PPC: Which PowerPC computers are supported by SuSE Linux?
Support knowledgebase (olh_ppc_machines)
Problem:
You have a PowerPC and would like to install SuSE Linux. The following list
tells you which particular PowerPCs are currently supported or known to
work, respectively.
At this time, there are many manufacturers who use PowerPC processors. Not every
computer is supported just because the processor is supported, however, the entire
architecture of the machine must work as a whole.
Solution:
Basically, every computer with a PCI bus should work. Machines with a
MCA bus or NuBus will not work.
We know that at least the following machines work with SuSE Linux 7.1 PPC:
Apple Powermacs and clones:
Preliminary remark:
Computers made by Apple often have the same name over a long period even
if the underlying hardware changes sometimes significantly. Because of
this it may happen that some special features will not be available on
some machines even if the machines itself is claimed to be supported.
- Supported:
So called "OldWorld" Macs:
- PowerMac 72XX, 7500, 7600, 8500, 8600, 9500, 9600
- Performa 5400, 5500, 6360, 6400, 6500 (the internal modems in these models are not supported)
- 20th Anniversary Macintosh
- PowerMac G3 beige
- PowerBook 2400, 3400, G3 1998
- Problematic: 4400, 7300, 8200
So called "NewWorld" Macs:
- PowerMac G3 B&W, G4
- iMac
- PowerBook G3 1999, G3 2000
- iBook
- PowerMac G4 Cube, PowerMac G4 SMP
This listing refers to computers which were introduced before/in Autumn of
2000. Newer computers (2001 models) may not be supported, even if the names
are identical to those listed above!
Please read rschmid_ppc_difficulties if you need
help in this regard.
At the moment we know that the G4 with 466 MHz and an ATI Rage graphic
card will work. The new G4 Powerbooks will work too, but with some
limitations regarding ethernet and sound (they don't work).
- Not supported:
- PowerBook 1400, 2300, and 5300
- Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, 8100 - they run only MkLinux: http://www.mklinux.org
- WGS 6150, 8150, 9150
- All Performas 52xx, 53xx, 61xx, 62xx, and 63xx.
These machines have a proprietary bus architecture and will therefore "never" be supported.
"Never" means: Until someone sits down and writes a driver, which maybe tomorrow or never. :)
07-31-2000: It has happened:
http://lists.linuxppc.org/listarcs/linuxppc-user/200008/msg00015.html
http://nubus-pmac.sourceforge.net/
Apple Cronology
- January 2002
- flatpanel iMac: not supported
- giga hertz G4: not supported
- October 2001
- January 2001
- Installation will work fine with 7.3-ppc. nVidia cards are not supported.
- These machines have a newer firmware, the bootloader is unable to open the textmode
- iMacs can be used with 7.1
- Cube, Titanium Powerbook G4 can be used with 7.1
- G4 can be used with 7.1, the Radeon and nVidia cards are unsupported, remove the SCSI card, onboard ethernet may not work
- iBook2 works (unconfirmed), enter "boot cd:,\\yaboot" on the firmware prompt.
- August 2000
- These machines have a newer firmware, the bootloader is unable to open the textmode
- G4, Cube, iMac, iBook, Powerbook can be used with 7.0, kernel 2.2.18 recommended
- the available Radeoncards are unsupported
Umax Macintosh clones
- Supported
- Apus 2000, 3000
- SuperMac C600, C500, C700, S900
- SuperPulsar DP
Motorola
- Supported
PowerComputing
- Supported
- PowerCenter 120, 132, 150, 166, 180
IBM iSeries
- Supported
See poeml_iseries_installation_7.1 for more information.
IBM RS/6000 / pSeries
For the following group of IBM machines (Supported by SuSE), SuSE had the
opportunity to test Linux on these machines and will provide installation
support. The second group (Use of SuSE Linux possible) is known to work,
but we do not know this for sure; thus, we cannot guarantee
anything and cannot help you with these machines. The last group should be
self explaining.
Not all parts (e.g. some graphics cards) that IBM has been shipping with their
hardware are supported by Linux! A list with supported components can be found here:
olh_ppc_hardware_ibm
Note:
This page gives information about which machines SuSE supports with the
current release of SuSE Linux PPC. IBM uses the term "support" in a different
way. If you are interested which machines are supported by IBM, please
have a look at the following page:
http://oss.software.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/linux/projects/ppc/models.php
- Supported by SuSE
- RS/6000 43P Model 133 (version 7.0 - 7.3)
- RS/6000 B50 (version 6.4 - 7.3)
- RS/6000 150 (version 7.0 - 7.3)
- RS/6000 170 (version 7.0 - 7.1)
- RS/6000 260 (version 7.0 - 7.1)
- RS/6000 270 (version 7.0)
- pSeries 640 (version 7.1)
- Systems that require the SuSE Linux Enterprise Server:
http://www.suse.de/en/products/suse_business/sles/sles_iSeries_pSeries/index.html
- 43p 170
- 43p 260
- 43p 270
- pSeries 610
- pSeries 620
- pSeries 640
- pSeries 660
This machine may run Linux in a very experimental way (currently not
supported!):
- Use of SuSE Linux possible
- IBM ThinkPad 850 (version 7.0 - 7.3)
- RS/6000 F50 (version 6.4 - 7.1)
- RS/6000 43P Model 140 (version 7.3)
- RS/6000 43P Model 100/120 (version 7.0 - 7.3)
Other models with RS64 III, RS64 IV, POWER3 or POWER4 cpus might work.
Due to the lack of correspondending hardware we can neither test nor support those systems. Feedback about successful boots are welcome.
A list of supported models can be found here:
http://www.linuxppc64.org/boxes.shtml
- Status unknown or not supported
- RS/6000 200, 220, 230, 250
- RS/6000 E30, E40, F30, F40, H50, H70, F80, S70, S80, SP
- all models with POWER or RS64 II cpu
- all other RS/6000 not mentioned here.
- MCA hardware does not boot
Have a look at the mailinglist archive at http://lists.linuxppc.org/
Note that all IBM machines require kernel version 2.4 and later.
2.2.16 works on B50 and F50.
Amiga APUS systems
- due to the lack of Linux kernel support we cannot provide support for these systems.
Further information about supported PowerPC machines can be found at
http://www.linuxppc.com/about/hardware/.
However, those computers have not been tested by SuSE and often need
a specially patched Linux kernel.
Every machine tested by SuSE will be explicitly named here in this list.
See also:
PPC: Installation of SuSE Linux 7.1/PPC on iSeries
PPC: SuSE Linux on problematic Macs
Keywords: PPC, IBM, POWERPC, HARDWARE, MAC, MACINTOSH, APPLE, RS6000, APUS, UMAX, ISERIES
Feedback welcome: Send Mail to ppc@suse.de (Please give the following subject: SDB-olh_ppc_machines
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SDB-olh_ppc_machines, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany
- Version: 21. Feb 2000
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 30. Jul 2002 by mha (sdb_gen 1.40.0)