Summary
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The Linux kernel actively supports Sega Dreamcast hardware with custom Dreamcast target code.
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Linux 7.2 RC3 incorporates a patch that fixes Maple input errors: mouse, keyboard, and joystick driver ordering error.
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As long as contributors care, older equipment is supported; otherwise, the functions are removed.
The funny thing about following Linux development is that you learn that the kernel is compatible with more hardware than you first thought. I’m not talking about nuclear is happening to work well with specific devices, but there is custom code within Linux that specifically targets it.
For example, did you know that the Linux kernel has code that helps it run on the Dreamcast? Not only that, but with a new patch that fixes some crashes in Linux 7.2, it’s actually under active development.
Using Linux on the Sega Dreamcast just got easier with version 7.2
The kernel is still in testing phase
As seen Tom’s devicethe new patch was merged into the third release candidate build of Linux 7.2. These release candidate builds are an important way for the general public to test new Linux builds and submit bug reports before they’re released into the wild, and they usually go to about 10 builds before they’re finished.
A developer named Dmitri Torokhov discovered several bugs in Linux 7.2’s handling of Sega Dreamcast inputs, so they coded a workaround to address them. Here it is patch notes:
Fix for a crash caused by missing driver data in the Sega Dreamcast (Maple) mouse driver when opening the device.
Fixes for Maple drivers (keyboard, mouse, joystick) to correctly order driver data and device registration to avoid races.
If someone works to support Linux development on legacy hardware, it will continue until it is abandoned. For example, we saw Linux 7.1 drops i486 support because there was a lot of development work going into something that people weren’t actually using. As long as someone wants to keep Tux running on the Sega Dreamcast, it seems there will always be support for it.
