Well if you take a look at the AROS download pages, you'll find a very different story. So let's take a look at the options. First the native ones:
- amiga-m68k-system - The original hardware intended, and the last to be recently supported. The R in AROS really stands as "replacement" as originally intended!
- efika-chrp-ppc - Although with some quirks, it poses the second PPC option of AROS native, and and the free option to those who only have MorphOS for the machine.
- pc-i386 - The most current and known form, available also as two distributions at the moment (IcAROS and BroadWay). Hardware support is varied and constitutes the main target of development.
- pc-x86_64 - The AROS was the first to hit the 64bit range, and reports says that it performs more elegantly than its x86 flavour.
- sam440-ppc - The first option on PPC native, and the free option to those who have AmigaOS4.
Then hosted options:
- linux-i386-system - the main backbone of development along the years, still widely used by third party devs.
- linux-ppc-system
- linux-x86-64-system
- mingw32-i386-system - A more recent option for hosted systems to run on MS Windows platforms in hosted form. Some still prefer the virtual/sandbox environments as Qemu, VmWare or Virtualbox...
Oh and guess what ARM cpu's should be added later if all goes well...
Of course, these are nightly builds, and naturally it happens that some are behind schedule because of modifications, or submissions that have some specific code relating with the hardware or compilation tools. But the truth is that all of these are more or less regularly maintained. And it's up to the general users to find some use and do some beta-testing.
The distributions are the best way to experience AROS as regular user should. Unfortunately these are made by enthusiasts and the natural target is the X86 compatibles. Although plans exist to make X86-64 distribution, it still leaves the PPC range behind in this respect - which is a shame.
I don't believe this will pose a problem for the Amiga-68k range though, enthusiasm is something which is not at fault, and with current emulation panorama and new hardware (Natami) coming, it seems more absurd that lack of support would be in place.
Naturally I hardly see the current PPC flavours to get much enthusiasm as HW manufacturers tend to see them as end-of the line or obsolete products, but the same could be said for the Amiga platform, and guess what?! Here is the Nightly Build on its first steps.
Maybe someone would also add the Atari-m68k and Mac-68k architectures to the AROS dev tree and N.B., (or even Acorn Archimedes and other eastern machines like X-68000) and I guess that would make World Domination... Even if retrograded... ;)
One OS to rule them all,
One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all and in the light bind them!
Well, It sound better than the megalomaniac domination of the world trolling and ghostly laughs... At least more refreshing! Cheers everyone...
