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Terra Soft Reveals Linux/PPC Hardware Solution

Posted by pudge on from the only-if-i-can-get-it-in-teal-or-raspberry dept.

Gentu writes "OSNews features an article revealing a new product from Terra Soft, makers of the popular PPC Linux distribution Yellow Dog Linux, which effectively enables YDL to run on its own platform. Terra Soft is offering a motherboard and a complete PC based on the 600MHz G3 (G4 is also planned). This is of course still PPC, but it ain't a Mac. However, the article hints that it might be technically possible to run Mac OS and Mac OS X via Mac-On-Linux." Prices start at about $500, with 1U rackmounts starting at $870.

9 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. What's the point? by g4dget · · Score: 5, Insightful
    For the same amount of money, you get PC hardware that is considerably faster. And Linux on x86 runs a lot more software than Linux on PPC.

    In fact, probably even the new EPIA-M board is a better deal for many applications; the EPIA-M costs $160 with processor, uses a 933MHz C3 (Pentium compatible), is tiny, and uses comparatively little power. And if you buy one of those, you don't even give money to the other monopoly.

    1. Re:What's the point? by jmu1 · · Score: 5, Insightful
      One acronym: DRM.

      It's coming, and in hardware form. These companies are small enough to give a rat's ass about what it's customers want. Next time I purchase hardware for myself... it's going to be PPC.

  2. Re:OS X by anothermortal · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Macs are only expensive if you buy the Dual Processor models, or the UberCool G4 Titanium Powerbook (portable space heater). Recall the recent price drop on the iBooks? The low-end model is only $999. Add a bit for some extra RAM, and you have a nice, decent Mac OSX box for home. iBooks are inexpensive, and I believe, a good deal when compared to similar priced PC laptops.

  3. From the MOL FAQ by pwagland · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Q: Does MOL run on non-Apple hardware?

    A: It does. MOL runs for instance on the Pegasos board, the Teron board and on AmigaOne hardware. In short, MOL should run on any PowerPC hardware (with the except of 601-based systems). However, the EULA of MacOS prohibits its usage on non-Apple hardware (it is of course perfectly legal to use MOL to boot a second Linux though).

    This means it might be technically possible to run MACOS on this thing, but it is also technically illegal!
  4. Specs by green+pizza · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's the IBM PowerPC 750CXe.

    This is the slightly older version of the PPC 750 "G3". This 750 CXe model has 256 KB of on-die L2 cache and is fabbed at a .18 micron process.

    The newer 750 FX model (as used in the current Apple iBooks) has 512 KB of on-die L2 cache and is fabbed at .13 micron with all of the buzzwords (silicon-on-insulator, etc).

    I belive this board uses PC133 RAM. 133 MHz x 4.5

  5. The "new Amiga" ;) by Seehund · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's not mentioned in the story, but this board is the Teron CX, which is also distributed under the licensed trademark "AmigaOne G3-SE".

    There's also a model with the CPU on an exchangeable module, called Teron PX (or "AmigaOne XE" when it's marketed to AmigaOS users). Hopefully we'll see Terrasoft and others selling Teron PX as well, which offers G4 and 750FX (a newer, faster G3 design) CPUs.

    Due to a seriously fscked up compulsory licensing policy for AmigaOS, that OS will however not be sold separate from licensed hardware and be allowed to be installed on Teron boards from vendors who are not licensed by Amiga, Inc., like Terrasoft.

    P.S. Why is this story under "Apple"? MOL runs fine on these, but come on!

    --
    Help savingAmigaOS and a free PowerPC market
  6. Re:OS X by Gropo · · Score: 5, Informative
    I'm looking at a whole slew of closed PowerMac auctions on ebaY... 800's go for around $1200 on average... You can even buy Apple logic boards for a little over $120 and roll your own:

    $120 Logic Board

    $80 Hard drive

    $499 800 Mhz PowerPC daughtercard (2Mb DDR L3 cache!)

    $130 Power Supply

    $50 SDRAM

    Total: $879

    --
    I hate Grammar Nazi's
  7. Use it as a DMZ box. by Mr_Icon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since it's a PPC, skr1pt k1dd1ez will have a whole lotta trouble trying to crack it with cut-and-paste x86 rootkits. Of course, it will not stop a knowledgeble attacker and is not at all a substitute for applying errata in a timely fashion, but it's still a significant plus in my book. And if you use YDL, it will be nearly identical in every feature to your x86 Red Hat Linux boxen.

    I can totally see it running as a firewall/external webserver/DNS server box. Of course, granted that TerraSoft mobos aren't POS. Only time and wide use will tell.

    --
    If you open yourself to the foo, You and foo become one.
  8. FYI by wilburdg · · Score: 5, Interesting
    As an employee of Terra Soft I thought I'd let you know a little tidbit of information. Our server, which is handling the /.ing just fine (and has an uptime of 248 days) is actually running 200MHz slower than these Boxer systems. It is an old Beige G3 tower running at 400MHz with 640megs of ram, of course running Yellow Dog, and it has handled a good deal of /. submissions, without so much as blinking.

    processor : 0
    cpu : 740/750
    temperature : 28-31 C (uncalibrated)
    clock : 400MHz
    revision : 2.2 (pvr 0008 0202)
    bogomips : 801.17

    machine : Power Macintosh
    motherboard : AAPL,PowerMac G3 MacRISC
    L2 cache : 1024K unified pipelined-syncro-burst
    memory : 640MB
    pmac-generation : OldWorld