LinuxPPC64 Contest

Robert MacFarlan writes: "IBM is sponsoring a Open Source developer contest for their Linux on POWER (Linux PPC 64) effort. The contest is designed to award and showcase innovative new open source applications that are designed or optimized specifically for Linux running on the PPC architecture. The contest also awards ports of existing applications from a predetermined list. Contest prizes include Segway HTs, Apple Power Mac G5s, and cash awards. "

Comments

Re:Apple?

[FrothyBitter]

That makes perfect sense, because IBM makes the PPC. Oh wait, you're right, that doesn't make sense at all.

Apple?

[Teknobob]

My bet is that it's listed under Apple since the 2nd tier winners get:

Apple Power Mac G5 and $1,000 cash prize.

Either that or Hemos knows something we have only heard rumors about between Apple and IBM...

Re:Apple?

[squiggleslash]

It's probably the same reason that everything about applications for generic Unix systems get filed under the "Linux" section. The current list of sections is a little poorly chosen, to put it mildly. There is no IBM or Power section, or anything that really would make a good home for Power related topics.

Open to US residents only

[chriseh]

The following contest is intended for viewing in the United States only (except in Puerto Rico) and shall only be construed and evaluated according to United States law. Do not proceed in this site if you are not a resident of, and located, in the United States (except Puerto Rico) at the time of entry.

Unfortunatetly IBM really doesn't get it. The Linux community is international. This contest excludes some of the best kernel hackers (including Linus!).

IBM, get with the program!

thinking of joining?

[Neo-Rio-101]

So in order to join the contest I have to pony up some money for a POWER system... ...aye, there's the rub me laddie.

Re:Too bad apple can't run latest version of Java

[michaeldot]

So you win a computer you can't use to develop java with..

Not true, since the winners won't be announced until well after Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger ships in April about 4 weeks from now (if the Think Secret rumors are true, which they're pretty much guaranteed to be, given they have Trade Secrets at their fingertips).

And since Java 1.5/5.0 JDK code is hardly in fullscale deployment yet, if you're using it it's probably for research purposes and for a developer on PPC64 the chances are highly likely you've been using OS X Tiger in pre-release since last year anyway.

So, yes, it could be annoying, but if you're actually a developer, it's not much of an issue and for the wider community it will be rectified very soon with OS X Tiger's release.

give us cheap Linux-based PPC machines

[idlake]

I would be much more inclined to use PPC machines if there were cheap PPC-based machines. And, no, Apple's OSX machines don't count: they have proprietary devices that Apple doesn't release the necessary specs for, Apple will count everybody who buys such a machine as a Macintosh sale (thereby inflating their sales numbers and hurting Linux in market share comparisons), and I don't want to pay an "Apple tax" on PPC machines any more than I want to pay a "Microsoft tax" on PCs.

So, give us the cheap, open PPC-based desktop and server machines, something with better price/performance ratios than x86-based machines, and then we can talk.

Re:give us cheap Linux-based PPC machines

[JudasBlue]

Actually, the grandparent was complaining about the tied hardware with insufficent released specs. Which isn't likely to change, unfortnuately, since Apple has been doing this pretty much as long as they have existed.

Though I don't pretend to understand what Apple thinks they are gaining by holding back things like full specs on the airport extreme card in my notebook which would allow better development from the open source community with no downside I can see for Apple. But such is the way of the fruit. And I like my little notebook enough, but this is one of the annoyances of going with the Apple platform.

And if someone can tell me why the airport network interface is only brought up AFTER someone logs into the machine, thus making NIS authentication over the wireless card a moot point, I would like to know that, as well. Ah, but that is wandering far off topic.

Porting WASTE?

[koko775]

Interesting how IBM's implicitly endorsing WASTE. Foolish AOL. Foolish, Foolish AOL.

a segway?

[megabeck42]

So, wait, if I win tier 1, can I elect the tier 2 prize? Who wants a segway anyways? I think a better incentive would have been Apple Cinema displays..

Re:What is the award for?

[Johnny Mnemonic]

The object here, I think, is to promote PPC as a primary platform for Linux development

And to illustrate the advantages of the PPC arch, maybe including AltiVec, through optimization. While you can develop anything for the PPC, I would guess the winning entries would make good use of the benefits of the PPC arch vs. the Intel/AMD archs.

Some things do better on PPC, some things don't, and IBM is likely looking for good examples of the former.