Draft:Paul Mackerras

  • Comment: Please add references that show that Mackerras' life and work has been written about in depth by multiple reliable, independent publications. Mere mentions will not suffice. If citing books or journals, please give page numbers. Curb Safe Charmer (talk) 08:40, 3 October 2024 (UTC)


Paul Mackerras is an Australian computer programmer and a contributor to the open-source community. He is best known for his work on the Linux kernel, particularly in developing support for the PowerPC architecture and maintaining the Point-to-Point Protocol daemon (pppd). His contributions have advanced Linux's capabilities on non-x86 architectures and in networking.

Mackerras worked on the Linux kernel, especially in porting it to the PowerPC architecture.[1][2][3][4] He led the development of Linux support for PowerPC processors, enabling the operating system to run on hardware from companies like Apple and IBM. His efforts expanded the versatility and adoption of Linux across various hardware platforms.

He is the original author and long-time maintainer of the Point-to-Point Protocol daemon (pppd), which is essential for establishing internet connections over dial-up modems and other serial links.[5] The pppd software has been widely used in Unix-like operating systems for networking over serial connections.

Mackerras contributed to the development of rsync, a fast and versatile file-copying tool used for backups and mirroring.[6]

He has authored numerous technical papers and contributions to the field of computer science and open-source software.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Linux on the PowerPC: Optimizing Modern Operating Systems for Modern Processors". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  2. ^ Dougan, Cort (May 1997). "Native Linux on the PowerPC". ACM Digital Library. 1997 (37es): 3–es. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  3. ^ "Native Linux on the PowerPC". Linux Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  4. ^ "UpFront". Linux Journal. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  5. ^ "pppd - Point-to-Point Protocol Daemon". Samba. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  6. ^ "RsyncProject/people". Github. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  7. ^ "Paul Mackerras's research while affiliated with Australian National University and other places". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2024-10-03.
  8. ^ "Paul Mackerras". DBLP. Retrieved 2024-10-03.