Wind River offers Sparc-Linux option

Company will support Linux running on Sun's UltraSparc T1 'Niagara' processor for telecommunications customers.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer

Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.

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Stephen Shankland

Nov. 3, 2006 5:20 p.m. PT

Embedded computing specialist Wind River has announced plans to support Linux running on Sun Microsystems' UltraSparc T1 "Niagara" processor for telecommunications customers. Its Carrier-Grade Linux product for the chip will be available in the second half of 2007, the company said Thursday. Novell and Red Hat, mainstream Linux sellers, both withdrew their Sparc versions years ago.

Wind River's version will join versions from Ubuntu and Gentoo that run on the chip. Niagara includes eight cores, each able to execute four threads of independent instructions; the Niagara 2 that is in development has eight cores with eight threads apiece, and Niagara 3 will further the trend.