IBM Power PC

[trekiej]

Is the IBM Power PC computer open to other os?
Does it have open firm ware.
Apple seems to use its own firm ware to restrict other os.

[heymanj]

Linux has been ported to PowerPC, and at one time Solaris was also.  I know that OpenSolaris is doing another port.

Biggest issue I've seen with Linux on Power is that there are no/few device drivers for the IBM graphics cards that come with the systems.

jerry

[persia]

Power PC is a CPU manufactured by IBM, Apple abandoned it years ago in favour of Intel.  The Linux of choice on Apple PPC equipment is Yellow Dog but there are a few other choices, but no where near the selection available on X86 hardware...

[Piru]

@trekiej

Apple seems to use its own firm ware to restrict other os.

Huh? What are you talking about?

Apple openfirmware works pretty much the same as any other. It is a standard after all. Apple systems run Linux and various BSDs. MorphOS runs on it just fine aswell.

http://www.iki.fi/sintonen/pics/morphos-macmini2.jpg
http://bigfoot.morphos-team.net/test/powerbook_insert_forbidden_message_here_display.jpeg
http://bigfoot.morphos-team.net/test/powerbook_insert_forbidden_message_here_display_2.jpeg

[trekiej]

Do you have to have an Apple OS installed first to run linux?
That is what I get from it.

[Piru]

@trekiej

Do you have to have an Apple OS installed first to run linux?
That is what I get from it.

Of course not. Why would you? That's just plain silly.

And even if you had to for some reason that'd be 100% unrelated to the firmware.

[maffoo]

trekiej wrote:
Do you have to have an Apple OS installed first to run linux?
That is what I get from it.

I gather that Old World ROM Macs needed MacOS to start other operating systems, but newer PPC Macs don't.

[Piru]

So if that was used to restrict other oses they failed at it spectacularily. Or they never intended to limit anything in the first place.

I'd also think that NuBus Power Macs are pretty much useless performance wise anyway (IIRC the fastest model is 603 @ 100MHz [had wrong cpu and speed here at first, thanks for setting me right:-)]).

[trekiej]

Sorry, I should have said that I had an old world Mac. It is an 8500.
How about a Quadra?
Does it have this limitation?

Is the G3 Blue and White the begining of the new world ones?


I would like to get around some day and hook up a cable to the serial port. It outputs debug info with a terminal hooked up.

[HammerD]

@Piru,

If MorphOS runs "just fine", how about a release, then?

[Piru]

@HammerD

"Runs just fine" doesn't mean it has all the drivers yet. Patience...