on MiSTer.
I'd have to check but considering the rarity of it I'd be surprised if it was there.
Porting Linux to SH3 is surely easier than what it has been for SH2 (SH7604, more precisely); and considering it has 512MB of RAM you probably can just get away with a non-stripped to the bones Linux image (And initramfs, of course). It surely sounds like a good playground.
msk-lywenn•Jul 13, 2026
Congrats. Any idea why one cpu reports 10 bogomips and the other 20?
cakehonolulu•Jul 13, 2026
That was something I also noticed; I can't say for sure (Since I haven't yet checked) but I feel like I may have done something incorrect when wiring the FRT (The timer) to the secondary, smp-enabled SH2.
The BogoMIPS value is derived from a calibration that Linux does against the timer of choice so it could very well be a reason why.
jonhohle•Jul 13, 2026
This is exciting! I didn’t see anything about I/O, but could the serial port be used for terminal access (or to drive keyboard input for the console). Lots of untapped potential.
With the Sega CD you’d get more RAM and a second, faster 68k
cakehonolulu•Jul 13, 2026
Hi!
I'm basically forwarding UART data from the SH2s over to the M68K using a simple communication channel.
Since the SH2s don't really have "direct" access to the Genesis's I/O port (They have TTL UART which caps at 4800 bps) I need this precise schema to have output.
Technically speaking it should be simple enough to wire RXD too so you can interact with it.
I saw some keyboard prototypes for the Genesis online (Which seem to use the Joypad ports) but I figured no one would have them so why bother writing a driver for it (Which again, would add more complexity to the M68K dispatcher; which does UART and acts as an INTC "master" to forwards IPIs between the 2 SH2s).
As to the Sega CD; it'd probably be cool but this is already super-slow as it is (There's lots of bus contention already from 2 x SH2s and 1 x 68000) so yeah.
Maybe a cool project would be SMP for the 2 68000s (Sega CD + Genesis) but I'm not even sure if there's any form of SMP available for arch/m68k in Linux (If both 68000s are wired you could maybe get away-ish with some simple bringup but can't really say for sure).
to11mtm•Jul 13, 2026
As a semi silly (But also possibly pragmatic, if we want to do this for more than simple 'fun') question... I wonder what it would take for projects like this, to take the video output and turn it into a (possibly not-visually-usable) jankhacked data output stream that could then be decoded?
I mean, there's a lot of hand-waving there (i.e. it would only be output which could complicate ease of using it practically) OTOH it might free up resources?
(I'm not experienced in this hardware level so I apologize if this idea is absolutely stupid/impractical.)
cakehonolulu•Jul 13, 2026
Not a silly question actually.
There's really clever ways you can get down to scratch that space-saving itch; I'm not knowledgeable about it either (I'm just really bad when it comes to analog signals) but if you really, really needed to shave off even more stuff; I reckon that the video console driver could possibly be reduced to something far more esoteric (That'd need signal processing to get tangible output of). But at that point, just use UART (Which is simple-enough already and should not really starve you out of much memory).
to11mtm•Jul 13, 2026
Well, when I say resources in this case, I mean UART bandwidth and the overhead of synchronizing that for output.... not so much memory itself (well, unless the overhead of the hackery for whatever 32x does as far as VRAM is worse, not sure if it's another tile engine or one just bangs bits...)
mikepavone•Jul 13, 2026
For what it's worth, the Sub 68K (mostly*) does not share memory with the main 68K. This makes SMP impossible, but on the bright side there's no contention. Sadly, there's also no way for the faster Sub 68K to directly access the cartridge so I think it would be difficult to run Linux on that CPU at all unless you can cram everything into 768KB (program RAM + word RAM)
* Word RAM can be swapped between the 68Ks, or can be operated in a split mode where each 68K gets half. There's no mechanism to allow both 68K's to access the same bank simultaneously though.
pizzaiolo•Jul 13, 2026
These recent posts remind me of an earlier time in the 2000s when people were trying to boot Linux from anything computer-like
cakehonolulu•Jul 13, 2026
It's kinda like "Running DOOM on x"
mikepavone•Jul 13, 2026
Neat to see this on HN after discussing this a bit with you on the Emudev discord (I'm Mask of Destiny there). I'm curious if you tested this on hardware. I think I mentioned this previously, but my understanding is that the SH-2s are incapable of writing to the cartridge area [0]. This would seem to preclude using the cart as RAM even with the extended "SSF2" mapper. Did you find that to be not the case or was this only tested in an emulator?
For those unfamiliar with the Hitachi SuperH architecture, imagine THUMB. ARM even had to license some of the patents from Hitchai when they developed THUMB.
But it also has some RISC jank of the era, such as branch delay slots.
5 Comments
[1] https://github.com/ika-musume/HS3
Honestly, no idea if Krikkz's Extended SSFv2 is even implemented on MiSTer. I'd have to check but considering the rarity of it I'd be surprised if it was there.
Porting Linux to SH3 is surely easier than what it has been for SH2 (SH7604, more precisely); and considering it has 512MB of RAM you probably can just get away with a non-stripped to the bones Linux image (And initramfs, of course). It surely sounds like a good playground.
The BogoMIPS value is derived from a calibration that Linux does against the timer of choice so it could very well be a reason why.
With the Sega CD you’d get more RAM and a second, faster 68k
As to the Sega CD; it'd probably be cool but this is already super-slow as it is (There's lots of bus contention already from 2 x SH2s and 1 x 68000) so yeah.
Maybe a cool project would be SMP for the 2 68000s (Sega CD + Genesis) but I'm not even sure if there's any form of SMP available for arch/m68k in Linux (If both 68000s are wired you could maybe get away-ish with some simple bringup but can't really say for sure).
I mean, there's a lot of hand-waving there (i.e. it would only be output which could complicate ease of using it practically) OTOH it might free up resources?
(I'm not experienced in this hardware level so I apologize if this idea is absolutely stupid/impractical.)
There's really clever ways you can get down to scratch that space-saving itch; I'm not knowledgeable about it either (I'm just really bad when it comes to analog signals) but if you really, really needed to shave off even more stuff; I reckon that the video console driver could possibly be reduced to something far more esoteric (That'd need signal processing to get tangible output of). But at that point, just use UART (Which is simple-enough already and should not really starve you out of much memory).
* Word RAM can be swapped between the 68Ks, or can be operated in a split mode where each 68K gets half. There's no mechanism to allow both 68K's to access the same bank simultaneously though.
[0] - See this Spritesmind forum thread https://web.archive.org/web/20190209161834/http://gendev.spr... (Internet Archive link because the live site is mostly unusable due to the scraper deluge)
But it also has some RISC jank of the era, such as branch delay slots.