Linux on Intel is driving the commoditization of computing. But it’s not the only game in town, nor is it the only combination of software and hardware with influence. Linux also runs on PowerPC processors - including IBM’s POWER series, Apple’s G5, and other embeddable cores - and runs well. Here’s a look at the “other” Linux, the one that runs on PPC.
In May 2003, Apple Computer launched the Power Macintosh G5 to critical and popular acclaim. Powered by the brand-new IBM PowerPC 970 processor and Mac OS X Panther, the G5, and more recently, the G5 Xserve, are compelling paragons of low-cost, high-performance, 64-bit computing. Indeed, the G5 is so cost-effective and capable that 1,100 of them were purchased and assembled to form Virginia Tech’s Terascale Cluster, now the third fastest supercomputer in the world, boasting performance of a whopping 10.28 teraflops and built at a fraction of the price of other like configurations.
But Mac OS X on G5 is only part — and a small part — of the PowerPC (PPC) story. Linux runs on PPC, too, and runs very well. Moreover, PPC cores scale down to embedded devices and up to big iron. 64-bit Linux on Opteron and [Intel’s chip] may be the next big thing, but it’s already old hat for IBM, Apple, and others. x86? More like ex-86.
When Apple, IBM, and Motorola set out to develop the RISC-based PowerPC processor in the early 1990s, the companies set out to design an architecture with staying power. From the beginning, PowerPC was designed for a wide range of applications and devices, including embedded systems, desktops, and enterprise servers. Moreover, support for 64-bit computing was planned from the start.
While market and technology analysts were skeptical, even pessimistic, at first, the PowerPC has succeeded as an embedded processor and, due to a recent overhaul complete…
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