Running Linux on a RiscPC, why is it so hard?
16 points by lorddimwit
16 points by lorddimwit
You know, there's still one modern OS out there that supports the Risc PC 700. I doubt it's perfect, but once it's up and running, you're running the full, modern 2025 version of the OS.
https://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/acorn32/
It might be fun just to see how well it'd work.
I'm running NetBSD on a 32 MHz m68030 with 36 megs, and it runs surprisingly well. A Risc PC with 41 megs of memory and a 40 MHz ARM710 should be a speed demon by comparison.
I wonder if ARMv3 software can be compiled and run on ARMv4...
"However, it was unexpectedly difficult to get working"
It was unexpected that it was difficult to get Linux working on an oddball system with 41MB (!) of RAM from 1995? That seems completely expected. I mean, more power to you if that's your goal, but I don't see why anyone would expect it not to be difficult.
He's not trying to run modern Linux, he's trying to run a version of Debian released when the RiscPC was still relatively modern. And that should be possible - I knew someone who dual booted Debian and RiscOS on his RiscPC in 2000. But I remember it being quite painful even then and he mostly ran Debian on his x86 machine.
And they're not that oddball. RiscPCs were the default computer for most schools in the UK in the mid to late '90s. And they were about the easiest consumer Arm systems to get hold of, so were used for a lot of Arm bringup work.
I mean, I'd rather run Risc OS on my RiscPC. You can get a Linux or BSD anywhere, it's a little harder to get Risc OS.