[Debian-ppc64-devel] G5 install tips

[Charles Plessy]

Le Thu, Oct 25, 2007 at 02:53:39PM -0700, Chuck a écrit :
> Your ppc64 autobuild is fantastic.  I need to install.  I admin Debian
> elsewhere, but am lost on ppc64 status.  I'd like an install CD/DVD ;
> but if you can explain the quickest route, the reqmts are
> 
> 2.6.22.10 kernel or above
> 'unstable' apt-pinning/apt-sources for 64-bit userspace
> 64-bit Gnumeric
> if possible: 64-bit OpenOffice (or, can 32-bit OOo run in 64-bit
> userspace?)
> *Very* up-to-date bluetooth, windfarm, firewire, sleep mode
> 
> Official Debian offers no auto-built ppc64 installer discs, right?  I
> found year-old stuff in odd places, older kernels.  I may have to build
> a kernel but please advise the best starting point to install.
> 
> While I'm asking, can you point me to gnomish themes to imitate OS X
> looknfeel?  Don't care what window manager really.
> 
> Also, does Xorg on iMac give accelerated OpenGL graphics?

Dear Chuck,

I am wondering if you really mean to run in 64 bits mode, or if you
overlooked the fact that Debian can also run in 32 bit modes on G5:

http://wiki.debian.org/iMacG5

If you are not in a situation in which some calculations are impossible
because 32 bits are not enough to handle very large memory addresses,
you probably do not need to run in 64 bits mode. What you could do if
you needed is the contrary of what you ask : install some 64-bit
applications on G5 running an otherwise 32-bit userland.

On my G5, I have a chroot of the ppc64 port somewhere on my disk, mostly
for playing. And out of the software I tested (biological sequence
alignment software), only one out of five was not slower.

Have a nice day,

-- 
Charles Plessy
http://charles.plessy.org
Wako, Saitama, Japan