Terra Soft Reveals Linux/PPC Hardware Solution

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.

Killing that first post groove...

[zaren]

Looks like a nice system. A little slow, but I guess there's more of the slower CPUs available these days, and it does keep the price down.

What's the point?

[g4dget]

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 [mini-itx.com] 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 [intel.com].

Distros and Costs?

[Komarosu]

Interesting here that YDL are trying to "pimp" it as there platform, but with other PPC linux distros making there way along then it does give you a nice choice for a cheap linux desktop solution.

Yes it might be cheaper to buy x86, but what about these people who want to experiment on new platforms? Also the reason why x86 is cheaper is due to mass demand, i imagin that if they get a lot of sales of these PPC mobos then the prices will drop

I personally is very interested in getting one of these just to experiance PPC, strange as it may sound but ive never really touched a PPC based platform in my life! (dont ask me how to modify BIOS settings or whatever on a Mac :))

Re:FreeBSD?

[nsayer]

The only drivers that would need work would be for on-board devices. Presumably it has PCI slots, and any PCI devices supported on FreeBSD x86 should work just fine on any other platform (modulo bugs). So what sort of on-board devices do these things have? Anything more exotic than ATA, USB or Firewire controllers (which are likely to be well supported)?

Re:What's the point?

[jmu1]

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.

Re:OS X

[dpaton.net]

Gee, he wasn't even talking about an iMac. He was talking about an iBook. See, it's a laptop, and a very usable one at that. Veeeeery different from them CRT based thingies (I hate 'em too). If you need PCI slots and serial ports buy a generic x86 mobo and fight with IRQs. If you want a UNIX system that just works, and has actual desktop usability, drop a grand and buy an iBook.

-dave

Use it as a DMZ box.

[Mr_Icon]

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.

Re:OS X

[Anonymous Coward]

I can't agree more. We bought an iBook just 3 months ago and have been really really happy with it. The price was higher then, but it was still and excellent return in performance to price. I spend more time actually doing things, instead of trying to figure out why the damn firewire card in the pc doesn't want to talk to the camera. Or even downloading the additional software I have come to believe should be a standard nobrainer (ssh, perl).

This has been the only time I have spent that much money on a computer and been able to say it was worth it. When I upgraded my older celeron 366 to a 500 for $10 the return was almost not worth it.

why would you want to?

[splateagle]

Can anyone explain the fascination with running OS X on non-Apple hardware? the beauty of OS X (imho) is that it finally offers elegantly designed and powerful software for elegantly designed and powerful hardware, why the urge to stick it in some nasty biege box?

Re:What's the point?

[MissMyNewton]

And Linux on x86 runs a lot more software than Linux on PPC

And using that logic, why bother with Linux when Windows run LOTS LOTS LOTS LOTS LOTS more software than Linux on X86...

Re:OS X

[b1t r0t]

You do realize this is $500 just for the bare motherboard? And it's a G3 600 at that? You'd be better off getting a G3 off of ebay or a Mac reseller site like MacResQ [macresq.com]. (I gave that as an example it's the one I can remember.) They currently have a G3/400 blue&white with 128 meg RAM, 6G hard disk, and DVD-ROM for $530. Lose a few megahertz, get RAM and a hard drive for $30 more. They also have various G4/450 systems for $900.

And you don't have to wait until January for them to be released, either.

Re:why would you want to?

[nsayer]

why the urge to stick it in some nasty beige box?

Because it would cost less.

Of course, that presumes your time and hacking effort is free, but for most /.ers, I suspect it is.

Re:Versus orginal MAC hardware.

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/homo.jpg

It's Mac . . . MORON

Re:OS X

[MoneyT]

I call bullshit. Show me where and what you got for $250.

Also note that your athlon system did not come with:

A) A nice 12 inch LCD display

B) 4 hours standard batery life

C) OS X

D) Firewire

E) Gigabit ethernet

F) An easy to carry portable form

Re:What's the point?

[g4dget]

There is no DRM in Linux running on any existing PC motherboard. When/if hardware enforced DRM comes, we can deal with it then--an old non-DRM PC will be no more or less of an oddity at that point than an old non-DRM PPC.

Re:OS X

[OwnedByTwoCats]

But this solution is more expensive than the Apple hardware!

$495 is for MoBo and Processor. Add HD, Optical storage, video board, monitor, RAM, keyboard, and speakers, and you're the $799 iMac territory (which includes 600MHz PowerPC G3, 128MB SDRAM, 40GB Ultra ATA drive, Rage 128 graphics, 15" monitor, CD-ROM Drive, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 56K internal modem, optical mouse, quality keyboard, speakers, AppleWorks, iTunes, iMovie, and iPhoto.)

Re:Use it as a DMZ box.

[AJWM]

Only if by "obscurity" you mean "unusualness". There's nothing obscure ("hidden") about the software running on the boxes or the architecture of the boxes.

For an analogy, there's nothing obscure about how standard door locks work. A skilled locksmith can pick the lock whether it's a Yale or a Schlage. A "script kiddie" with an automatic pick that only works on Yale locks (unlikely, but give me this for the sake of analogy), however, will be stopped by a Schlage.

Somebody capable of creating a rootkit for x86 could probably create one for Sparc or PPC or MIPS, although he might first have to study the architecture and acquire the hardware to test with. Given the ubiquity of x86 systems, however, he's more likely to spend that time finding some other x86 exploit.

Re:not an acronym

[Omega996]

i hate to break it to you, AC, but MAC is usually associated with Media Access Control - you know, the hardware address of a NIC. Mac is short for Macintosh. It's not MACINTOSH. since MAC is taken by people to mean something else, it's worth pointing out.