SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Softpedia reports
The exact release date of the Debian GNU/Linux 9 "Stretch" distribution has not yet been announced, but we're now fully aware of the supported hardware architectures, which include 64-bit (amd64), 32-bit (i386), AArch64 (ARM64), MIPS, MIPS 64-bit Little Endian (mips64el), Armel, ARMhf, IMB System z (s390x), MIPS Little Endian (MIPSel), and PowerPC 64-bit Little Endian (ppc64el).
[...] The Debian Project [has] decided that it's time to deprecate the support for the PowerPC (PPC) hardware architecture from the Debian GNU/Linux operating system, starting with the upcoming Debian GNU/Linux 9 "Stretch" release. Also in question is if the PPC (PowerPC) port will remain an architecture in the main FTP archive of the GNU/Linux distribution.
That being said, if you're currently using Debian on a PowerPC computer, you should be aware of the fact that you won't be able to upgrade to Debian GNU/Linux 9 "Stretch" when it's officially released. However, that should not be an issue because the Debian GNU/Linux 8 "Jessie" release should receive support for at least a couple of years.
Will this affect any Soylentils?
Are there Soylentils running a PowerPC who have already abandoned Debian because of other issues?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Kilo110 on Friday November 11 2016, @02:45AM
I've a 12 inch powerbook g4 with dual boot osx 10.5 and Debian 8.
I use it a couple of times a week. Usually while watching tv on the sofa. Makes a great IRC machine and can handle *light* web browsing and email. Debian is surprisingly snappy on it.
And while I have this comment window open. This machine is an absolute joy to use. The keyboard actually has key travel and sculpted keys. This was before Apple was hell bent on shaving off every last MM of thickness. I'd love for Apple to keep this body and replace the internals with modern parts. Of course that'll never happen since they're too busy courageously removing all the ports.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 11 2016, @03:08AM
If you want up to date software on that machine from here on out, you're best bet is to drop Debian for NetBSD or OpenBSD. OpenBSD has been nuking old architecture support lately tho, so keep that in mind.
(Score: 2) by t-3 on Friday November 11 2016, @04:34AM
FreeBSD will be the easiest - the others have issues booting on OpenFirmware. They can be worked around but it's annoying an unnecessary when FreeBSD just works.
(Score: 2) by zafiro17 on Friday November 11 2016, @05:33PM
I had that laptop too, and agree with you totally. That was the best laptop keyboard I ever used, and the hardware was lovely in other ways, too. The tiny, low-travel, flat-as-a-board keys Apple is putting on its modern laptops means I won't be able to buy a single one of them. I spend too much time on a computer to put up with shitty keyboards. This post comes to you via my work desktop, sporting a fancy mechanical key, ergonomic keyboard. Apple doesn't want me as its customer, which is fine now that its software offerings aren't that exciting or compelling anymore (itunes is a hog, iphoto now photos sucks balls, and pages has gotten worse, not better). I have fond memories of that G4, Rest in Piece.
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis - Jack Handey
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 12 2016, @03:25AM
Design, bitches!