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Cell SDK available (Start your PS3 homebrew now?)

gofreak

GAF's Bob Woodward
IBM has posted, finally, the Cell Software Development Kit and simulators:

http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/power/cell/

The CBE software development kit is here!
The complete programming environment consists of the full stack of the IBM Full-System Simulator for the CBEA, the XL C compiler, and software samples and library code (from alphaWorks), and the GCC compiler, toolchain, operating system kernel, and library (from the Barcelona Supercomputer Center). The programming environment thus built will enable you to gain first-hand experience on the new CBE arhitecture. Read Get started with the CBE SDK, Part 1: Installing the CBE programming environment to begin the journey.

IBM Full-System Simulator for the Cell Broadband Engine Processor: The Full-System Simulator includes the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture implementations. Use it to develop and enhance application support for the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture.
(alphaWorks | ILAR)

XL C Alpha Edition for Cell Broadband Engine: Get optimized code which fully exploits the PPE and SPE of the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture.
(alphaWorks | ILAR)

IBM Cell Broadband Engine Software Sample and Library Source Code: Start developing your own applications for the Cell Broadband Engine Architecture with this broad variety of sample libraries and source code.
(alphaWorks | ILAR, CPL)

GCC Toolchain for Cell Broadband Engine: Get the GCC compiler for the SPE, with support of the standards defined in the SPU C/C++ Language Extensions V2.1, SPU Application Binary Interface Specification V1.4, and other previously released documents.
(Barcelona Supercomputer Center | GPL)

Cell Broadband Engine SPE Management Library: Download the SPE resource management library that contains an SPE thread programming model for CBEA applications.
(Barcelona Supercomputer Center | LGPL)

Linux® kernel patch for Cell Broadband Engine: This set of patches to the Linux operating system provides services needed to support the hardware facilities of the Cell Broadband Engine microprocessor.
(Barcelona Supercomputer Center | GPL)

SDK installation script: Once you've downloaded the three alphaWorks technologies, run install.sh as root and sit back and relax while our install script grabs the RPMs and builds the CBE programming environment for you.
(Barcelona Supercomputer Center | GPL)

You need "a x86 or x86_64 system running RedHat Fedora Core 4", with the min requirements being:

The minimum system requirements for running the CBE programming environment are roughly:

* Processor: x86 or x86-64; anything under 2GHz or so will be slow to the point of being unusable.
* Storage: At least 5GB of available disk space
* Memory: At least 1GB of RAM

Although apparently it says elsewhere that you need twice as much RAM as your target system, so it might run with less.

Enjoy :p I'm gonna try and set it up on my new PC, but my first stop will need to be a Fedora install..
 
Does the GCC Toolchain have OpenMP libraries? If yes can I map an OpenMP thread to an actual hardware SPE thread?
 
Shompola said:
Does the GCC Toolchain have OpenMP libraries? If yes can I map an OpenMP thread to an actual hardware SPE thread?

I'm not sure. The only description I can find for it is:

"This SPU/PPU toolchain package is based on a port of GNU/GCC and GNU/binutils to the CBE Architecture provided by Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The GCC compiler is based on version 3.4.1 and the binutils package is based on version 2.15."

Not sure if that tells you much or anything..
 
Shompola said:
Thanks. They dont clarify.. But it seems that the CEll XL C compiler supports it though, that is pretty cool.

Cool! I see it also supports some level of auto-SIMDisation. I wonder how good that is.

A lot to read :lol I wish I hadn't so much going on in college right now..
 
Well, I think that PLAYSTATION 3 Linux is something that we should really come to light once the console is released.

They do not even need to disclose to homebrew programmers the I/O CPU or too many inner details of RSX (hiding it behind an OpneGL ES 2.0 interface and/or Cg, but with these two we would be getting access to Vertex and Pixel Shaders and Cg based tools), so they can avoid worrying about people using the kit to learn how to pirate PLAYSTATION 3 games. They can wrap around Libraries/System Calls all that is related to the I/O processor and similar low level things.
 
WordofGod said:
Panajev, what is that site talking about?

I'll amuse your joke ;).

The IBM simulator is tested and certified for RedHat's Fedora Linux 4 and I linked to the web site in which you can download the CD and DVD ISO's you need to install Fedora Linux.
 
ddksanrokumaru said:
shouldn't you be coding or something right now :-P

also...here's something else for you:

http://www.bsc.es/projects/deepcomputing/linuxoncell/

No, I should do the following things (in order):

1.) Study for exams.

2.) Bring software 3D Clipper from paper/pseudo-code to C/C++ code (PSP, VFPU not supported by PSPSDK 1.0+beta) and then to VU1 VCL assembler. I can figure out t after having calculated the intersections between an edge and the clipping plane(s) (intersection point and using the P(t) = P1 + (P2 - P1) * t equation and each clip plane equation to get the t basically for P.x, P.y and P.z... I am trying to emulate the functioning on the CLIPw.xyz instructions and doing the clipping in Clip Space)..., but I have not made time to think more about how to use the result to interpolate the normals, the ST coordinates and color attributes for vertices, it is probably simple, just have nto given it time :(. Yeah, Yeah... butter cake for you guys who have been doing it from the PSOne days :P.

2.1) solve Faf's riddle he gave me on B3D ;).

3.) Install Fedora Linux Core 4.

4.) Install IBM Simulator (which by IBM's admission on their BASE required system can take up to 24-27 working hours).

5). Play more Castlevania: DoS.

6.) Play more Shadow of the Colossus.

7.) Play more Metal Gear: Ac!d (never finished it :().

8.) Learn Ruby.

8.1) Learn Rails (RoR).

8.3) Learn Javascript.

8.4) Learn how to use MySQL front, learn more about MySQL and the Ruby-MySQL API.

8.5) Start small-scale (adding, viewing and editing small documents in small quantities and accessed by not more than two-three PC's) web-application. There could be somethign starting in February that would have to be completed before Summer 2006. I need to see what I can learn before that date.

etc...

There is plenty to do :).

Edit: nice link, now where did I put the non-existent PLAYSTATION 3 Linux kit ;) ?
 
Dr_Cogent said:
So are you gonna start something gofreak?

I'd like to do some exploratory work at least. I've so much stuff happening at the moment though, that starting "a project" might be difficult. I have an assignment a week now for college, so things are pretty busy with "ordinary" work! :(

I'd love to see how far you can go functionally with the SPUs though. I've been reading a little bit lately about avoid branches and the like..it'd be nice to try some stuff out.

I'll set it up and see what happens. I'm trying to find an independent Cell development/community site though..if there are none, that might be a more realistic project to persue!
 
gofreak said:
I'd like to do some exploratory work at least. I've so much stuff happening at the moment though, that starting "a project" might be difficult. I have an assignment a week now for college, so things are pretty busy with "ordinary" work! :(

I'd love to see how far you can go functionally with the SPUs though. I've been reading a little bit lately about avoid branches and the like..it'd be nice to try some stuff out.

I'll set it up and see what happens. I'm trying to find an independent Cell development/community site though..if there are none, that might be a more realistic project to persue!

Coolness. I've got so much "real work" myself that I don't really have time to explore this stuff. Actually, I do have the time "technically", but if I did that - I would have no time to play my games! :)

If you do something, keep us up to date dude. I'd be interested myself, but that's probably because I am a computer programmer.
 
Panajev2001a said:
Edit: nice link, now where did I put the non-existent PLAYSTATION 3 Linux kit ;) ?

One of the STI members has announced a price and date for a CELL based Linux box. Another STI member has announced a box with no date or price. The final STI member has made nothing public about their plans.

Start saving..but I recommend you get your PS2/PSP stuff up and running first...it's good practice for you :-P
 
ddksanrokumaru said:
One of the STI members has announced a price and date for a CELL based Linux box. Another STI member has announced a box with no date or price. The final STI member has made nothing public about their plans.

Start saving..but I recommend you get your PS2/PSP stuff up and running first...it's good practice for you :-P

What's the price and date?
 
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