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As far as I've read, Linux can be run on iBooks but the hardware support is seriously lacking, which disables some important functions like power saving...

This now works with a patch from BenH, probably going into 2.6.11 (not a typo).

I doubt that Apple has yet documents available on controlling G5's fan system, enabling driver writing?

It works since a long time.

Uh, I don't think they brought up Linux on the Itanium by throwing a tarball or two out to 'the community' to test.

Linux got ported to Itanium because Intel paid SuSE to port it. I very much doubt they did that without providing any documentation, which makes your comment about hardware debugging equipment completely irrelevant.

Even if they weren't working directly with Intel there is no reason they would have needed any expensive hardware debugging equipment. An IA-64 compatible C compiler would be sufficient. If they really wanted to do it "right", meaning by using gcc, then they likely would have needed an Assembly Language Reference, and a User's Guide for porting developement platforms to IA-64 might have been helpful as well. Too bad Intel is so tight-fisted with that info!

Let's not pretend Linux, or any Modern Operating System, is so 'grass roots' that Joe Random and twelve of his buddies can throw it together using castoff hardware and lots of sweat.

Except that's pretty much exactly what Gary Thomas did when he ported Linux to PPC and had a working port before any of the PPC vendors got involved with the project.

Perhaps you should do a little research into the history of Linux ports before you make statements like these.

Years ago (Like 1997), when monolithic Linux for the PowerPC was first starting to stablilize, LinuxPPC.org approached RedHat asking about making a RedHat distro. They said at the time, they weren't really interested, but that LinuxPPC would be free to do what they wanted with a RedHat-based distro, assuming it didn't stomp on their own trademarks.

At any rate this is basically paraphrased from the Linux/PowerPC RedHat Installation Addum, as used to be found at http://kernel.crashing.org/. I don't have an updated url, although I know you can get the RPM with these docs at ftp.linuxppc.org.

My opinion (if you should care :) is that LinuxPPC, Inc. would benifet greatly if bought by RedHat, they could get some better management people (instead of using hackers to run it), better quality control (LinuxPPC isn't known for it's exceptional quality, at least in my book), and more people (it seems that more developers/people are looking away from LinuxPPC when it comes to distro of choice for using/developing).

(I realize this was a troll, but I will respond anyway...)

LinuxOne doesn't need to rip anyone off.. they can just use the Linux/PPC Developers' Reference Release. See www.crashing.org for more information.

The purpose of the Linux/PPC Developers' Reference Release is to allow any company/individual to make their own distribution based on Red Hat with little work.

--Mark

If you are serious about not caring about that CHRP machine, I suggest you loan/donate it to a Linux PPC developer.

If the kernel works correctly and its only a matter of installation, take a look at http://www.crashing.org and contact the developers.

If we have a box, we can make sure it works. :)

--Mark

Before too many people whine and bitch about Apple let me set some things straight.

First off without Apple, MkLinux wouldn't exist for the PPC and a lot more effort would have been needed for Power Macs (of ANY type) to support a monolithic kernel.

Apple engineers AND marketing are both interested in working with Linux on PPC developers. We ARE getting hardware, specs, and assistance on making things work.

Apple wants all "new" machines to be supported at or soon after their release. How can we do this? By Apple giving us specs and such. Look at the iBook for a good example.

Now what about those people bitching about BeOS. Everything to support BeOS on the new machine is available to Be. Just because Apple won't hand hold them through desiging their OS, the Be engineers are a bit peeved. Apple isn't hand holding any of the Linux on PPC programmers either, but for some reason we're not whiners like the Be people.

Linux is important for Apple. They know they are selling machines to have people run Linux on. Why is this a big deal? Well it given people a choice. Now you can CHOOSE your operating system (Linux) and then choose which platform you want. A lot of people are picking the newer Macs as their Linux platform.

FYI I know what I'm talking about, Apple loaned me hardware to help with the Firewire linux port... So before you bitch about Apple, understand they are changing, they are supporting "Alternative" OSes, and more importantly they are helping out the independent Linux developers.

Check out www.crashing.org for a good picture of last years Apple Think Different bus.. :) (Also for information on the Linux/PPC Developer's Reference Release 1.1)

--Mark Hatle

I think you may have missed the last 5 years of Linux history or have not read some of his stuff.

Basically, he values anything that he considers to be true Linux, ported directly from the Linux source, such as Linux/PPC, Linux/Alpha kernels, etc.

Read about the story of Monolithic Linux/PPC at http://kernel.crashing.org

Not to whine, but this is a story about a *nix that runs on ppc, but still no mention of the new PPC Reference Release. Why not? There are already at least two distributions based on it. Doesn't that make it at least two times as newsworthy as this?? I just don't understand why the PPC DRR hasn't been had a story on slashdot yet.
Press Release for PPC DRR 1.0

why is slashdot posting all these articles about dists, but has totally ignored the ppc linux developers' release 1.0? it's what ALL new redhat ppc dists are based on. isn't that AT LEAST as news worthy as the new bsd dists?? seems to me that slashdot is very x86 centric and rarely has anything about other archs unless it's stories about their demise, such as the false mklinux death story. note that freshmeat DID carry the news of DRR1.0
LinuxPPC Reference Release 1.0