2.1. Supported Hardware
| Chapter 2. System Requirements |

## 2.1. Supported Hardware

Ubuntu does not impose hardware requirements beyond the requirements of the Linux kernel and the GNU tool-sets. Therefore, any architecture or platform to which the Linux kernel, libc, gcc, etc. have been ported, and for which an Ubuntu port exists, can run Ubuntu.

Rather than attempting to describe all the different hardware configurations which are supported for PowerPC, this section contains general information and pointers to where additional information can be found.

### 2.1.1. Supported Architectures

Ubuntu 18.04 supports six major architectures and several variations of each architecture known as “flavors”. One other architecture (IBM/Motorola PowerPC) has an unofficial port.

Architecture | Ubuntu Designation | Subarchitecture | Flavor
--- | --- | --- | ---
Intel x86-based | i386 |  |
AMD64 & Intel 64 | amd64 |  |
ARM with hardware FPU | armhf | multiplatform | generic
multiplatform for LPAE-capable systems | generic-lpae
64bit ARM | arm64 |  |
IBM POWER Systems | ppc64el | IBM POWER8 and newer machines |
IBM z/Architecture | powerpc | IBM Z and IBM LinuxONE, no s390 (31-bit mode) support | zEC12 and newer machines

### 2.1.2. CPU, Main Boards, and Video Support

For Ubuntu 18.04 only the PMac (Power-Macintosh or PowerMac) and PreP subarchitectures are supported.

#### 2.1.2.1. Kernel Flavours

There are two flavours of the powerpc kernel in Ubuntu, based on the CPU type:

powerpc

  This kernel flavour supports the PowerPC 601, 603, 604, 740, 750, and 7400 processors. All Apple PowerMac machines up to and including the one marketed as G4 use one of these processors.

powerpc-smp

  All Apple PowerMac G4 SMP machines.

powerpc64

  The powerpc64 kernel flavour supports the following CPUs:

  The POWER3 processor is used in older IBM 64-bit server systems: known models include the IntelliStation POWER Model 265, the pSeries 610 and 640, and the RS/6000 7044-170, 7043-260, and 7044-270.

  The POWER4 processor is used in more recent IBM 64-bit server systems: known models include the pSeries 615, 630, 650, 655, 670, and 690.

  Systems using the PPC970 processor (Apple G5, YDL PowerStation, IBM Intellistation POWER 185) are also based on the POWER4 architecture, and use this kernel flavour.

  Newer IBM systems using POWER5, POWER6, and POWER7 processors.

#### 2.1.2.2. Power Macintosh (pmac) subarchitecture

Apple (and briefly a few other manufacturers — Power Computing, for example) made a series of Macintosh computers based on the PowerPC processor. For purposes of architecture support, they are categorized as NuBus (not supported by Ubuntu), OldWorld, and NewWorld.

OldWorld systems are most Power Macintoshes with a floppy drive and a PCI bus. Most 603, 603e, 604, and 604e based Power Macintoshes are OldWorld machines. Those pre-iMac PowerPC models from Apple use a four digit naming scheme, except for the beige colored G3 systems, which are also OldWorld.

The so called NewWorld PowerMacs are any PowerMacs in translucent colored plastic cases and later models. That includes all iMacs, iBooks, G4 systems, blue colored G3 systems, and most PowerBooks manufactured in and after 1999. The NewWorld PowerMacs are also known for using the “ROM in RAM” system for MacOS, and were manufactured from mid-1998 onwards.

Specifications for Apple hardware are available at AppleSpec, and, for older hardware, AppleSpec Legacy.

Model Name/Number | Generation
--- | ---
Apple | iMac Bondi Blue, 5 Flavors, Slot Loading | NewWorld
iMac Summer 2000, Early 2001 | NewWorld
iMac G5 | NewWorld
iBook, iBook SE, iBook Dual USB | NewWorld
iBook2 | NewWorld
iBook G4 | NewWorld
Power Macintosh Blue and White (B&W) G3 | NewWorld
Power Macintosh G4 PCI, AGP, Cube | NewWorld
Power Macintosh G4 Gigabit Ethernet | NewWorld
Power Macintosh G4 Digital Audio, Quicksilver | NewWorld
Power Macintosh G5 | NewWorld
PowerBook G3 FireWire Pismo (2000) | NewWorld
PowerBook G3 Lombard (1999) | NewWorld
PowerBook G4 Titanium | NewWorld
PowerBook G4 Aluminum | NewWorld
Xserve G5 | NewWorld
Performa 4400, 54xx, 5500 | OldWorld
Performa 6360, 6400, 6500 | OldWorld
Power Macintosh 4400, 5400 | OldWorld
Power Macintosh 7200, 7300, 7500, 7600 | OldWorld
Power Macintosh 8200, 8500, 8600 | OldWorld
Power Macintosh 9500, 9600 | OldWorld
Power Macintosh (Beige) G3 Minitower | OldWorld
Power Macintosh (Beige) Desktop, All-in-One | OldWorld
PowerBook 2400, 3400, 3500 | OldWorld
PowerBook G3 Wallstreet (1998) | OldWorld
Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh | OldWorld
Workgroup Server 7250, 7350, 8550, 9650, G3 | OldWorld
Power Computing | PowerBase, PowerTower / Pro, PowerWave | OldWorld
PowerCenter / Pro, PowerCurve | OldWorld
UMAX | C500, C600, J700, S900 | OldWorld
APS | APS Tech M*Power 604e/2000 | OldWorld
Motorola | Starmax 3000, 4000, 5000, 5500 | OldWorld

#### 2.1.2.3. PReP subarchitecture

Model Name/Number
Motorola | Firepower, PowerStack Series E, PowerStack II
MPC 7xx, 8xx
MTX, MTX+
MVME2300(SC)/24xx/26xx/27xx/36xx/46xx
MCP(N)750
IBM RS/6000 | 40P, 43P
Power 830/850/860 (6070, 6050)
6030, 7025, 7043
p640

#### 2.1.2.4. CHRP subarchitecture

Model Name/Number
IBM RS/6000 | B50, 43P-150, 44P
Genesi | Pegasos I, Pegasos II
Fixstars | YDL PowerStation

#### 2.1.2.5. APUS subarchitecture (unsupported)

Model Name/Number
Amiga Power-UP Systems (APUS) | A1200, A3000, A4000

#### 2.1.2.6. Nubus PowerMac subarchitecture (unsupported)

NuBus systems are not currently supported by Ubuntu/powerpc. The monolithic Linux/PPC kernel architecture does not have support for these machines; instead, one must use the MkLinux Mach microkernel, which Ubuntu does not yet support. These include the following:

- Power Macintosh 6100, 7100, 8100

- Performa 5200, 6200, 6300

- Powerbook 1400, 2300, and 5300

- Workgroup Server 6150, 8150, 9150

A linux kernel for these machines and limited support is available at http://nubus-pmac.sourceforge.net/.

#### 2.1.2.7. Non-PowerPC Macs

Macintosh computers using the 680x0 series of processors are not in the PowerPC family but are instead m68k machines. Those models start with “Mac II” series, go on to the “LC” family, then the Centris series, and culminate in the Quadras and Performas. These models usually have a Roman numeral or 3-digit model number such as Mac IIcx, LCIII or Quadra 950.

This model range started with the Mac II (Mac II, IIx, IIcx, IIci, IIsi, IIvi, IIvx, IIfx), then the LC (LC, LCII, III, III+, 475, 520, 550, 575, 580, 630), then the Mac TV, then the Centris (610, 650, 660AV), the Quadra (605, 610, 630, 650, 660AV, 700, 800, 840AV, 900, 950), and finally the Performa 200-640CD.

In laptops, it started with the Mac Portable, then the PowerBook 100-190cs and the PowerBook Duo 210-550c (excluding PowerBook 500 which is Nubus, please see the section above).

### 2.1.3. Multiple Processors

Multiprocessor support — also called “symmetric multiprocessing” or SMP — is available for this architecture, and is supported by a precompiled Ubuntu kernel image. Depending on your install media, this SMP-capable kernel may or may not be installed by default. This should not prevent installation, since the standard, non-SMP kernel should boot on SMP systems; the kernel will simply use the first CPU.

In order to take advantage of multiple processors, you should check to see if a kernel package that supports SMP is installed, and if not, choose an appropriate kernel package.

You can also build your own customized kernel to support SMP. You can find a discussion of how to do this in Section 8.6, “Compiling a New Kernel”. At this time (kernel version 4.15) the way you enable SMP is to select “Symmetric multi-processing support” in the “Processor support” section of the kernel config.

### 2.1.4. Graphics Hardware Support

Ubuntu's support for graphical interfaces is determined by the underlying support found in X.Org's X11 system, and the kernel. Basic framebuffer graphics is provided by the kernel, whilst desktop environments use X11. Whether advanced graphics card features such as 3D-hardware acceleration or hardware-accelerated video are available, depends on the actual graphics hardware used in the system and in some cases on the installation of additional “firmware” images (see Section 2.2, “Devices Requiring Firmware”).

Details on supported graphics hardware and pointing devices can be found at http://xorg.freedesktop.org/. Ubuntu 18.04 ships with X.Org version 7.7.

### 2.1.5. Network Connectivity Hardware

Almost any network interface card (NIC) supported by the Linux kernel should also be supported by the installation system; drivers should normally be loaded automatically.

#### 2.1.5.1. Wireless Network Cards

Wireless networking is in general supported as well and a growing number of wireless adapters are supported by the official Linux kernel, although many of them do require firmware to be loaded.

If firmware is needed, the installer will prompt you to load firmware. See Section 6.4, “Loading Missing Firmware” for detailed information on how to load firmware during the installation.

Wireless NICs that are not supported by the official Linux kernel can generally be made to work under Ubuntu, but are not supported during the installation.

If there is a problem with wireless and there is no other NIC you can use during the installation, it is still possible to install Ubuntu using a full CD-ROM or DVD image. Select the option to not configure a network and install using only the packages available from the CD/DVD. You can then install the driver and firmware you need after the installation is completed (after the reboot) and configure your network manually.

In some cases the driver you need may not be available as an Ubuntu package. You will then have to look if there is source code available in the internet and compile the driver yourself. How to do this is outside the scope of this manual.

### 2.1.6. Braille Displays

Support for braille displays is determined by the underlying support found in `brltty`. Most displays work under `brltty`, connected via either a serial port, USB or bluetooth. Details on supported braille devices can be found on the `brltty` website. Ubuntu 18.04 ships with `brltty` version 5.3.1.

### 2.1.7. Peripherals and Other Hardware

Linux supports a large variety of hardware devices such as mice, printers, scanners, PCMCIA/CardBus/ExpressCard and USB devices. However, most of these devices are not required while installing the system.

Chapter 2. System Requirements |  | 2.2. Devices Requiring Firmware