Black Lab Linux
Encyclopedia
Black Lab Linux was a free software
, open-source
Linux distribution
for Power Architecture
hardware. It was first released in 1999 for the Apple Macintosh
as a product of Terra Soft Solutions, a Colorado
(USA
)-based software company specializing in Linux on the Power Architecture. Black Lab Linux was a variant of Yellow Dog Linux
tailored both for embedded systems development and for high-performance, parallel computing. It focussed exclusively on the Apple PowerPC
and IBM RS/6000
hardware platforms Black Lab Linux became an enhancement CD providing developer tools for Yellow Dog Linux customers, then was completely merged into Yellow Dog Linux. Black Lab Linux developer Jeremias Sauceda was then able to focus on adding new functionality to the developer tool set rather than supporting a full distribution.
Formerly, TerraSoft Solutions supported two PowerPC-based distributions, Yellow Dog Linux, the more general-purpose distribution, and Black Lab Linux. These were two of three Linux distributions that focused exclusively on the Apple PowerPC and IBM RS/6000 hardware platforms (the other was LinuxPPC).
Y-HPC is presently Terra Soft's cluster construction suite for both the x86 and Power architecture. It is the world's first commercial, cross-architecture cluster construction suite as the success of any cluster is in part associated with the cost of ownership—rapid imaging, efficient maintenance, and uptime are invaluable. Y-HPC supports image-based cluster construction, support for x86, x86-64, and Power architecture head and compute nodes, and when used with Yellow Dog Linux, support for Ganglia, Moab, NFS, OpenMPI, IB and PVFS2.
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
, open-source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
Linux distribution
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
for Power Architecture
Power Architecture
Power Architecture is a broad term to describe similar RISC instruction sets for microprocessors developed and manufactured by such companies as IBM, Freescale, AMCC, Tundra and P.A. Semi...
hardware. It was first released in 1999 for the Apple Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
as a product of Terra Soft Solutions, a Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)-based software company specializing in Linux on the Power Architecture. Black Lab Linux was a variant of Yellow Dog Linux
Yellow Dog Linux
Yellow Dog Linux, also known as YDL, is a free and open source operating system for high performance computing on multicore architectures. It focuses on GPU systems and computers using the Power Architecture . YDL is currently developed by Fixstars...
tailored both for embedded systems development and for high-performance, parallel computing. It focussed exclusively on the Apple PowerPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
and IBM RS/6000
RS/6000
RISC System/6000, or RS/6000 for short, is a family of RISC and UNIX based servers, workstations and supercomputers made by IBM in the 1990s. The RS/6000 family replaced the IBM RT computer platform in February 1990 and was the first computer line to see the use of IBM's POWER and PowerPC based...
hardware platforms Black Lab Linux became an enhancement CD providing developer tools for Yellow Dog Linux customers, then was completely merged into Yellow Dog Linux. Black Lab Linux developer Jeremias Sauceda was then able to focus on adding new functionality to the developer tool set rather than supporting a full distribution.
Formerly, TerraSoft Solutions supported two PowerPC-based distributions, Yellow Dog Linux, the more general-purpose distribution, and Black Lab Linux. These were two of three Linux distributions that focused exclusively on the Apple PowerPC and IBM RS/6000 hardware platforms (the other was LinuxPPC).
Y-HPC is presently Terra Soft's cluster construction suite for both the x86 and Power architecture. It is the world's first commercial, cross-architecture cluster construction suite as the success of any cluster is in part associated with the cost of ownership—rapid imaging, efficient maintenance, and uptime are invaluable. Y-HPC supports image-based cluster construction, support for x86, x86-64, and Power architecture head and compute nodes, and when used with Yellow Dog Linux, support for Ganglia, Moab, NFS, OpenMPI, IB and PVFS2.