By opening the UltraSPARC T1 and UltraSPARC T2 source code and specification we hope to create opportunity to create unique solutions built on a proven architecture. One of these areas is Operating Systems ports to these architectures. Through the efforts of Sun Microsystems and the community, the following efforts are shared with the community. The OpenSPARC community would be very open to lending support to other projects that would want to port to UltraSPARC T1 and/or UltraSPARC T2. Below are several operatings systems that support the UltraSPARC T1 and/or UltraSPARC T2 or will very soon.

Linux Ports

Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds with the assistance of developers around the world. Developed under the GNU General Public License , the source code for Linux is freely available to everyone. Several distros of Linux are supported on Sun Hardware.

Ubuntu Supports the UltraSPARC T1 and UltraSPARC T2

• See which Sun Systems are certified with Ubuntu.
• SPARC Install Help
• SPARC forums

The SPARC Downloads are available: 

• Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) Daily Build - Latest Daily Build
• Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS (Hardy Heron)
• Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon)
• Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn)
• Ubuntu 6.06.2 LTS (Dapper Drake)

Gentoo Linux  support for the UltraSPARC T1 processor used in the Sun T1000 and T2000 systems.

• Download the latest Gentoo release
• Linux/SPARC64 Sun Hardware Compatibility List

• Gentoo Linux SPARC Handbook

• Fedora SPARC page - UltraSPARC T1 port is in progress
• Interview with Dennis Gilmore - key member of the Aurora SPARC Linux project.

BSD Ports

There are several open source projects derived from BSD, the version of UNIX developed at the University of California, Berkeley. This includes FreeBSD. Below are a few progress reports from the community.

• Release 4.4 of OpenBSD now supports UltraSPARC T1 and UltraSPARC T2
• OpenBSD SPARC page - Show a huge list of suppported SPARC systems

• FreeBSD port to UltraSPARC T1
• The last UltraSPARC T1 status report

On May 22, 2006: FreeBSD Self-Hosting on the Sun T1 Processor

Solaris and OpenSolaris

Solaris operating system and operating systems derived from OpenSolaris on UltraSPARC T1. The foundation for Sun systems; delivers a consistent computing environment from departmental servers up to massive, clustered servers with more than 100 CPUs; designed for multiprocessing and 64-bit computing. Below are some resources specific to UltraSPARC T1 and the sun4v architecture.

Get your Free Solaris 10 and Sun Studio Software Media Kit

Check out OpenSolaris

Related Information

Operating System Ports History