PA-RISC Linux
Overview
PA-RISC Linux runs on a broad range of 32-bit and 64-bit HP 9000 PA-RISC workstations and servers. The port was supported by HP and a few research initiatives for a while and is the most complete open source PA-RISC operating system, having been developed for now more than 25 years. Two major Linux distributions include PA-RISC in their releases and codebase: Debian and Gentoo.
In the late 1990s, PA-RISC was the last big
RISC/Unix architecture without a proper Linux port.
Early work by the Puffin Group in 1998 on the port of Linux to HP PA-RISC gained momentum after HP started helping with equipment and documentation in 1999.
It quickly superseded the earlier Mach-based MkLinux.
Because of HP’s assistance, supported machines at the time were newer than other ports like OpenBSD or Mach, such as HP 9000 A180, Visualize B180 and 64-bit PA-RISC 2.0.
Since the late 2000s, work on the PA-RISC Linux port became slower, similar to other open source operating systems on PA-RISC, but the tempo increased in 2014 again. Most PA-RISC Linux documentation and websites changed and moved in the 2020s.
Systems support
Most HP 9000 700 and B/C/J-Class workstations are supported with 32-bit and 64-bit PA-RISC processors. SMP multi-processing is supported, though not as smooth as other Linux platforms or HP-UX. Linux runs also on many HP 9000 PA-RISC server systems, although some proprietary I/O, CPU and memory are not supported.
Class | Computers |
---|---|
HP 9000 700 | 705, 710, 712, 715, 720, 730, 750, 725, 735, 755 |
HP 9000 740 VME | 742i, 743i, 744, 745i, 745, 747i, 748i, 748 |
HP 9000 A-Class | A180, A180C A400, A500 |
HP Visualize B‑Class | B132L, B160L, B132L+, B180L+, B1000, B2000, B2600 |
HP Visualize C-Class | C100, C110,C132L, C160L, C160, C180, C200, C240, C360, C3000, C3600, C3700, C3750, C8000 |
HP 9000 D-Class | D210, D220, D230, D250, D270, D280, D310, D320, D330, D350, D370, D380, D390 |
HP 9000 E-Class | E25, E35, E45, E55 (very limited) |
HP Visualize J‑Class | J200, J210, J280, J282, J2240, J5000, J5600, J6000, J6700, J6750, J7000, J7600 |
HP 9000 K-Class | K100, K200, K210, K220, K250, K260, K370, K380, K400, K410, K420, K450, K460, K570, K580 |
HP 9000 L-Class | L1000, L2000, L3000 |
HP 9000 N-Class | N4000 |
HP 9000 R-Class | R380, R390 |
HP Integrity rp | rp2400, rp2430, rp2405, rp2450, rp2470, rp3410, rp3440, rp5400, rp5450, rp5470, rp7400 |
Portables | RDI PrecisionBook, SAIC Galaxy 1100 |
Performance on Linux is not quite on par with original HP-UX — 50% was a rough estimate in the late-2000s. However the overhead of running a full-blown HP-UX probably consumes much of this advantage, especially on older systems.
Hardware support
Most I/O subsystems are supported in PA-RISC Linux, including many common PC expansion options. Correct X11 graphical support is limited to a small set of HP adapters via the framebuffer device. As newer machines are more similar to standard Intel PCs, support is generally better but still lacking in some areas.
Distributions
The center of kernel and toolchain development is the offical PA-RISC Linux project with source code, mailing lists, install instructions, an array of documentation and a hardware database. Two Linux distributions have included the PA-RISC port since the 2000s: Debian and Gentoo:
- Debian included PA-RISC Linux from 2002 until 2012 as Debian/hppa in various releases from 3.0 to 4.0. The Debian version of PA-RISC Linux is available in the Debian ports repositories where regular installation medias are made available as hppa in various releases
- Gentoo is the second Linux distribution that included a PA-RISC port.
- T2 System Development Environment includes Linux PA-RISC support.
Documentation
- PA-RISC Linux: HARDWARE SUPPORT PA-RISC Linux Porting Project (2024)
- PA-RISC LINUX FAQ PA-RISC Linux Porting Project (2024)
- ESIEE PA/Linux Detailed Hardware Support ESIEE The PA/Linux Team (2016) archive.org
- PA-RISC Linux hardware database, The PARISC-Linux Project (gone)
- PA-RISC Linux project page PA-RISC Linux Porting Project (2024)
- PA-RISC Linux Project History and Early Development, PA-RISC Linux Porting Project (October 2022)
Articles
- Linux on PA-RISC. One Martini Too Many (.pdf) Matthew Wilcox (July 2000: Paper for OLS2000)
- Debian-ports repositories, including PA-RISC port as hppa (Debian.org, accessed 2022)
- HP: OPEN SOURCE GROUP; PUFFIN DOES LINUX ON PA-RISC, Computergram International, February 23, 1999 (archived at CBR/Techmonitor)