Programming Linux on Cell

Nora writes "developerWorks has posted a slightly expanded version of the paper presented at LinuxTag today by IBM's Linux-for-Cell maintainer Arnd Bergmann (which was mentioned on Slashdot a few weeks ago). I searched the LinuxTag site to post a link to their copy of the paper also, but I couldn't find one (but my German is not so good, so it's probably my fault). In addition to the abovementioned paper on the SPU file system, we have also published an interview with Arnd Bergmann in which we learn more about programming for Linux on Cell, and programming for Cell in general -- and also that there is no such thing as the so-called 'Cell Workstation' that some of us have been looking forward to for a long time (apparently, it's just the Blade board prototype that many of us have already seen). And of course, much more. "

Comments

Stable Phone!

[KodeK]

Now my cellphone will never crash again!

Re:Stable Phone!

[cryptoz]

If only we could now get linux to work on wristwatches, we'd be in business. Wink.

Re:Stable Phone!

[krasmussen]

Reminds me of this (classic): http://personal.r2-d2.cz/kaminky/0003/microsoft_ph one.jpg

Re:Stable Phone!

[Umbral Blot]

I actually have had my cell phone crash once, at worst time possible: trying to pick up my girlfriend for our first date. Other than that however I haven't had any problems. Are crashing cell phones more prevalent than I had thought?

Re:Stable Phone!

[Nichotin]

I have experienced some crashed with my nokia phones (do not blame me, I got them for free). Bugs in firmwares and stuff are also to blame, like this cute little Sony Ericsson bug: here

Re:Stable Phone!

[Anonymous Coward]

u due know that they are referring to the cell processor and not a cell phone !!

Re:Stable Phone!

[FLAGGR]

Wow, it would sure be funny if he was joking wouldn't it?

On a side note, at the time of writing there are 9 posts, and the story has been out for a few hours. Pretty sad, I bet a story about linux on cellphone wouldve gotten more posts.

Re:Stable Phone!

[ZosX]

How interesting can a non-existing story about a non-existing operating system on a non-existing platform be?

I hear daydreaming is a lot more exciting (and relieving).

Slashdot
Rumors for nerds. Stuff that doesn't exist (yet).

Re:Stable Phone!

[Hast]

My phones crash all the time. Might have something to do with me developing on them though.

After a while you get very used to the old "it's not responding, just yank the battery". Naturally such bugs should be removed from a system before delivery.

DragonFlyBSD

[MrDomino]

Anyone know if the DragonFlyBSD people are considering going anywhere with this? It seems right up their alley.

Too little, too late

[user9918277462]

With the recent conversion by Apple, unfortunately the world seems to be standardizing on the x86 architecture (or its 64-bit counterpart, AMD64) for general purpose computing, at least in the medium term.

There are many arguments why, but the main is that hardware development is expensive and essentially serial. Software development can be parallelized (as Open Source has done) but this does not apply to processors. Chip fabbing doesn't scale. It makes economic sense to have a single dominant computer architecture, manufactured globally and powering everything from a PC to a gaming console to a cellphone.

The Cell processor is a dead end, just like the overpriced PPC OpenWorkstation products and the overrated Alpha line.

Bottom line: At modern clockspeeds architecture is irrelevant.

Re:Too little, too late

[Anonymous Coward]

Bottom line: At modern clockspeeds architecture is irrelevant.

You made me spill chocolatemilk all over my keyboard ...

What a sad future

[Mensa Babe]

Programming Linux on Cell ... in a cubicle ... using chroot jail, no less. Is that the future of IT jobs?

Cell-CPU auf dem LinuxTag

[egork]

German page with pictures of the Cell-Board

Fucking biter man

[Anonymous Coward]

That "Bottom line: " is Amsterdam Vallon shit baby.

At least give me credit, Jew.

Re:Fucking biter man

[Anonymous Coward]

kuro5hin.org/section/Diary ->

GCC

[Doc Ruby]

"We have a special GCC port"

GCC is GPL, of course. Where's the Cell GCC port for download?

Re:GCC

[Anonymous Coward]

The link to the download site is in the tarball.
As soon as you get the binary, you will know where to look for the source.

Some people honor the GPL.

LinuxTag (website)

[macbar]

It's hardly your fault not finding some paper on a german only website of a german only expo + conference, even though they claim to be "World's no . 1 Linux Expo and Conference since 1996".
Which ironically enough is about the only english phrase to be found on that website.

I know I might just be ranting, but this is not only the problem with the website, but is in fact typically for the event itself as well.

I honestly can't see why any linux conference where 75+% of all talks are in German can claim to be an international conference.

PS: I am a non-native english speaker. I understand German very well, but my idea of an international conference is not that of the LinuxTag organisers...