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

[cb88]

If rock solid sun4m (and those machines support from 64-512MB on common hardware and 1GB on rare hardware) hardware support is getting dropped this has no place in going mainline... especially considering you can't even run anything practical at all on it on a modern kernel in 4MB. The far more lightweight BSDs don't even claim to be useful on less than 16MB.

[moilami]

This is hacking freedom which was very big part of free software in the beginning. It is good things like this happen. You must not begin to evaluate them in your limited perception on how "useful" they are in your opinion.

[timofonic]

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

Okay, but Dreamcast is a lot more powerful than N64.

Linux can run on a Dreamcast too.

There's DreamShell too. And so on.

[x90e]

Im just surprised because typically Linux requires the platform to have an MMU, which I don't think the N64 does? uClinux doesn't need an MMU but they're not using that.

[Mez']

I still have one of those somewhere.

[dale]

Im just surprised because typically Linux requires the platform to have an MMU, which I don't think the N64 does? uClinux doesn't need an MMU but they're not using that.

The N64 has a TLB with 32 entries. Would that be enough? (My knowledge of Linux requirements is limited, though I do understand the N64 pretty well)

[zxy_thf]

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.

It would be great to have Linux on PS5 (plus proper GPU support).
This can be the cheapest solution to build a rendering farm.

[bridgman]

Im just surprised because typically Linux requires the platform to have an MMU, which I don't think the N64 does? uClinux doesn't need an MMU but they're not using that.

The N64 has a TLB with 32 entries. Would that be enough? (My knowledge of Linux requirements is limited, though I do understand the N64 pretty well)

Agree with Dale - the N64 CPU does appear to have an MMU:

http://en64.shoutwiki.com/wiki/N64_CPU

[microcode]

Hahaha, good stuff. I wonder how well OpenGL 1.x can really run on an N64 even under the best conditions though.

[cb88]

Hahaha, good stuff. I wonder how well OpenGL 1.x can really run on an N64 even under the best conditions though.

OpenGL can probably run OK (with limitations) but anything + Linux is going to be very limited as Linux uis going to take up most of the space in the system... Linux has gotten extremely bloated since the 1.x and 2.x days. It used to be that a fairly well featured kernel would fit very comfortably with lots of extra modules on a floppy disk... but that time has long long since passed. It might be possible to save some memory with some sort of execute in place... not sure if that is possible on N64 though it is possible on newer variants of MIPS.