[ydl-gen] Linux yellow dog manual for dummies

[Derick Centeno]

On Thu, 24 Dec 2009 10:09:48 +1100
Robert Spykerman <robert.spykerman at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 2:23 AM, Derick Centeno <dcenteno at ydl.net>
> wrote: ...snip...
> > Be sure to use the YDL Board as a resource so that you "meet" other
> > PS3 users like yourself, as well as others who program using YDL on
> > various hardware systems.  There's a lot a good people there who
> > can help you move forward a lot faster than you going it solo.
> 
> I completely agree. There are not many online forums for YDL - I
> believe this mailing list and the YDL board
> http://www.yellowdog-board.com/ are the only two specific ones.
> 
> I am new to YDL too myself. I suspect not many people use it very much
> these days if traffic in these lists or the YDL board is anything to
> go by, at least relative to the traffic you can see on the ubuntu
> boards.
>       

You are quite right Robert, the traffic regarding PowerPC programming
has changed quite a bit over the years.  There had been a great deal of
traffic here when Apple incorporated the PowerPC in it's computer
hardware.  When Apple switched to Intel there were many changes in
the traffic here and then Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony developed game
systems which incorporated not only the most advanced PowerPC system
available to date (the Cell) but the most intensively powerful CPU
available to consumers.  Out of all these companies however only Sony
allowed an option which allowed users to use and run YDL on their PS3s
thereby turning what had been merely a game computer into the
equivalent of a supercomputer available to forward looking consumers.

Of course, not everyone who purchased the PS3 would be interested in
hi-tech programming on the Cell but that potential was available as
long as Sony allowed the OtherOS option to exist.  With the OtherOS
option all members of the family could not only play games but explore
advanced technical areas ranging from introductory to advanced
programming concepts of nearly every level of endeavor.  The only
comparison I can think of is imagining families with the PS3 being
awarded a free perpetual opportunity to attend the most advanced
computer labs at MIT or Stanford or Yale for their own personal
exploration and use. The Cell is that flexible.

However for various reasons Sony closed that potential when the Slim
version of the PS3 was released while they almost simultaneously
announced that no further PS3s would be produced with the OtherOS
option which meant that only the previous generation PS3s with the
OtherOS option would continue to be sold until the inventory was
exhausted.  This meant that although there would continue to be persons
who ran YDL on PS3s that number would be finite and would not include
anyone who purchased the PS3 Slim forward.  

Fixstars which produces YDL, runs on many PowerPC systems however fewer
of these available systems exist at a price which consumers normally
purchase between $200-$500.  Fixstar's PowerStation for instance can be
had for $1000+ and if one wants the Cell included with that there
exists a PCI card which one can purchase fits into the PowerStation
beginning at $6,000+.  There will be lovers of hi-tech and
professionals involved in programming advanced systems who will use YDL,
YDEL, etc.  which run on such PowerPC technologies which may be or
become available but this is no longer the "family" or "consumer"
priced systems which people have considered as reasonably affordable
over during the years Apple or Sony sold their systems which means as
well that fewer people will have experience with advanced computers.

Intel technology is popular and common, but it is not based on
radically new thinking as regards computer architecture.  Intel rather
is very astute in utilizing old architectures in radically new ways.
As inventive as such approaches are in my thinking it is akin to
considering how many ways a paper clip can bend.

In fact, this is exactly why the modern market has developed into the
weird reality we find ourselves in where Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony
are vendors who each run the Cell in their own very powerful computing
game systems but each system is "locked" in the sense that consumers
cannot use Linux to utilize the flexibility of the Cell on any of
these systems for themselves or their families.  This is great for
producing strictly advanced gaming computers however it is terrible for
those who want to use those same computers as working systems or family
based learning and research systems which run independently designed
projects.  In fact, families and individuals who purchase the Xbox, Wii
and PS3 Slim now have to also purchase other computers as their
work/research stations at home.  The consumer is paying very much more
than twice over all these purchases.

A range of technical details exploring various views exists within the
YDL Board for those who are interested in researching the topic.

> As much as I hate saying this, you may want to check out Ubuntu as an
> alternative for a beginner for the following reason -  there appear to
> be more distro specific 'current' books on the shelves of local
> bookshops, and at a brief glance, their forums appear to be more
> active. No doubt some questions and issues you will have will be ps3
> specific but they have a forum for that too. People say ubuntu gnome
> or kde (kubuntu) is a big of a memory hog so some say xubuntu (xfce
> desktop) is possibly the best variant to install on the ps3.
>       
Ubuntu is a variant of Debian Linux.  Oddly enough however Ubuntu
decided to cease officially supporting PowerPC systems quite sometime
ago which means that help is entirely provided as it is by the
"community" which really means whoever cares to do so which also means
whenever someone has the opportunity to get to it. This is a really
terrible development for beginners who need as much help as possible
from professionals who are at the top of their game. Read more here:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPC

I have participated on this list long enough to remember a good number
of people who not only were encouraging others to switch to Ubuntu but
doing everything possible to "pull" people over there.  When Ubuntu
made their choice those people who had left here either had to switch
to Intel Linux or accept Ubuntu's terms.  I'm not aware of those who
came back to participate on the YDL lists or the YDL Board again.  It
was really pretty sad all the way around -- all that energy and
enthusiasm wasted.

Oddly enough however professional support remains with Debian Linux
itself although they always primarily supported x86 or Intel based
Linux. See here:  http://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/index.en.html

The professionals who developed YDL, Terra Soft Solutions (TSS), have
always been at the top of the PowerPC development environment.  In the
past, this was nearly the exclusive achievement of TSS; it may not be
possible for any company to exclusively develop for one computer
architecture any longer -- we will have to see how Fixstars (who
inherited YDL from TSS) chooses to move in the current environment which
exists.

Regardless what they do however the marketplace as far as the normal
user is concerned is extremely expensive given what has taken place.

In many ways, the deal regarding the old PS3s remains a fast
disappearing opportunity which would be wise to acquire as quickly as
possible because once it is gone, that is pretty much it unless another
company finds a means to re-introduce the Cell or another PowerPC
system as something other than a game or cellphone computer.

May everyone have a wonderful celebration of these holidays and New
Year.


=========

Refranes/Popular sayings:
The Taino say:No hay mal que por bien no venga.
There is no evil out of which good cannot blossom.
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