> [...] feels orders of magnitude faster on the g5.

Nothing against your feelings, but "orders of magnitude" usually means at least "100 times" (= two orders of magnitude). I doubt your G5 feels so much faster than the G4 :-)

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From a users "seat of the pants" experience, does your G5 seem 80% faster than your G4 MacMini was?

My G5 is definitely faster and more comfortable than the G4.

> From a users "seat of the pants" experience, does your G5 seem 80% faster
> than your G4 MacMini was?

For use cases where the CPU and/or the memory bandwidth were maxed out for more than a few seconds on the G4, yes, the calculated 80% happen to coincide with my perception. As said, video playback is the task where I experience the gain the best.

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After using G4 hardware for year, as Andreas has, I became somewhat accustomed to the 'weaker points' of the capabilities of MorphOS ( many of which seem inherent in Amiga related operating systems).
As such, I still have difficulty justifying using most of my CPU power just to decide video.
We could have adopted gpu assisted decoding or other hardware based decoding technologies years ago.
We shouldn't be struggling to display 1080p video when ARM systems with less capable CPUs have no problem displaying this content.

I, for one, will continue to use alternate devices for this purpose, as keeping a Windows, OSX, or Android device nearby while using my MorphOS system is not too high a price to pay as an alternative to wasting approximately half my MorphOS system's processing power only to render lower resolution HD videos.

> keeping a Windows, OSX, or Android device nearby while using my MorphOS system
> is not too high a price to pay as an alternative to wasting approximately half
> my MorphOS system's processing power only to render lower resolution HD videos.

As MorphOS doesn't support any power saving features on G5 systems (and most G4 systems), this only makes sense if you turn your MorphOS system off while switching to an alternative device for video playback. I for one find it too inconvenient to switch devices and turn my MorphOS system off just for watching one or more short videos in between.
Everyone who is concerned that much about energy consumption shouldn't even use MorphOS on a system with more than one CPU as each CPU, used or not, runs full speed with MorphOS. (That's the reason I desire an ASMP solution for my 2nd CPU, as discussed some months back.)

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Adopting GPU assisted decoding on MorphOS means utilizing the UVD block of the Radeon HD series (r600 and onwards). On Linux this works rather well (via mesa's vaapi or vdpau), but it took years to get to that state. GPU assisted video decoding below the r600 series is just awkward and does not even encompass h264-decoding. AFAIK the majority of the cards used on MorphOS-machines are sub-r600, so I don't think this is a priority for MorphOS-Devs.

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I did no research on this, but I doubt the documentation to utilitze the video decoding blocks of these ARM-GPUs is publically available. There is some effort on Linux to reverse-engineere some of the more popular ARM-GPUs (etna_viv), but I don't know if GPU-decoding is already in a working state.

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Energy consumption considerations, if you are advocating the use of a G5, seem pointless.

Better to consider replacing the G5 with an X5000.

However, do agree that the second cpu would make a great resource for decoding video.

As a tablet or laptop computer adds minimally to my energy usage, and powering down and back up my MorphOS system and restarting applications is a unneeded complication, I can't really agree with it as a tactic either.

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Currently, those ARE the video cards being targeted for updated drivers, so...


[ Edited by Jim 01.09.2017 - 11:37 ]

> Energy consumption considerations, if you are advocating the use of a G5, seem pointless.

Yes, that's why I don't hesitate using MorphOS on my dual-CPU G5 even though the 2nd CPU runs at full steam in vain, and also why I don't hesitate using my G5 for video playback even though it's quite energy inefficient at doing this :-)

> As [...] powering down and back up my MorphOS system and restarting applications
> is a unneeded complication, I can't really agree with it as a tactic either.

I can't either, that's why I leave my G5 running, and instead of playing back video on another device while my G5 is running and consuming energy like mad, I take the opportunity and make use of that G5 for video playback :-)

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I'm hoping to install a solar array to my home soon and virtually negate the electricity use argument for most of my appliances.
In the meanwhile, that minor increase in use buys back the cpu power I feel I'd be wasting using a MorphOS system to display video.

But I really hope we will see some solution like the one you have been advocating.

In the meanwhile, with some adjustments in what its used for, every system I've had running MorphOS over the last several years, from my 933 MHz Quicksilver to my 2.7 GHz G5 still seem like valid, useful platforms.

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I just attended the tail end of a local Solar Electric meeting for the neighbors around me, a few weeks ago. There is one of my neighbors who is a salesman for a Solar Electric panel manufacture, and they also sell the rest of the components needed for homeowners to DIY a solar system for their home. I thought that only licensed electrical contractors could install solar electric panels on a home, but the salesman said NO, and that I could do all the work myself. I think he is misleading me, and the rest of the people at the meeting, and that a licensed contractor must supervise, or do the work, to connect any electrical equipment to the meter panel. I also think that the electric service provider must be notified, and approve the installation of any equipment that is capable of feeding excess electrical power back into the "Electric Grid", or Power System.

Like you, I am also interested in installing a solar electric panel system to my home, to offset some, or all of my electrical needs, and a DIY type system is most interesting to me, instead of paying some company or a contractor to do all of the work. Keep me updated on your plans to add solar electric panels to your house, and I will do the same. Perhaps we can save each other some money, by sharing information.

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You do need to get a permit from your utility company.

That being said, not all solar installations are connected to the grid. So, it really depends on the use case.

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I'm also sure that solar requirements are different in the EU, than they are in the USA.

A permit is required here from the Building & Saftey Department that has jurisdiction, which in my case would be Siskiyou County, as I do not live within any city limits, and am not subject to any city building department requirements, only the county requirements (which are mostly uniform, throughout the whole country, where electric is concerned). Cities and Counties are allowed to have variances to the International Building Code, but only for local weather and geologic conditions. Many/most cities and counties in the USA have adopted the National Electric Code, and not any International Electrical Code, unless things have changed a lot in the last few years. As a retired Chief Building Official, I know a bit about these things.

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I don't know if permit is the correct word, but the grid tie inverter must be approved by your utility company and the work must meet your local electrical code.
Also, in my area the building inspectors are insisting on roofing with a 25-plus lifespan be installed under the panels to assure that the roof will remain water tight over the lifespan of the panels.
If the proper building permits are applied for, the work is done according to code, and it is inspected by your building inspectors and your utility company, it might be possible to do the work yourself.
It's really a matter of how competant you are at electrical wiring and basic mechanical work.

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Absolutely. You can read about some differences between Germany and the US here.

That said, I was broadly referring to the situation in the US.

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Given your experience in this area, I am sure you know the difference between a free-standing solar array and a roof-mounted one. As I wrote, it depends on the use case - as well as your local laws. (As you will also know, there are places in the US without any building code restrictions.)

Not every solar set up is the same and not everybody puts panels on their home's roof.

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In the US, free standing panels are no longer common, and except for a few agricultural applications and some small temporary structures like sheds, virtually all construction requires building permits.
But who you have to get them from (city, county or state) varies.

However, panel stands and pole mounts are still available and could alleviate any concerns over roof mounted panels.
Currently, panels commonly used in residential applications top out at about 300 watts output, but there are panels that put out as much as 500 watts.
So even a small array can be capable of significant output depending on the choice of panels used.

Line/grid tie systems now predominate in all applications except those in extremely remote locations, to provide electricity when the sun does not shine, and to allow the excess to be feed back into the electrical grid to lower your overall consumption.

Some of the panels now come with standardized connectors eliminating the need (at least at the panels) for hand wiring.
These components steadily improve, so any text/book references you might find can become rapidly out dated.

But there are plenty of resources on the internet to educate yourself on this subject.

The question remains, however - whether or whether not can you power your G5 or G4 from a solar array.

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From an inverter tied to an array, of course you can.
It wouldn't be very practical if the power wasn't useful.

But, I guess we ARE off topic at this point.

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Where is this location within the US without any building code restrictions?

Unless it is some kind of military, or other government property/building, that can claim to be exempt from local county and/or city code requirements, I can't think of any property within the US that is not part of a county jurisdiction, and therefore, subject to the code restrictions of that particular county.

The International Building Code has been adopted by every state in the USA, as far as I can remember. Electric codes are not so uniformly adopted. And yes, I do understand that not all solar panel arrays are installed on home roof tops. Not far from my home is a very large array that serves the golf resort, which I live across the street from the golf course, and another semi-large array that services an alfalfa farm about 10 miles from my home.

Now that this thread has challenged my memory regarding the electrical permit requirements, I'll have to research it further, to find out exactly what kinds of electrical permits are required, and it an electrical contractor's license is required for any part of the work, required to install a solar electric panel system.

It has been just over 10 years since I was forced to retire early, due to my back problems and failed back surgeries, so I am sure some things have changed slightly, plus there were very few solar electric array installations in the small resort town where I worked, prior to my retirement. Those two facts, plus my faulty short term memory, and a strong lack of desire to remember anything about my former job, are a great stumbling block to my ability to remember the exact requirements from 10+ years ago.

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Yeah, Trump already stated to put them onto the new mexican wall, so the US can sell power to mexico. (which is not working anyway)

And the mexicans can unmount and steal the solar panels since the wall is unsecured and sell them to the US as proper replacment panels for their wall. :)

Sounds like a win/win situation :)

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Idaho County, for example. Also, Delta County, Colorado, specifically mention on their county website that there are no building permits or inspections required in any unincorporated areas.

The first time I heard about regions with either no building codes or no enforcement of such codes was a discussion of rural areas in Alaska, by the way.

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Well, see above. There is also native American land that has a very special legal status (and its own local tribal codes and statues).

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Apparently, not all counties, especially remote rural ones, adopted their state's building codes.

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Even areas with either lax or no requirements for building permits and / or inspections tend to require inspections of electrical installations and septic systems.

This does seem reasonable considering bad electrical installations can easily lead to fires and cause immense damage to an entire region as well as potentially kill people and animals on both neighbouring and distant properties. Likewise, septic systems can explode (methane) and poison.


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These codes tend to change frequently, indeed. Staying fully informed is almost impossible unless you are paid to do so.

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Hmm, I never heard of that, interesting.

Alaska, of course, makes perfect sense since everything is so remote.
But Colorado, I was unaware of.

As I mentioned before, there are no code restrictions on some temporary structures in my state (Delaware).
But the size is limited in the northern two counties to under 64 square feet (although in our southern most counties the limit is over three times that).
I've often thought that in order to limit inspection hassles, placing the panels on an outbuilding or carport might be a practical idea.
One of our local community colleges just put a half megawatt array above their parking lot.

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"tlosm" over at AW.net, owner of both a X5000/20 and a X5000/40, disagree with you (though his G5 reference is the PCIe Quad 970MP):

---

"as i say, x5000 gave the feeling of a ferrari on a country road."

"performances on x5000 are much slower everyware"

"g5 quad better performance machine is from 2005 and prize 500 usd max... x5000 complete system x5000/20 2350€"

"for os4 is the best but just because there is nothing better ... if is intention for use x5000 for everyday use like i did with linux is better use the g5... because performances of heavy os like is linux on x5000 are not so good ..."

"i know the [G5] fpu is near the double in performances compared the x5000.
plus p5020/40 miss some fpu instructions that are emulated."

"because the machine can be ok if released in 2006"

"no i buy x5000 for use linux ppc , the e5500 was born for linux use ... os4 is a guest for this architecture and this crap machine dont do good the things that have suppose to do.

wrong hardware topographic
issue with fpdma on sata
overheating in smp
ram performances like a ddr400 on a Pentium 4 2001
pcie 16x with real performances of a 4x
issue with read and writing on the bus
Integer performances like a core2 (in 2017)
fpu performances like a machine of 2002

can i continue the list of the problems ..."

---

We have known for years that the X5000 would *not* be an advance forward regarding performance, more like a sideways migration from the X1000, which in turn was surprisingly weak compared to the 2004/2005 Mac HW we already had for MorphOS.

Overwhelmingly (and surprisingly so) poor performance and weird malfunctions seems to be a key value of the "AmigaOne" brand. Every single one has had such issues.

Soon comes the "AmigaOne A1222" that *we know* is crippled. Only remains to see by how much, and what surprises it will bring in this regard.




BTW Jim, have you put your money where your mouth is yet in regard to the X5000? You have preached the marvels and wonders of the X5000, and how you will buy it for, what... two years now? Surely there must be one sitting on your desk right now?

> wrong hardware topographic

What does that mean?

> pcie 16x with real performances of a 4x

Considering that only 4 lanes are connected, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

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Should I be in a hurry to make that purchase when MorphOS isn't available for it?
I'm not interested in OS4.
And I already have Linux running on a Quad 2.5 GHz G5, but that won't run MorphOS, and the video card support isn't quite as good as the X5000 (but I am trying to improve on that).

Of all that complaints you've listed, only the cooling issue is troubling to me. Aeon should have done a better job with that.
But I have a third party cooling fan/heatsink sitting here that is due to be shipped to Bigfoot to solve that problem on his machine.

As the X5000 is a considerable improvement over G4 level hardware, the fact that it doesn't have parity with the G5 doesn't worry me.

Oh, and in addition, I'm actually waiting for the X5000/40, btw.

Nothing in your post negates the savings in electricity I mentioned. So while your opinion of the X5000 is duly noted, it doesn't change my regard.

You ARE right about the A1222 though, it's a fiasco.