A Build for PowerPC Architecture?

10-07-2009, 04:51 PM #1

Hi, I have experienced your emulator and the progress is incredible on it. However, I would like to know if you have considered compiling under a PowerPC processor?
It would benefit performance wise i think, since the GameCube runs natively on a PowerPC architecture. It would also allow people like me to not have to buy an enthusiast PC build if I already have a working PowerPC processor. You can simply compile the source code if you run Yellow Dog Linux on a hardware configuration that it supports and by using the GCC compiler explained in the link below.

LONG VERSION OF THE MESSAGE BELOW:

As I understand it, in reference to my friend at school, and from wikipedia, the emulator not only supports emulation for the game, but the processor; it has to, because in order for the emulator to run on a PC today, you would need to convert a PowerPC instruction set to x86 and x64, because the GameCube's games were programmed for a PowerPC processor. I've used your emulator on a gaming laptop (apparently a gaming laptop; it looked more like a really good casual laptop with 6 gigs of ram), and I noticed generally slow performance levels with Super Smash Brothers Melee.

I asked my friend how the hell it would run slow on 6 or 4 gigs of ram in 64 bit mode and he said that the GameCube processor is a PowerPC processor. I was actually surprised to hear that, seeing as that also means there's a way to convert PowerPC's instruction set to run on an x86 and x64 processor. It got me thinking that, if you were to compile your source code with a PowerPC processor that can be runned by a general Operating system, such as...Linux, you could basically create your own version of a GameCube operating system because GameCube games run natively on a PowerPC instruction set.

Today, I'm a Sony fan. I've been brain-raped by the PS3's awesome power and potential to where I wanted to learn how to program for the PS3 and the Cell Processor. I did my research on the Cell and found out it also uses PowerPC architecture. The bigger Playstation 3's can also run Linux. I found a page with detailed instructions on how to run linux and make programs that will work effectively with the Cell processor. You guys should do just that with Dolphin. You don't need to know how to program specifically for the cell processor. All you'd need to do is compile the Dolphin source code with a PowerPC compiler (gcc is the compiler that is explained in the link below) while on a PS3 or any type of computer that Yellow Dog Linux supports.

By doing this, you can allow people to run Dolphin and it's games under a native environment, assuming they have a PowerPC processor. Personally, I like the idea of using the Cell on my PlayStation 3 to run a GameCube emulator, especially since there are drivers that will allow the controller to be used on the computer.

Programming Applications on the Cell Processor

**DacoTaco** · (This post was last modified: 10-08-2009, 05:00 AM by DacoTaco.)

just a question

who the hell in this world has a ppc cpu in his desktop pc :/

you have one apparently (where the fuck did you get THAT?) but still...

FloW3184 · (This post was last modified: 10-08-2009, 06:28 AM by FloW3184.)

he uses an iMAC

btw: you would have a speedup, definitely...

but i think you would need at least a 2+ghz powerpc cpu to emulate all the missing instruction sets that are present in the gekko/broadbay CPU.

because it is not a usual powerpc cpu that is working in the gamecube/wii.

DannyDude170 · 10-08-2009, 06:34 AM #4

You want Dolphin to run on PS3 with linux?
The problem with that is, you can't render graphics on it:
http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/products/faq/ps3-devel.shtml

Quote:QUESTION: What level of graphics support is available?

At this point in time, YDL runs in framebuffer mode on the PS3, meaning there is no 2D nor 3D accelleration nor support for OpenGL. The x.org driver is fully functional in its framebuffer mode, offering quality support for a wide variety of hi-def televisions and computer monitors that comply with the PS3 video output signals.

FloW3184 · 10-08-2009, 11:23 PM #5

the newer problem is: you can't even install linux anymore (on the slim)

**boogerlad** · 10-09-2009, 01:24 PM #6

can't someone just take out the jit and make it run on macs/ppc?

FloW3184 · (This post was last modified: 10-10-2009, 04:23 AM by FloW3184.)

not possible.
what do you think why the n64 emulator on xbox runs that much better than the n64 emulator on the wii?

you would have to start again from nothing (only with the knowledge on how to pass many of the troubles in emulating "something special" ... but the main thing would be new from scratch)

***ector*** · 10-12-2009, 07:03 PM #8

It's a lot harder than you'd think. GC/Wii PowerPC code won't run natively on other PowerPCs because it has some extra features that they won't have, and the memory map is different. So you still have to translate code at runtime - sure, between more similar architectures, but it's a lot of work to write such a thing.

**boogerlad** · 10-13-2009, 05:04 AM #9

I see. New jit is needed then, which is a whole lot of work which no one wants to do.

omegadox · 10-13-2009, 05:13 AM **#10**

Since maybe a few people would still have a PPC mac sitting around, and since like no one on the dev team is likely to have such machine, how would it be tested? Since dolphin is targeted at the popular x86 platform, no one is going to spend time making a PPC version of the source code. If you really wanted that, you'd have to do it yourself basically.