The PowerPC Debian Wiki

[TzunamiOSX]

Hi,

Now I have a G5, ho ho ho^^

I have repaired my G5 (made one out of two)

After install Leopard l want to install a Linux distribution, too. But I don’t know which distribution has the longest support.

What is better Debian or Ubuntu and which version number. Which setup 64 or 32 bit

GPU is a Radeon 9800

 

[z970]

More or less fixed the code box issue. They still need fine tuning, but at least they're more readable now than they were before. Also adjusted other things.

@TzunamiOSX Ubuntu 16.04 will be receiving security updates until 2021. Debian Sid (and all its local derivatives) is cutting edge and therefore has all the latest security patches, advancements, and bugs too. It isn't very stable, especially on G5s. 64-bit user spaces, be it Debian 10 or Sid, are graphically unstable and currently unprepared for prime time.

My recommendation to you is to go with Ubuntu 16.04, as it is at this point a very stable distribution that will remain fully secure for another year. Alternatively, there is Debian 10, but our stable PowerPC release is now nine months out of date as far as updates go. On the flipside, it does have access to newer packages than Ubuntu 16.04.

Overall, @wicknix's Lubuntu 16.04 Remix would be a good start. It is optimized, user-friendly, and is (mostly) guaranteed support of the latest community software and solutions. If for whatever reason it does not work out, I suggest instead trying Ubuntu Server 16.04.6 available from the Wiki, then using the embedded guides for setup.

 

[TzunamiOSX]

Thanks,

i will give it a try.

Ubuntu Mate was ok for me on my iMac G4

 

[tiwmid]

I have eMac G4 1.25 Radeon 9200; it is trivial to install linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD on this device but difficult
to use the CRT display. I finally have a working display through Lubuntu. Compiled kernel 4.4.183.
I started from server edition.

https://imgur.com/a/xIXuUZ1

 

[wicknix]

I created a quick and dirty guide for those who want to install Fienix Soar on 32-bit powerpc Macs. Image shown is my 1.5ghz mac mini G4 w/1gb ram. https://randommacstuff.blogspot.com/p/fienix-on-32-bit.html

Cheers

 

[Dronecatcher]

I created a quick and dirty guide for those who want to install Fienix Soar on 32-bit powerpc Macs. Image shown is my 1.5ghz mac mini G4 w/1gb ram. https://randommacstuff.blogspot.com/p/fienix-on-32-bit.html

Cheers

How would you say it performs next to your 12/16 Remixes?

 

[wicknix]

It's similar to the difference between tiger and leopard on the same G4. Its heavier and slower, but still usable.

Cheers

 

[filmbuff]

Hey yall, I'm sure this question comes up often but there is so much Linux info here it's a bit daunting. I have a couple PPC laptops right now and in fact I'm typing this from a 12" Powerbook. Right now I'm running Tiger and everything works. The OS is fast, all my hardware functions 100%, and the battery lasts an hour or so. Safari runs great but won't load many pages, so I'm using TFF which is slow and hot. I had been using YewTube to play Youtube but that seems to have stopped working. Will I see any real gain from going to Linux? Will it be dramatically cooler and have a better web browsing experience, or will it be pretty much the same thing but less user friendly? I've used Linux before and wasn't a fan but I would consider it worth it if all my hardware still worked, the laptop ran cooler, and I had a more modern internet/youtube experience.

 

[Raging Dufus]

If you just want to give Linux a try, Wicknix's Lubuntu remixes are probably your easiest entry. Just follow instructions in that thread and in the first post of this one, to run from a "live" DVD or USB. Keep in mind that performance when it's actually installed on your machine will be better than running it from a DVD or USB drive. But you can get a good feel for how it will work without having to commit to installing it.

If you're still uncomfortable w/Linux after that, what I would suggest is to upgrade your PB's (if they're both G4's) to Leopard (available for download from the Macintosh Garden). Make sure you get QuickTime 7.7, Leopard WebKit, and Wicknix's TenFiveTube, and then you'll be all set for some less resource-intensive browsing and YouTube playback. TenFourFox will still work, but no better than in Tiger.

Alternatively, if you'd rather stay with Tiger, alex_free's PPC Media Center works great for YouTube, and TenFourFox can be much improved by eyoungren's optimizations or by z970mp's FoxPEP, if you haven't already tried either of those (they work just as well in Leopard too).

As for me personally, I've just acquired a new-to-me iBook G4 1.42 GHz, upon which all of the above is currently happening. And it's a blast!

 

[mortlocli]

If you just want to give Linux a try, Wicknix's Lubuntu remixes are probably your easiest entry. Just follow instructions in that thread and in the first post of this one, to run from a "live" DVD or USB. Keep in mind that performance when it's actually installed on your machine will be better than running it from a DVD or USB drive. But you can get a good feel for how it will work without having to commit to installing it.

If you're still uncomfortable w/Linux after that, what I would suggest is to upgrade your PB's (if they're both G4's) to Leopard (available for download from the Macintosh Garden). Make sure you get QuickTime 7.7, Leopard WebKit, and Wicknix's TenFiveTube, and then you'll be all set for some less resource-intensive browsing and YouTube playback. TenFourFox will still work, but no better than in Tiger.

Alternatively, if you'd rather stay with Tiger, alex_free's PPC Media Center works great for YouTube, and TenFourFox can be much improved by eyoungren's optimizations or by z970mp's FoxPEP, if you haven't already tried either of those (they work just as well in Leopard too).

As for me personally, I've just acquired a new-to-me iBook G4 1.42 GHz, upon which all of the above is currently happening. And it's a blast!

Thanks for this, Raging..Ive recently installed Tiger 10.4.11 ..and was hunting thru the options for wot to do next...on an iBook G4...so youve provided a good fast track.

One hiccup - Id never used PPC Media center before but in following the install instructions for 'Double click 'Install Web Interface'' the response was 'no default application -choose application'...which I guess isn't whats meant to happen.????

 

[Raging Dufus]

One hiccup - Id never used PPC Media center before but in following the install instructions for 'Double click 'Install Web Interface'' the response was 'no default application -choose application'...which I guess isn't whats meant to happen.????

Afraid I can't help you there, I didn't bother with PPCMC's web interface because I didn't anticipate a need to access it via the web. I only ever access it locally on my machine, so haven't investigated the web interface option to even know what it's for. It's @alex_free's creation, so he'd be the guy to ask about that.

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Thanks for this, Raging..Ive recently installed Tiger 10.4.11 ..and was hunting thru the options for wot to do next...on an iBook G4...so youve provided a good fast track.

One hiccup - Id never used PPC Media center before but in following the install instructions for 'Double click 'Install Web Interface'' the response was 'no default application -choose application'...which I guess isn't whats meant to happen.????

Try choosing Terminal as the application to open it with. Otherwise just open Terminal, cd to where the install script is, drag the script onto the terminal window, and hit enter

 

[sparty411]

Sooo... What's the current state of Debian Unstable on 64 bit? Last time I tried (back in the winter) it was utterly borked.

 

[mortlocli]

Afraid I can't help you there, I didn't bother with PPCMC's web interface because I didn't anticipate a need to access it via the web. I only ever access it locally on my machine, so haven't investigated the web interface option to even know what it's for. It's @alex_free's creation, so he'd be the guy to ask about that.

..actually - thats a good point, Raging... thinking about it Im not sure I need to do that either. Doh!!!
Thanks for pointing that factor out.
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Try choosing Terminal as the application to open it with. Otherwise just open Terminal, cd to where the install script is, drag the script onto the terminal window, and hit enter

Ha!!!... now why didn't I think of that!!! (Dont aswer that.)
Yep - will explore more.

 

[z970]

Added a GPU Support section (everyone please add to this where you can), a solution for nonfunctional PowerBook keyboard backlights, fixed the quote box issues, cleaned up a TON of stuff, and made various other smaller changes and adjustments for a finer reference experience. All a long time coming, really.

One of these days I would still like to put more focus into OpenBSD.

 

[Jeroen Diederen]

ATI Radeon X600 XT also works fine under MintPPC / Debian Sid...If only I could adjust the brightness....

 

[z970]

Already solved. Please refer to the Screen Brightness segment under the Tune section.

 

[Jeroen Diederen]

Thanks @z970mp, I will have a look at this later today, when I am back home.
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Don't know why only CLI ? I have working X with that card.

 

[z970]

The idea is that "CLI + GUI" means that the listed cards will work in both a terminal interface environment and a graphical user environment. Conversely, the "CLI Only" part is where cards are confirmed non-functional in a graphical user environment, but will still work fine in a terminal interface.

This current organizational scheme can be swapped out if a superior one arises.

 

[Jeroen Diederen]

ok, didn't read well, thanks.

Update: xrandr is not what I am looking for, it only changes the color settings. I need to be able to set the backlight, which I think is not supported by the kernel.

 

[z970]

XRandr effectively sets a black shade over the display, darkening the screen. When the screen is darker (and therefore less intense), the backlight doesn't have to do as much work, thus achieving virtually the same result as dimming the backlight itself.

Depending on your desktop environment, you can even set the XRandr commands to certain keys, easily creating a hotkey experience nearly identical to OS X.

 

[wicknix]

You probably want the package 'pbbuttonsd'. This controls Mac specific hot keys on powerpc for lcd backlight, keyboard backlight (powerbooks) and volume. Not sure if it'll help on an imac, but works well on ibooks/powerbooks.

Cheers
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Sooo... What's the current state of Debian Unstable on 64 bit? Last time I tried (back in the winter) it was utterly borked.

Can't speak for debian, but the new void 64 ppc images finally boot on my g5's (with the 4.x kernel). It's stable for the most part. A few apps crash, but the OS hasn't yet. Quantum is ehhh, ok. It displays wrong hue/colors on some pages, like macrumors, and some page 'buttons' are wacked out, but it works well enough to use. Epiphany (web) has similar color issues, and only renders 3/4 of most pages with the right 1/4 cut off. So if browsing isn't your main priority, everything else is in much better condition that debian 64 ppc. I built 4 UXP browsers on it, with no errors, yet none of them ./mach run or ./mach package, again with no errors. They just sit there idle for hours. So i was trying to contribute and give void 64 some better options for browsers, but i got no answer as to why mach fails (without errors). As we all know, they all build and run fine on ubuntu/debian 32/64, so i'm stumped.

Cheers

 

[Jeroen Diederen]

@wicknix Thanks, completely forgot about this package, I used it in the past as well. I thought that nowadays this package was not needed anymore. On my iBook G4 with MintPPC as well as on a PowerBook G4 I can set the brightness without this specific program. I will have a look if it helps on the iMac. To be honest I doubt that it will work, as I don't see /sys/class/backlight entries.
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I will have to build pbbuttonsd myself, as it no longer exists in the repositories of Debian.

pbbuttonsd (0.8.1a-2) - snapshot.debian.org

snapshot.debian.org

 

[wnlewis]

I need to find out how to turn on a webserver to make a logfile when I attempt to install MintPPC on my G4.

Thanks to anyone who can assist me in figuring out how to do that.

 

[Jeroen Diederen]

It can be found in the Debian installer menu.