“A large part of the Linux development community is working
to ensure that Linux is ready for the next generation of superfast
hardware platforms. One of the most well-known advanced Linux
development projects is the IA-64 Linux Project, formerly known as
the Trillian Project.”
“The original development on Linux was done largely from an
“outside-in” approach, with Linus Torvalds and the open source
community working to make the code run better on the Intel
processor. Intel has since realized the value of Linux running on
its systems and has embraced the IA-64 Linux Project. With Intel on
board, users can expect better support sooner for bug fixes in the
64-bit kernel and quicker development of Intel-compatible device
drivers from hardware manufacturers.”
“Itanium will not be the only new 64-bit processor for Linux.
IBM’s 64-bit microprocessor, the Power4, is still in the early
development stages, with many hurdles left to jump until the
production version ships. (It’s not expected until late 2001.)
However, one thing Power4 engineers can say is that it will be
compatible with Linux.”