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It's 2020: Linux Kernel Sees New Port To The Nintendo 64

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  • It's 2020: Linux Kernel Sees New Port To The Nintendo 64

    Phoronix: It's 2020: Linux Kernel Sees New Port To The Nintendo 64

    It's been a turbulent year and 2020 is certainly ending interesting in the Linux/open-source space... If it wasn't odd enough seeing Sony providing a new official Linux driver for their PlayStation 5 DualSense controller for ending out the year, there is also a new Linux port to the Nintendo 64 game console... Yes, a brand new port to the game console that launched more than two decades ago...

    Phoronix, Linux Hardware Reviews, Linux hardware benchmarks, Linux server benchmarks, Linux benchmarking, Desktop Linux, Linux performance, Open Source graphics, Linux How To, Ubuntu benchmarks, Ubuntu hardware, Phoronix Test Suite

  • #2
    I take news that are merely weird instead of outright catastrophic.

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    • #3
      I think a ps4 or nintendo switch port in the mainline kernel would be a lot more useful due to more potent hardware.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by bemerk View Post
        I think a ps4 or nintendo switch port in the mainline kernel would be a lot more useful due to more potent hardware.
        But this is an achievement done in hobby time.
        I wouldn't have expected a Nintendo 64 being able to run Linux.

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        • #5
          Well, Linux supports a large number of systems and architectures, so why not this one as well? Being Nintendo, the N64 hardware likely to be around forever in one form or other - it's not hard to get hold of one if you want to... There's a lot of ARM stuff in the kernel that will be dead long before the N64 goes away

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          • #6
            Originally posted by bemerk View Post
            I think a ps4 or nintendo switch port in the mainline kernel would be a lot more useful due to more potent hardware.
            By the time a PS4 or Switch port comes along you will probably say the same thing about the PS7 because the Linux kernel will have become too heavy for the PS4 to handle

            Constant treadmill of fun.

            (Plus isn't there already a Linux port for both those platforms?)

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            • #7
              Originally posted by kpedersen View Post

              By the time a PS4 or Switch port comes along you will probably say the same thing about the PS7 because the Linux kernel will have become too heavy for the PS4 to handle

              Constant treadmill of fun.

              (Plus isn't there already a Linux port for both those platforms?)
              I don't think so. Linux is gaining
              traction in embedded systems each year, those will not need high processing capacity but very low energy requirements.

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              • #8
                I believe the RAM issue may be easily resolved by finding RAM chips used in the Expansion packs. Seems the N64 dummy RAM is just a terminator, so theoretically one should be able to add chips in parallel and then terminate at the last chip

                If this has any merit I'd be curious as to others thoughts!

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by timofonic View Post

                  I don't think so. Linux is gaining
                  traction in embedded systems each year, those will not need high processing capacity but very low energy requirements.
                  Sorry but Linux was ported a while ago on the PS4 and it's awesome. Awesome enough that you can install Steam and run PC games on it. His name is Hector Martin and he's now working on porting Linux to the Apple M1. I would like to see Linux on the PS5 because that would make for a cheap gaming PC. Assuming that the scalpers stop scalping them that is.

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                  • #10
                    NetBSD runs on a Dreamcast so I don't see why Linux can't run on an N64.

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