XBMC for Linux port to PowerPC (PPC) CPU-architecture?

I think a powerpc-linux power would be nice. The Dual Core G5 imacs would probably make a very decent xbmc machine.

BLKMGK Wrote:...Aside from someone perhaps simply having the PPC hardware laying around and not XBOX?

I think that's the ticket. All the folks that have Macs with PPC hardware laying around that can now do something useful, even if it is only SD resolution.

It can only serve to increase adoption of XBMC, and may even make the OSXBMC for PPC possible.

With the OSX version especially, it can help increase adoption, because we don't have to be cryptic about where to download it, as we can freely distribute compiled binaries.

Wes

BLKMGK Wrote:I'll try to tread lightly since I understand that many PPC users won't like this but... does it make sense to port to the PPC if HD isn't possible? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper in that case to just use an XBOX? Aside from someone perhaps simply having the PPC hardware laying around and not XBOX?

Just to precise: HD may not be possible on Mac Mini PPC, but it is for sure possible on a lot of other PPC based systems: xbox360, ps3, some macs.

Here is my comparison between the mac mini and an XBOX:

Mac Mini PPC:
+ bluetooth (usefull if you want to control xbmc with a WiiMote)
+ wifi
+ DVI output (can be plugged to a TV with a cheap DVI<->HDMI cable)
- no built-in SPDIF output for sound (I use an external USB M-Audio Transit for this)
+ design
+ silent
- booting linux takes some time (does anyone know how to enhance this ?)

XBOX:
- no bluetooth
- no wifi
+ infrared xbox remote
+ cheap
+ very quick boot

I would of course not recommend anyone to buy a mac mini ppc just for xbmc, but if you already have a mac mini, it becomes interesting.

If XBMC were ported to Linux-PPC it would work on the PS3 (from what I understand it can run powerpc-linux).

Just need OpenGL drivers for PS3 aswell.. so nogo currently even if XBMC were ported for PPC.

Is OpenGL only used in rendering the GUI? If so I wonder how feasible it would be to make a skin, or gui that used very little rendering. The PS3 can do software rendering of opengl enough to run older games, surely a toned down skin/gui would be doable.

Well we have a ./configure --disable-opengl which is to run without the GL but note it's rediciosly CPU intensive, mostly due to the fades in home so it's probably possible to create a theme that doesn't do this. Note that most of the functionality however doesn't work on 2d, mainly movies is a nogo now but a patch can probably make this work aswell the it would work.

But it's a nogo presently.

The whole thing is totally doable, just need to find a developer willing to commit to porting and ongoing development support of XBMC on an essentially dead platform. Good luck.

1) Xbox 360 (3.2 GHz PPC Tri-Core Xenon)

2) Playstation 3 (3.2 GHz Cell Broadband Engine PPC)

3) Wii (IBM PowerPC-based "Broadway")

Yup, it's dead alright.

1) have to hack it (illegal) and limits the audience
2) A-OK if there's some way to access the GPU directly in PS3 linux
3) have to hack it, illegal, limits the audience, and too slow for HD anyway