However, there are a lot of PowerPC platforms that do fill this gap left by PowerMac. Some are even 32-bit platforms that can compete in today's markets.
So why have you never heard of them? Why can't you download Fedora or Ubuntu to install on your PowerPC of today? Several reason:
- Distributions don't really support it.
- The "community" behind it is driven at the kernel and low-level, not at the distribution level (see last bullet item).
This circle of support appears to be the hold up. Convincing even community supported architectures like Ubuntu and Fedora to support these different kernel flavors is met with archaic skepticism, and is usually concluded with "there is no community" to which I usually respond "because there is no support."
Something has to give here. Linux and Open Source isn't where we want the chicken-and-egg scenario to happen. You can't walk up to a Linux distro with a community and say "Here we are, let's do this" in much the same way as you can't go to a community and say "Come over here with us. We don't support you yet, but we'd like you to prove that you're worth it."
So where to begin...
Are there any PowerPC desktops that are fast enough to be used for development? 64-bit support and more than 4GB RAM would also be nice.
ReplyDeleteLubuntu is committed to releases for PPC, as one of the issues is lack of testers (we have 2 with dedicated kit), if anyone wants to help out; please head over to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/Testing and help out.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there will even be PowerPC "Desktops" again. But there will be small form factor server boxes. Freescale makes development systems in 32-bit and 64-bit that support 32G+ memory and have up to 8 and 12 cores respectively.
ReplyDeleteAll-in-all, I think any PowerPC resurgence will focus on generic compute platforms, not desktop systems.
Having had a closer read (I was in a QA meeting for the Ubuntu family when this blog was pointed out to me). I do rather think your logic and argument is absolutely egg before chicken.
ReplyDelete"Something has to give here. Linux and Open Source isn't where we want the chicken-and-egg scenario to happen. You can't walk up to a Linux distro with a community and say "Here we are, let's do this" in much the same way as you can't go to a community and say "Come over here with us. We don't support you yet, but we'd like you to prove that you're worth it.""
Lubuntu got full adoption at 11.10, in keeping with our ethos to support older kit, our 1st PPC edition went out at 12.04 (along with 2 others.. ubuntu and kubuntu).
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCDownloads/
With Xubuntu available via mini install.
Which part of https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCDownloads/ have you not read? PPC has been, and continues to be available since 7.04
If you, and others, preach that PPC is doomed on open source - it will be. If, however you preach that it is still supported and people actually download it, test it & comment on it then it will continue to be supported.
I am the co-ordinator for Lubuntu-QA and I can tell everyone that our Head of Development, along with the wider Ubuntu family, are fully committed to PPC releases, as are our (two) testers. They will ensure that there is a PPC release. It is up to you people to go advertise it & get involved to ensure that there are future releases.
Regards,
Phill.
It is not the norm to create a tool before there is a need. If user want the Linux powerpc isos to be available they must demonstrate that there is a need.
ReplyDeleteNow Ubuntu/Lubuntu wants all their isos to be tested and worthy of release, thus testers must prove the product works before they are released for general usage. As Phill stated we need more interested users to do more testing. The community Lubuntu-QA and Ubuntu-QA actively encourage users, to get off the side-line, stop griping in the forums and blogs and test the isos they have interest in.
QA-iso-tester
You're both under the false assumption that testers can come aboard when their hardware isn't supported. If you want people to test PowerPC on newer platforms (such as e500, e6500, e500), then kernels need to be built for them.
ReplyDeleteIf the argument is to have those users with that hardware start testing before we support their hardware, you're gonna have a bad time.
*e5500 for that last one
ReplyDelete@phillw I think you misunderstand me as well. I'm not asking for generic powerpc support. I'm asking for Ubuntu and Fedora and others to add kernel flavors to support newer hardware, so we can attract developers and users of this new hardware, as opposed to just catering to the legacy mac crowd.
ReplyDeleteThose powermac folks may be may be diehards, but their hardware isn't. It's going to slowly disappear.
@Ben Yeah, we need to appeal to the new devs. The old days are over. Thanks for the insight.
ReplyDelete>Freescale makes development systems in 32-bit and 64-bit >that support 32G+ memory and have up to 8 and 12 cores >respectively.
ReplyDeleteThat's very good , I know that for 199$ there is a 32bit dual core system development, but I couldn't find the freescale 64bit power development kit....
ARM has grown in a Linux platform in fast steps.But Freescale can do it.But Need to link to the community like Buildroot,X server.It relay good product to visualise in common platform
ReplyDelete