Platform Usage
The arch/powerpc code base supports many different platforms, and CPUs. This page tries to gather notes on which platforms are still in use, available, etc. and which are becoming obsolete.
Still developed & sold by IBM.
IBM LPARs use the pseries platform, as does the QEMU pseries machine type.
Raptor Computing "Talos II" and "Blackbird" machines are powernv.
Various other OpenPower branded machines also boot powernv.
QEMU also has support for a powernv machine type.
Bugs semi-regularly reported by Erhard F. on his G5 (2023).
Testable in qemu with qemu-system-ppc64 -M mac99.
Maintained by Geoff Levand.
Still some active users, "more users now than a few years ago" according to Geoff (2023).
No qemu support.
Shares the base Cell CPU enablement and spufs code with PS3.
OzLabs still has one hooked up for automated boot testing, which helps ensure that PS3 doesn't regress.
Latest hardware (QS22) released in 2008 and withdrawn from marketing in 2012.
No qemu support.
Used in the AmigaOne X1000, which still has active users, and some users testing upstream kernels.
Bugs semi-regularly reported by Christian Zigotzky, eg. December 2022.
Orphan since 2016.
Less than 3K SLOC in total, and removing the platform wouldn't free up much other code.
No qemu support.
Used by the "Bimini" machine, aka. "YDL Powerstation", hardware was similar to a Quad G5, but different firmware.
The Terra Soft product page has been 404 since ~2011.
Even amongst PPC enthusiasists these machines were rare see comments.
Less than 2K SLOC in total, and removing the platform wouldn't free up much other code.
No qemu support.
Bug reported by David Engraf (2024).
In use by Christian Zigotzky on A-EON AmigaOne X5000 (based on NXP P5020 or P5040)(2023).
PowerPC Laptop folks are still interested (2023).
Supported in OpenWRT with v5.15 (2023).
Chris Packham has a T2081RDB (e6500?) that boots.
Testable in qemu with qemu-system-ppc64 -M ppce500 -cpu e6500.
Bugs semi-regularly reported by Erhard F. on his PowerMac G4 (2023).
Testable in qemu with qemu-system-ppc -M mac99.
Freescale/NXP e300 CPUs.
NXP Documentation, MPC5121e, MPC5125.
Last kernel activity 1a4bb93f7955 ("powerpc/512x: add LocalPlus Bus FIFO device driver") (2015).
NXP not maintaining Linux for MPC5125.
Freescale/NXP 603e CPUs.
NXP Documentation, MPC5200, MPC5200B.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC_5000#MPC52xx
Notably used by the Genesi Efika, which was sold as a consumer device until 2007.
Last kernel activity 2bf75084f6d9 ("powerpc/52xx: fix build breakage for MPC5200 LPBFIFO module") (2013).
Last kernel activity 5d1d67e361ea ("powerpc/82xx: add SPI support for mgcoge") (2012).
Still in use by Christophe (2023).
Still used by Joakim Tjernlund (2023).
e600 CPUs, formerly 74xx aka G4.
Last kernel activity 97493e2e9eed ("powerpc/86xx: Add support for Emerson/Artesyn MVME7100") (2016).
Last kernel activity 54b318aa5211 ("powerpc/amigaone: Add platform support for AmigaOne") (2009).
Pegasos / Pegasos II machines.
Boot failure on Pegaos II reported with no details in 2011.
Boot failure on qemu pegasos2 model reported in 2021.
Boot regression on Wii reported by Jonathan Neuschäfer (2021).
New RTC driver for Wii & Wii-U added by Emmanuel Gil Peyrot (2021).
Wii-U support in development (2023).
Active work being done by Pali Rohár for P2020 (2023).
Support for new boards added to OpenWRT with v5.15 (2023), latest state.
Some development boards proposed for removal (2023).
Testable in qemu with qemu-system-ppc -M ppce500 -cpu e500mc.
Actively maintained by Christophe.
No qemu support.
Still in use in by Christophe (2023).
Was used by Christophe.
Proposed for removal in March 2020 and December 2020, no replies from any users.
There was a long thread on the qemu list, which also didn't surface any actual users (2021).
OpenWRT dropped support in 2019.
PPC47x used in some IBM FSPs (2023).
Testable in qemu with qemu-system-ppc -M bamboo