OpenBSD/powerpc64 runs on PowerNV machines using the IBM POWER9 processors. A mailing list dedicated to the OpenBSD/macppc and OpenBSD/powerpc64 ports is available at ppc@openbsd.org. To join the OpenBSD/macppc and OpenBSD/powerpc64 mailing list, send a message body of "subscribe ppc" to majordomo@openbsd.org. Please be sure to check our mailing list policy before subscribing. The current port maintainer is Mark Kettenis (kettenis@openbsd.org). Others are definitely welcome to contribute! |
OpenBSD 6.8 was the first official release of OpenBSD/powerpc64.
And since there are always little bits missing, work is continuing...
Currently OpenBSD/powerpc64 supports POWER9 processors and runs stably on PowerNV machines based on the Raptor Computing Systems Talos II and Blackbird boards. Support for POWER8 processors is included but untested.
OpenBSD/powerpc64 does not run under a hypervisor such as PowerVM or PowerKVM.
OpenBSD/powerpc64 is known to work on the following machines:
OpenBSD/powerpc64 is expected to run on IBM PowerNV systems as well. Please give it a try if you have access to such hardware.
The latest supported OpenBSD/powerpc64 release is OpenBSD 7.6. Here are the OpenBSD/powerpc64 installation instructions.
Snapshots are made available from time to time, in this location as well as on a few mirrors. Here are the OpenBSD/powerpc64 snapshot installation instructions as well.
There are several types of installation media provided, so that OpenBSD/powerpc64 can be installed or upgraded via miniroot images as well as network installs.
The miniroot provides an easy installation environment. Just dump the miniroot to a USB flash drive with dd and insert it into a USB slot of the machine. After powering on the machine, an OpenBSD install option should appear in the petitboot bootloader menu.
It is also possible to boot the OpenBSD/powerpc64 install environment directly from an HTTP or TFTP server.