This is a copy of the Linux/m68k Frequently Asked Questions file (or FAQ). Since it probably contains errors (typographical and logical), outdated and missing information, and other significant problems, I ask that you send feedback and corrections to me.
What it is supposed to do is answer common questions about Linux/m68k, in the hope (infinitesimal though it might be) that these questions will not be asked again (since they've already been answered here). It is highly advisable to read this FAQ thoroughly before asking questions in the newsgroup, on the mailing lists, or directly; failure to read this FAQ in its entirety may result in either no response or an extremely hostile response to your questions, depending on whom you ask and what mood that person is in.
This FAQ is not intended to serve as an introduction to Linux; nor is it intended to explain how to administer a Linux-based system. To find out more about these topics, please read the standard Linux books and manuals. I particularly recommend Matt Welsh's two books: Linux Installation and Getting Started published by the LDP and available in print from SSC, and Running Linux, Second Edition available from O'Reilly and Associates (cowritten with Lar Kaufman), which expands greatly on the content of the previous book (if you can only afford one Linux book, get this one). See section Books for more details.
For other questions about Linux in general, I recommend that you read the Linux INFO-SHEET. This document, along with many others about Linux (including instructions for specific applications), is available at the Linux Documentation Project's home page.
The short answer is that Jesper Skov (or someone else) will yell at you if you ask a question that's already answered here.
The long answer: While this FAQ is primarily about the Linux/m68k project, it also includes information specific to the Amiga platform that is not included in any other FAQ. Since the APUS project uses the same Amiga hardware support code as the Linux/m68k project, the Amiga-specific information in this FAQ applies to both ports. Accordingly you should read both this FAQ and Jesper's Linux/APUS FAQ.
This FAQ was created and originally maintained by Jörg Mayer <jmayer@telemation.de>. It is now maintained by Chris Lawrence <lawrencc@clark.net>. The current maintainer of the FAQ can always be reached at <faq@linux-m68k.org>.
The latest revision is available in HTML format, suitable for reading with a World Wide Web browser (such as Netscape, Lynx, Arena, etc.), at http://www.linux-m68k.org/faq/faq.html, http://home.olemiss.edu/~clawrenc/linux/faq/faq.html, http://www.lordsutch.com/linux/faq/faq.html, http://www.se.linux-m68k.org/faq/faq.html, or http://www.clark.net/pub/lawrencc/linux/faq/faq.html. It is also mirrored daily in Germany at http://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/Linux/680x0/FAQ/faq.html and in Norway at http://amiga.nvg.org/linux/mirrors/lawrencc/faq/faq.html.
There is a French translation of the FAQ available at http://www.mygale.org/~atari/Linux68k/Faq/, translated by Christian Jacolot.
Il y a un traduction français du FAQ; on peut le retrouver à http://www.mygale.org/~atari/Linux68k/Faq/. Il est traduit par Christian Jacolot.
A pointer to this FAQ is supposed to be posted every two weeks to the Usenet newsgroups comp.os.linux.m68k, comp.unix.amiga, maus.os.linux68k, comp.arch.bus.vmebus, comp.sys.amiga.misc comp.sys.atari.st, comp.sys.m68k, comp.answers, and news.answers. The entire FAQ is no longer posted to Usenet because it has become ridiculously large.
The FAQ is available in the following formats. Note that many of these files are compressed using the GNU gzip program; you will need a copy of gzip (or gunzip, or another compatible tool) to access these files.
xpdf).
The version number has three parts, formatted as follows: X.Y.Z
For example, FAQ 2.0.43 was the 43rd revision of the FAQ after the 2.0 kernel was released. When the first official 2.2 kernel was released, the next FAQ version was FAQ 2.2.0.
Note that this FAQ is often updated between Usenet posts. Interim versions of the FAQ are made available at the usual places.
This FAQ documents the 2.0 and 2.2 series of kernels. If you are currently using a 0.x or 1.2 series kernel, I recommend that you read the Linux/m68k 2.0 announcement (and all the documents it says to read) and then upgrade to a 2.0 kernel. The 0.x and 1.2 series of kernels are obsolete and completely unsupported.
Most things said about 2.0 kernels apply also to the 2.1 development series and 2.2 semi-stable kernels, unless otherwise noted. I recommend against trying to use the 2.1 and 2.2 kernels until you are accustomed to using Linux, or you need to use hardware that's not supported in a 2.0 kernel.
The latest versions of the kernel and boot loaders, as of this FAQ release:
For current versions of other software, please refer to the
Changes document included in the kernel sources (also available
at
http://www.linuxhq.com/).
This is a brief section that answers a few questions about the Linux operating system. It is not intended to replace the real documentation about Linux, however.
Linux is a freely-distributable kernel and operating system that works virtually the same as UNIX. Unlike all other available truly UNIX-like operating systems (this means those that provide memory protection and virtual memory), it is built from the ground-up from scratch to comply with open standards. Currently, Linux complies with virtually all of the POSIX.1 standard (the only completely vendor-independent standard), and work is underway to finish work on compliance with the System V Interface Definition (SVID) and other commercially-established standards.
Linux was started in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, who at the time was an
undergraduate student in Computer Science at the University of
Helsinki in Finland. While Linus is no longer a starving college
student (he now works for
Transmeta, a highly-secretive Silicon Valley company), he
continues to coordinate the work on the kernel and makes significant
contributions of his own, particularly on the Alpha and SMP (symmetric
multiprocessing) code. The names of many of the other people who have
contributed to the Linux kernel can be found in the CREDITS and
MAINTAINERS files that are included with the Linux kernel
sources.
More of Linux's history (particularly the history of Linux/m68k) is covered in the next section of the FAQ.
The Linux kernel is vaguely equivalent to the Kickstart under AmigaOS.
It provides basic services to the operating system, but that's about
it. Unlike AmigaOS, it requires at least one other program to launch
(a shell [command line interpreter] or a special program
called init). Without another program, you'll never even get to
a command prompt.
The Linux operating system is a collection of programs (such as interpreters, shells, utilities, applications, and daemons) and libraries that facilitate user interaction with the system. Much of the Linux operating system is derived from the Free Software Foundation's GNU project and the University of California at Berkeley Source Distribution of Unix (BSD). The Linux OS also includes software from other sources, some of which was written specifically for Linux.
For the most part, I use the term Linux as the generic term for both
the operating system that most Linux users use and to refer
specifically to the kernel. Others would use "GNU/Linux", or a
distribution name (e.g. "Red Hat Linux", "Slackware Linux", or
"Debian GNU/Linux"), for the operating system, reserving "Linux"
strictly for the kernel. Suffice it to say it's not worth the effort
to try to convince me to adopt this alternative terminology (you can
start the GNU/Linux/m68k FAQ if you like :-).
Where the distinction between one meaning of Linux and another is unclear, I apologize in advance.
MkLinux is a project sponsored by Apple (in collaboration with the Open Group, née the Open Software Foundation) to build a Microkernel-based Linux kernel for PowerPC (and some other) systems.
Linux/m68k is a project to build a monolithic Linux kernel for 680x0 systems. It has no connection with Apple or the OG/OSF (as a matter of fact, Apple, unlike many other manufacturers, has been downright unhelpful with the m68k Linux port).
Unfortunately, the use by some of the term "MacLinux" has added to the confusion and made a lot of people think that MkLinux and Linux/m68k on the Macintosh are the same project. They aren't. Not even close.
False. Linux/m68k is at least as stable as Linux on Intel, Alpha, PowerPC and Sparc systems (all of which have, like Linux/m68k, at least one "major" distribution available). Furthermore, Linux/m68k was the first stable port of Linux to any other (non-Intel) processor.
There is development on additional hardware drivers and additional machine ports (like implementations for the Macintosh, Apollo and Sun 3), but this is the same "development" that is underway on other platforms.
As an illustration of Linux/m68k's stability, a recent report on the mailing list said that a 68030-based Amiga 1200 had been running a 2.0.29 kernel for 24 hours a day for 363 days without a system crash, while serving as a web server and providing file, news and mail services to several other machines.
False. Over 1600 people have registered using Linux/m68k (and registering is strictly optional; see the Linux/m68k Registration Site for up-to-date figures). Many hundreds more are using it on systems without Internet connections.
Linux/m68k's usage on systems capable of running it is probably equivalent to that of Linux on Intel platforms (on a percentage basis).
Over 330 people participated in the call for votes for the Usenet
newsgroup comp.os.linux.m68k, which took place in late 1995 (when
Linux/m68k was in less widespread use).
False. Linux has many features that make it preferable to NetBSD or OpenBSD. The most impressive feature is that there is virtually no Berkeley code in the kernel: it is written from the ground up to comply with POSIX and other standards (XPG, SVID, etc.), and work is underway to make it a "branded" Unix.
Linux is also highly popular on Intel platforms (to a much greater degree than BSD). This popularity, combined with 99.9% source compatibility, means that virtually any program that runs on Linux/i386 (and doesn't use non-portable features like SVGAlib) can be compiled and run on Linux/m68k. It also means that you can walk into virtually any bookstore and buy a book specifically about your OS (try that with AmigaOS!).
Additional information about a number of 680x0-based systems is available at Joaquin Menchaca's hardware pages
The Amiga was the first 680x0-based computer to have Linux ported to it. The first Amiga computer was the Amiga 1000, released in mid-1985. It featured a 68000 processor running at 7.14 MHz, along with 256k of RAM.
The Amiga line has included quite a few models, including the Amiga 500, 600, 1200, 2000 (and its variants, like the 1500 and 2500), 3000 and 4000. The 3000T and 4000T are tower versions of the 3000 and 4000, respectively.
The Amiga line also includes the CDTV and CD-32 platforms, which are CD-ROM-based Amigas. More recently, clones have appeared, like the DraCo and BoXeR motherboard.
Recent Amigas can be upgraded to use PowerPC 603e and 604e processors in addition to a 680x0 processor using third-party CPU boards.
The Atari 32-bit series was the second platform to receive an implementation of Linux/m68k. The Atari machines were launched with the release of the ST520 in mid-1985.
The Atari line includes the ST models, TT and Falcon. There have also been a number of Atari clones, including the Medusa.
(revised by David Kilzer)
The Macintosh, introduced in 1984, was the first popular 680x0-based computer. There have been dozens of different 680x0-based Macintoshes.
The port of Linux/m68k to the Macintosh platform is still ongoing, though some systems are usable today with functional SCSI, IDE, Ethernet and console support.
Current gaps in support include FPU-less Macs (the FPU emulator is still a work-in-progress) and most Powerbooks (ADB is not supported yet, though code from the Linux-PPC and MkLinux projects will help greatly).
A fairly comprehensive overview may be found at the Linux/m68k on Macintosh site, http://www.mac.linux-m68k.org/.
(written by Richard Hirst)
Motorola has released a number of single-board systems using the 680x0 processors, based on the VME bus standard. More information on these systems is available at Motorola's web site.
(More information from a later post:)
I have a VME system based on Motorola MVME boards. Follow the links from www.sleepie.demon.co.uk to find out more about the boards. The boards I use are basically single board computers, which can be plugged into a VME card cage. The interface to the VME is via a chip called the VMEchip2 which provides programmable address windows between the VME bus and the on-board bus. As part of programming the VMEchip2, you specify the AM (Address Modifier) code to use in VME bus cycles. The AM code specifies A24, A32, etc.
VME is used a lot in industrial applications, with various interface boards for digital i/o, etc, so people using Linux on these boards often want to read/write to specific addresses in the VME address space.
Before anyone asks, these boards are expensive (relative to a good PC) - I got mine from work so didn't have to pay for them.
The NeXT workstations were produced by NeXT Computer, Inc., starting in the late 1980s and ending in 1994. The workstations were made in two configurations: the NeXT Cube and NeXTstation (a.k.a. "the slab").
The NeXT Cube came in 68030 and 68040-based configurations, while the slabs were produced later and came with 68040's only. 68040-based models came in 25MHz and 33MHz (Turbo) editions.
The basic NeXTs came with 4-grayscale video (black, white and two shades of gray). Color NeXTs are capable of 12-bit color, or 4096-color video output (16 levels of red, green and blue). NeXT also produced the NeXT Dimension board for the cubes, which was capable of 24-bit color.
NeXTs ran the NeXTstep operating system; however, current versions of that OS (now called OpenStep) no longer support the original ("black") m68k-based hardware; this has made a Linux port to the NeXT particularly attractive. More information can be found at the Li/NeXT web site, http://www.black.linux-m68k.org/.
Any takers?
Among the thousands of Linux/m68k installations, there are several organizations which use Linux/m68k in their commercial or research endeavors: