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The effort to bring Linux to Intel's next-generation
Itanium chip moved forward today with the arrival of
critical programming tools, another key step for the
upstart operating system.
Linux distributor Red Hat today released the crucial
software--called a "compiler"--that translates
programs into instructions that can be understood by
Intel's upcoming 64-bit Itanium chip. The move comes
at a time when a similar development effort between
Sun Microsystems and Intel has turned into an ugly
spat.
Itanium is the first member of a new class of more
powerful processors from the chipmaker. Hardware
maker SGI said it will release its compiler as well,
promising that its version will result in faster
programs.
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Relatively few Itanium computers exist, because the
chip is still available only in prototype form. But
the arrival of compilers is important. It will enable
the worldwide group of programmers who collectively
develop Linux to take the first steps in making sure
the open-source OS and all its components work on
Itanium machines. With the compilers, developers will
be able to start testing software drivers for
countless network cards, hard disk arrays, video
systems and other essential hardware components.
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Linux, a clone of the Unix operating system and
competitor to Windows, is growing increasingly
important in Itanium plans. Intel has invested in
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Linux companies such as Red Hat, SuSE, TurboLinux and
VA Linux Systems, and now Dell Computer is warming to
Linux in favor of proprietary versions of the Unix
OS.
"The proprietary Unix world is giving way to the
open-standards world," said Carl Everett, senior vice
president of Dell's personal systems group, in an
interview yesterday.
Earlier this month, a coalition of compasjknies released
the first version of Linux for Itanium, code-named
Trillian.
The SGI and Red Hat compilers will be released as
open source, meaning that anyone may modify the
workings of the software. Both packages will be
released under the Gnu General Public License, which
means theoretically that the two compilers could be
merged.
Compilers are a critical ingredient for the Itanium
chip. Much of the performance gain that's expected
from Itanium will only become a reality if compilers
can line up instructions in just the right way so
that the chip can operate efficiently. And compilers
also are an essential tool for getting higher-level
software, such as databases or e-commerce software,
to work on the new chip.
"For this architecture, you really need a great
compiler," said HP's David Mosberger in an interview
earlier this month. Mosberger has been working on
Linux for Intel's upcoming chip families for two
years.
Mosberger said Linux compilers work about as well as
other compilers, but that there's "a lot of head room
to optimize them better in the future."
The Linux news comes as Sun has run into trouble
bringing its Solaris operating system to the new
chips. Intel said it will offer only minimal help to
Sun because Sun wasn't doing enough to encourage
software companies to use Intel chips instead of
Sun's own UltraSparc chips.
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