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How to Install Linux on an RS6000?

From ESPEJEL GOMEZ ERIKA PAOLA on Thu, 26 Nov 1998

My question is How install linux in a workstation (RS6000)? Thank you for your help.

Newer RS/6000's are built around PowerPC CPU's. I've heard of some people running LinuxPPC and MkLinux on some RS/6000 systems, but I'm not sure that there's enough support (device drivers, etc) to make this more than a curiosity.

The place to start looking for answers to these questions would be at the LinuxPPC and MkLinux web sites:

LinuxPPC: Linux for PowerPC Systems

http://www.linuxppc.org

MkLinux: Mach Microkernel with a Linux Server/Personality

http://www.mklinux.apple.com

... There's recently been alot more activity on the Linux-PPC mailing lists so I know that active development is going on. In fact they have recently released BootX which is a package for MacOS that allows one to boot LinuxPPC without adjusting the OpenFirmware settings on your system. This is akin to LOADLIN.EXE for MS-DOS, but more important since Apple and the MacOS clone manufacturers didn't quite "get it" when it comes to implementing OpenFirmware/OpenBoot support. (Many models of PowerMac and their clones don't support manual console operation of the OF command prompt and many options don't seem to be supported or documented).

When I talked to a couple of IBM researchers at ONE ISPCon a few months ago one of them expressed some interest in porting mkLinux or LinuxPPC in house, and having some of his team contribute some drivers to it. So, this may get some support "from the source" at some point.

However, for now, it would be a hacker's project. It's not suitable for immediate production deployment from what I've heard.

Copyright © 1999, James T. Dennis
Published in The Linux Gazette Issue 36 January 1999

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