Debian 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 a Debian port exists, can run Debian. Please refer to the Ports pages at http://www.debian.org/ports/alpha/ for more details on Alpha architecture systems which have been tested with Debian.
Rather than attempting to describe all the different hardware configurations which are supported for Alpha , this section contains general information and pointers to where additional information can be found.
Debian "sarge" supports eleven major architectures and several variations of each architecture known as 'flavors'.
| Architecture | Debian Designation | Subarchitecture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel x86-based | i386 | vanilla | |
| speakup | |||
| linux26 | |||
| Motorola 680x0 | m68k | Atari | atari |
| Amiga | amiga | ||
| 68k Macintosh | mac | ||
| VME | bvme6000 | ||
| mvme147 | |||
| mvme16x | |||
| DEC Alpha | alpha | generic | |
| jensen | |||
| nautilus | |||
| Sun SPARC | sparc | sun4cdm | |
| sun4u | |||
| ARM and StrongARM | arm | netwinder | |
| riscpc | |||
| shark | |||
| lart | |||
| IBM/Motorola PowerPC | powerpc | CHRP | chrp |
| PowerMac | powermac, new-powermac | ||
| PReP | prep | ||
| APUS | apus | ||
| HP PA-RISC | hppa | PA-RISC 1.1 | 32 |
| PA-RISC 2.0 | 64 | ||
| Intel ia64-based | ia64 | ||
| MIPS (big endian) | mips | SGI Indy/I2 | r4k-ip22 |
| MIPS (little endian) | mipsel | DEC Decstation | r4k-kn04 |
| r3k-kn02 | |||
| IBM S/390 | s390 | tape | |
| vmrdr |
This document covers installation for the Alpha architecture. If you are looking for information on any of the other Debian-supported architectures take a look at the Debian-Ports pages.
Complete information regarding supported DEC Alphas can be found at Linux Alpha HOWTO. The purpose of this section is to describe the systems supported by the boot disks.
Alpha machines are subdivided into different system types because there are a number of generations of motherboard and supporting chip-sets. Different systems (``sub-architectures'') often have radically different engineering and capabilities. Therefore, the process of installing and, more to the point, booting, can vary from system to system.
The following table lists the system types supported by the Debian installation system. The table also indicates the code name for these system types. You'll need to know this code name when you actually begin the installation process:
| Hardware Type | Aliases | MILO image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALCOR | AlphaStation 500 5/266.300 | Maverick | alcor |
| AlphaStation 500 5/333...500 | Bret | alcor | |
| AlphaStation 600/266...300 | Alcor | alcor | |
| AlphaStation 600/300...433 | XLT | xlt | |
| BOOK1 | AlphaBook1 (laptop) | Alphabook1/Burns | book1 |
| AVANTI | AlphaStation 200 4/100...166 | Mustang | avanti |
| AlphaStation 200 4/233 | Mustang+ | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 205 4/133...333 | LX3 | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 250 4/300 | M3+ | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 255 4/133...333 | LX3+ | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 300 4/266 | Melmac | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 400 4/166 | Chinet | avanti | |
| AlphaStation 400 4/233...300 | Avanti | avanti | |
| EB164 | AlphaPC164 | PC164 | pc164 |
| AlphaPC164-LX | LX164 | lx164 | |
| AlphaPC164-SX | SX164 | sx164 | |
| EB164 | EB164 | eb164 | |
| EB64+ | AlphaPC64 | Cabriolet | cabriolet |
| AlphaPCI64 | Cabriolet | cabriolet | |
| EB64+ | EB64+ | eb64p | |
| EB66 | EB66 | EB66 | eb66 |
| EB66+ | EB66+ | eb66p | |
| JENSEN | DEC 2000 Model 300(S) | Jensen | N/A |
| DEC 2000 Model 500 | Culzen | N/A | |
| DECpc 150 | Jensen | N/A | |
| MIATA | Personal WorkStation 433a | Miata | miata |
| Personal WorkStation 433au | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 466au | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 500a | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 500au | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 550au | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 600a | Miata | miata | |
| Personal WorkStation 600au | Miata | miata | |
| MIKASA | AlphaServer 1000 4/200 | Mikasa | mikasa |
| AlphaServer 1000 4/233..266 | Mikasa+ | mikasa | |
| AlphaServer 1000 5/300 | Mikasa-Pinnacle | mikasa | |
| AlphaServer 1000 5/300 | Mikasa-Primo | mikasa | |
| NAUTILUS | UP1000 | Nautilus | N/A |
| UP1100 | Galaxy-Train/Nautilus Jr. | N/A | |
| NONAME | AXPpci33 | Noname | noname |
| UDB | Multia | noname | |
| NORITAKE | AlphaServer 1000A 4/233...266 | Noritake | N/A |
| AlphaServer 1000A 5/300 | Noritake-Pinnacle | N/A | |
| AlphaServer 1000A 5/333...500 | Noritake-Primo | N/A | |
| AlphaServer 800 5/333...500 | Corelle | N/A | |
| AlphaStation 600 A | Alcor-Primo | N/A | |
| Digital Server 3300 | Corelle | N/A | |
| Digital Server 3300R | Corelle | N/A | |
| PLATFORM 2000 | P2K | P2K | p2k |
| RAWHIDE | AlphaServer 1200 5/xxx | Tincup/DaVinci | N/A |
| AlphaServer 4000 5/xxx | Wrangler/Durango | N/A | |
| AlphaServer 4100 5/xxx | Dodge | N/A | |
| Digital Server 5300 | Tincup/DaVinci | N/A | |
| Digital Server 7300 | Dodge | N/A | |
| RUFFIAN | DeskStation AlphaPC164-UX | Ruffian | ruffian |
| DeskStation RPL164-2 | Ruffian | ruffian | |
| DeskStation RPL164-4 | Ruffian | ruffian | |
| DeskStation RPX164-2 | Ruffian | ruffian | |
| DeskStation RPX164-4 | Ruffian | ruffian | |
| Samsung AlphaPC164-BX | Ruffian | ruffian | |
| SABLE | AlphaServer 2000 4/xxx | Demi-Sable | N/A |
| AlphaServer 2000 5/xxx | Demi-Gamma-Sable | N/A | |
| AlphaServer 2100 4/xxx | Sable | N/A | |
| AlphaServer 2100 5/xxx | Gamma-Sable | N/A | |
| TAKARA | 21164 PICMG SBC | Takara | takara |
| TITAN | AlphaServer ES45 | Privateer | N/A |
| UNKNOWN | Yukon | N/A | |
| TSUNAMI | AlphaServer DS10 | Webbrick | N/A |
| AlphaServer DS20 | Catamaran/Goldrush | N/A | |
| AlphaServer DS20E | Goldrack | N/A | |
| AlphaServer ES40 | Clipper | N/A | |
| DP264 | DP264 | N/A | |
| SMARTengine 21264 PCI/ISA SBC | Eiger | N/A | |
| UNKNOWN | Warhol | N/A | |
| UNKNOWN | Windjammer | N/A | |
| UP2000 | Swordfish | N/A | |
| XP1000 | Monet/Brisbane | N/A | |
| XP900 | Webbrick | N/A | |
| WILDFIRE | AlphaServer GS160 | Wildfire | N/A |
| AlphaServer GS320 | Wildfire | N/A | |
| XL | XL-233...266 | XL | xl |
Debian's support for graphical interfaces is determined by the underlying support found in XFree86's X11 system. The newer AGP video slots are actually a modification on the PCI specification, and most AGP video cards work under XFree86. Details on supported graphics buses, cards, monitors, and pointing devices can be found at http://www.xfree86.org/. Debian "sarge" ships with XFree86 version 4.3.0.
Multi-processor support — also called ``symmetric multi-processing'' or SMP — is supported for this architecture. However, the standard Debian "sarge" kernel image does not support SMP. 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'll have to replace the standard Debian kernel. You can find a discussion of how to do this in Section 8.4, “Compiling a New Kernel”. At this time (kernel version 2.4.26) the way you enable SMP is to select ``symmetric multi-processing'' in the ``General'' section of the kernel config.