You are using a battery plugin, like xfce4-battery-plugin, right?
In any case, we can append this script to the battery sector as a fallback.
Good luck.
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Let us know
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You are using a battery plugin, like xfce4-battery-plugin, right?
In any case, we can append this script to the battery sector as a fallback.
Good luck.
You are using a battery plugin, like xfce4-battery-plugin, right?
In any case, we can append this script to the battery sector as a fallback.
Good luck.
I don't use XFCE, so I am not using the xfce4-battery-plugin specifically. But upower detects no battery, and powertop does not either. This happens with multiple kernel versions. So I think I'm SOL here.
Download the file below, then install the dependencies (detailed in the README), make the script executable and move it to /usr/local/bin, then create battery.desktop with this code:
Code:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Battery Applet
Comment=Mac Battery Applet
Exec=/usr/local/bin/.mac-battery-applet.pl
Icon=
Terminal=false
Type=Application
NotShowIn=KDE;
Name[en_US]=Battery AppletSave then store this desktop file in /etc/xdg/autostart/. Reboot. Boom. it should work for any distro with GTK2.
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It is Friday somewhere on earth. Right now.For a free OS, there's a lot to love. Got a favorite DE yet?
To give back to the community...
Well, it is the ultimate pleasure, sir.
Until Friday.
Ok so i started over completely, installed xfce, installed gnome over it again because that seems to make everything work. The only thing not working now is surf/surftube, and YouTube. I copied over a movie and it won’t play either. I tried in both VLC and “videos” (installed by gnome). VLC crashes immediately and “videos” says I need the h.264 codec. I thought that was supplied by VLC? It’s not too big of a deal, but if anyone know how to resolve this please let me know.
well it is FridayFor a free OS, there's a lot to love. Got a favorite DE yet?
To give back to the community...
Well, it is the ultimate pleasure, sir.
Until Friday.
I've spent days trying to get a fresh Gentoo install to boot on my G5, without any luck whatsoever.
99% sure the problem lies with yaboot configuration, and I've given up on that path. Next I'll try installing Debian 10, get that running, then install Gentoo in another partition and dual boot.
The Gentoo PPC handbook needs serious attention in the bootloader section!
99% sure the problem lies with yaboot configuration, and I've given up on that path. Next I'll try installing Debian 10, get that running, then install Gentoo in another partition and dual boot.
The Gentoo PPC handbook needs serious attention in the bootloader section!
Not surprised. Last time I looked into getting started on Gentoo (specifically for HQEMU) and saw the PPC handbook etc., I immediatelly thought to myself "f8#k it" and instead focused on doing other things. Still would like to revisit this properly, but that could be years from now, considering the effort x reward. Normally one would want to install any other GNU/Linux distro or BSD flavor.
But hey, no matter the method, if you get it working on a G5, I personally would love to hear about it.
The handbook tries to cover too much, i.e. different hardware architectures.
I've made a step by step installation guide specifically for the G5 (basically a list of commands in order), which could be used to copy and paste commands to the target machine via SSH.
Once I get it working I'll post it. Not counting the compilation time, the install could be done in an hour easily.
BTW, I set my compiler flags to specifically target the IBM 970 series CPU and its instruction set, in the hope that it would result in the best performing G5 OS. We'll see
The handbook tries to cover too much, i.e. different hardware architectures.
I've made a step by step installation guide specifically for the G5 (basically a list of commands in order), which could be used to copy and paste commands to the target machine via SSH.
Once I get it working I'll post it. Not counting the compilation time, the install could be done in an hour easily.
BTW, I set my compiler flags to specifically target the IBM 970 series CPU and its instruction set, in the hope that it would result in the best performing G5 OS. We'll see
Awesome! Can't wait to see it!
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Also, you should think about a chapter on cross compiling.The handbook tries to cover too much, i.e. different hardware architectures.
I've made a step by step installation guide specifically for the G5 (basically a list of commands in order), which could be used to copy and paste commands to the target machine via SSH.
Once I get it working I'll post it. Not counting the compilation time, the install could be done in an hour easily.
BTW, I set my compiler flags to specifically target the IBM 970 series CPU and its instruction set, in the hope that it would result in the best performing G5 OS. We'll see
I installed Debian 10 last night, and was greeted with a black screen after booting.
Is there a known issue with Buster and Nvidia cards?
Good idea, I'll look into that once I have it up and running.
Is there a known issue with Buster and Nvidia cards?
Good idea, I'll look into that once I have it up and running.
Boot to single user mode ("Linux single" at the yaboot prompt), edit your sources and add:
Code:
deb [arch=all] http://ftp.debian.org/debian buster main contrib non-freedo an apt update, then apt install firmware-linux-nonfree, reboot.
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Not really, though it was a major (albeit easily fixable) problem in Jessie on G5s.
What card are you running?
I'm pretty sure that only works for Radeon cards. To my knowledge, nVidia machines are largely stuck with nouveau.
I think firmware-misc-nonfree covers Nvidia cards, although I may be mistaken. That's pulled in when installing firmware-linux-nonfree.
Another thing to try, if he hasn't already, is to actually install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau
https://packages.debian.org/buster/firmware-misc-nonfree
It seems you're right. Very interesting...
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau comes with LightDM. If that's installed, he probably already has it.
I've tried "Linux single", "Linux single nosplash" "Linux 1" and still get a black screen. Any other ideas?
It's worth noting that I've not had any OS successfully running on this machine since I've had it, so I may have other hardware issues which I don't know about.
I think the GPU is an Nvidia 6600.
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Mac OS X Tiger was released in 2005, its final security update being in 2009. All G3s and other machines 800 MHz and lower peaked at this release. Mac OS X Leopard was released in 2007, given its very last security update in 2011, and is the ultimate version of Mac OS X compatible with the PowerPC architecture, effectively marking the entire family EOL, even for powerhouses like the Power Mac G5 Quad.
As a response, this Wiki shall symbolize a community effort to bring modern, updated, secure Linux distributions to the PowerPC Mac as effortlessly as possible - in layman's terms: for the rest of us. Thus, the bottom goal will be to pose as a universally approachable version of the Ubuntu PowerPC FAQ. As such, contributions to this Wiki are greatly welcomed and highly appreciated. Thank you.
= Downloads =
Debian 7.11 (Wheezy) [2013 - 2016]
Debian 8.11 (Jessie) [2015 - 2018]
Debian 10 (Buster) [July 2019]
Debian Sid [Cutting Edge]
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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS [2012 - 2017]
Ubuntu 14.04.6 LTS [2014 - 2019]
Ubuntu 16.04.6 LTS [2016 - 2021]
= Guides =
Install
Here's how to install any one of the distributions offered above.
Note: If you chose Debian Sid, please refer to the Debian Sid Installation Guide.
Note 2: Please refer to this guide for booting CDs on Old World Macs and early G3s.
1. Burn your chosen distribution ISO to a CD, and boot from it with 'C' at the chime (or Caps Lock light). Make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet via Ethernet.
1a. You may also flash a USB drive. Refer to the Flash / Boot Off USB Drive section below this guide for instructions on doing so.
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2. The Yaboot prompt will appear.
When installing off CDs, just hitting 'Enter' at the prompt will usually suffice.
When installing off USB drives, the following applies:
For Debian on G3s/G4s: type 'install32'
For Debian on G5s: type 'install'
For Ubuntu on G3s/G4s: type 'install-powerpc'
For Ubuntu on G5s: type 'install-powerpc64'
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3. Follow the straightforward prompts. When it's time to partition your disk, use 'Guided - use entire disk' and 'All files in one partition' for a simple install. Note that this will destroy any previous system installs on the selected disk, so be sure that you want to do this before proceeding, and have backups at the ready.
3a. If you'd like to dual boot with Mac OS X, please refer to the Dual Boot Between Linux / OS X section below.
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4. When you are shown a list of repositories, press Esc and choose to continue without a repository. Afterward, when you are presented with what packages you want to install, select or deselect with the Spacebar, and continue with Return (do not press until you are finished). Do not install any desktop environments yet, and make sure 'Standard System Utilities' and 'SSH server' (if present) are the only options selected.
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5. (For Debian Only) Once installation has finished and you are booted into your new system, log-in, enter 'sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list', and delete everything you see (hold Ctrl + K). Replace it with:
For Debian 7 (Wheezy)
deb http://archive.debian.org/debian/ wheezy main
deb http://archive.debian.org/debian/ wheezy-backports main
For Debian 8 (Jessie)
deb http://archive.debian.org/debian/ jessie main
deb http://archive.debian.org/debian/ jessie-backports main
For Debian 10 (Buster)
deb http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian-ports/20190707T221412Z/ sid main
Then run 'sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00aptitude', and add:
Acquire::Check-Valid-Until "false";
Now you can save with Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return
Then, enter 'sudo apt-get update'. If you are running Debian 8 on a G5 with an Nvidia card, you may now skip down to Debian 8 under Fixes.
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5. (For Ubuntu 16.04 Only) Once installation has finished and you are booted into your new system, log-in, type 'sudo apt update', then run 'sudo apt install network-manager && sudo rm /etc/network/interfaces'. If you do not do this, you may loose your Internet connection after the next reboot.
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6. (For Debian 10 Only) Now, on another computer, download and copy this file to a fresh USB drive.
(http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/poo...bian-ports-archive-keyring_2018.12.27_all.deb)
Insert this USB drive into your Debian 10 machine, then run 'sudo mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt'
('sdb1' if you have one HD, 'sdc1' if you have two HDs.)
Afterward, do 'cd /mnt', then 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb'. Then, update the repositories with 'sudo apt update', and then update your packages with 'sudo apt full-upgrade'. Select 'yes' when you're asked about upgrading services without restarting. Once it's finished installing, you're ready to get a desktop environment.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Flash / Boot Off USB Drive
If you have another Linux system, you can flash a distribution image (saved to Downloads) to a USB drive. Copy / Paste below text to a terminal (add your chosen image filename):
sudo dd if=~/Downloads/<distribution image> of=/dev/sdx
(sdb if you have one HD, sdc if you have two HDs, sdc if three, etc.)
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After your USB is flashed, reboot and hold Cmd + Opt + O + F at the chime (or Caps Lock light). Once you're in Open Firmware, input the following command (if 'usb0' does not work, try 'usb1', then 'usb2', 'usb3', etc.):
boot usb0/disk@1:2,\\yaboot
If nothing ever happens, plug into a different port and try again (you can bring up the last entered command with the up arrow key). And if you get any errors about bad nodes, just reflash and try again. Otherwise, the Yaboot prompt should come up.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Dual Boot Between Linux / OS X
Here's how to dual-boot between Linux and OS X on a single drive. For example, Ubuntu 16.04 alongside Mac OS X Leopard.
Note: You must already have an OS X installation. Linux comes last.
1. From Disk Utility, make a new, empty partition of at least 10 GB in size, formatted as Free Space. This will be your Linux system.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. In the Linux installer partitioner, look for a block of free space above your HFS+ (OS X) partition, typically several hundred MB in size. Create a new 2 MB partition from that, to be used as 'NewWorld boot partition'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Now, identify your empty partition created in Disk Utility. It should be one of the bottom partitions, formatted as Free Space with your specified capacity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Then, make a new partition, set to be used as 'Ext4 journaled', mounting it at /. Make sure to leave enough space for a swap partition.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Afterward, create your swap partition with the remaining free space, set to be used as 'swap'. It will be the amount of installed RAM + 400 MB, or 0.4 GB (i.e. 2 GB RAM + 400 MB = 2.4 GB = swap partition).
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Continue on with the installation. The Yaboot installer should automatically detect OS X and allow you to boot from it with the 'X' key at the Yaboot prompt. You will also be able to choose an OS while in the boot picker (hold Opt at chime / Caps Lock light).
= Desktop Environments =
Note: Install LightDM before adding any desktop environments with 'sudo apt-get install lightdm'.
Note 2: For the most premium desktop experience on Ubuntu, running 'sudo apt install ubuntu-desktop gnome-session-flashback', is recommended. Then after installing and rebooting, click the Ubuntu logo beside your user name in the LightDM login window, and select the 'GNOME Flashback (Metacity)' desktop environment.
LXDE (Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment)
Debian: sudo apt-get install lxde
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop
Requirements: G3+, 512mb RAM
Description: Solid desktop environment that's easy on the resources. Unable to customize keyboard shortcuts. Used as a base for the Raspberry Pi PIXEL desktop environment.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Xfce (X Freakin' Cool Environment)
Debian: sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
Requirements: G3+, 512mb RAM
Description: Able to customize keyboard shortcuts. Extremely customizable; appearance can be greatly altered to mimic other desktop environments and more. All around excellent, especially when given a custom coat of paint. Not often updated, however.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
MATE (MATE Advanced Traditional Environment)
Debian: sudo apt-get install mate-desktop-environment
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-mate-desktop
Requirements: G4+, 1gb RAM
Description: Customizable keyboard shortcuts. Not as alterable as Xfce, but comes pretty close. Aims to be a 'traditional desktop metaphor'. Must add additional repositories in Debian 7 and Ubuntu 14.04 to install. N/A in Ubuntu 12.04.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
KDE (K Desktop Environment)
Debian: sudo apt-get install kde-plasma-desktop
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
Requirements: G4+, 1gb RAM
Description: Features customizable keyboard shortcuts. Extremely alterable, right out of the gate. This is a polished, smooth desktop environment built on QT as opposed to GTK (which all of the above and below DE uses). Works on Debian 10 with graphical bugs. Broken in Ubuntu 16.04, same error as Unity upon login (under LightDM Unity Greeter).
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
GNOME
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install gnome
Requirements: G5, 2gb RAM
Description: Extremely smooth, fluid desktop environment. Literally feels like navigating through water. Can customize keyboard shortcuts, although not as all-around alterable as above choices. Only works on Debian 7 & 10, albeit with pink hue to desktop and icons on 10. There may be a way to reinstate functionality on other distributions.
= Window Managers =
Openbox
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install openbox
Requirements: G3+, 256mb RAM
Description: An exceedingly simplistic window manager primarily relying on the context menu for usage and navigation. Used as a base for the LXDE desktop environment. Don't forget to right-click.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Awesome
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install awesome
Requirements: G3+, 256mb RAM
Description: Awesome is a unique window manager that uses tiling instead of overlapping windows. Exudes hacker vibe.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
IceWM
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install icewm
Requirements: G3+, 512mb
Description: A very nice window manager; comes with a theme to perfectly imitate Windows 95, among other legacy environments.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Window Maker
Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install wmaker
Requirements: G3+, 512mb RAM
Description: Fast and very stable, Window Maker is extremely reminiscent of the NeXTSTEP interface. In a nutshell, 90's computing if it was condensed into a single desktop environment.
= Performance =
Preload
Preload is a daemon similar to OS X <10.4's 'prebinding', in that it, to simplify, loads applications before you launch them, and can make noticeable differences in launch times after being installed. Install with 'sudo apt-get install preload'.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Swappiness
Do you find your system often relying on swap space? By default, the system is set to fallback to swap when 60% of available RAM is free. We can change it so that it starts using swap when installed memory capacity is 10%, or even 0% free, instead. Open up a terminal (many desktop environments will set that to Ctrl + Alt + T by default) and type:
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/sysctl.conf 2. Scroll all the way down, and add: vm.swappiness=10 vm.vfs_cache_pressure=50 2 (continued). If you have 1 GB or less installed, replacing '10' with '0' is recommended. 3. Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return 4. sudo reboot
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
APT Translations
The Advanced Package Tool, or APT, automatically downloads language translations every time you update your repositories, upgrade your system, or install a package. This can add to the time APT takes to finish a task. If you would like APT to only download your default system language every time it does this, you can change it so that it skips over foreign languages and focuses exclusively on the one you speak.
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/00aptitude 2. Add a new line below the first, as: Acquire::Languages "none"; 3. Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Write Caching (Ubuntu 14.04+ / Debian 8+)
Write Caching (as the name implies), caches every write to disk in RAM so the system can refer to what's already cached in RAM instead of writing to a slower-to-respond disk. Unfortunately, this comes with a catch, as it is possible to lose data if what was presently cached in RAM is lost in a power failure. If you decide to enable write caching anyway, install GNOME Disks with 'sudo apt install gnome-disk-utility', if it was not already installed.
Code:1. Open up GNOME 'Disks' from your applications menu, or 'gnome-disks' from a terminal. 2. On the left pane, click on your system hard drive if it was not already automatically selected. 3. Click on the hamburger menu at the top bar, on the right side, and select "Drive Settings...". 4. Click the "Write Cache" tab, and enable Write Cache from the selection box below.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Faster YouTube Performance (Required for Firefox 47)
We're going to revert to the classic UI by changing Firefox's (or any other Mozilla-based browser's) default user agent to that of Internet Explorer 11's, in turn reducing resources used in the process, freeing them up for video playback.
Code:1. Type 'about:config' in the URL bar. 2. Add a new string, titled 'general.useragent.override'. 3. Copy / Paste the following text into its string value: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.4; WOW64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/36.0.1985.143 Safari/537.36 Edge/12.0 4. Delete YouTube's cookies through the 'Privacy' section in Firefox's 'Preferences' pane, and don't forget to turn off annotations for best results.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Even Faster Web Performance
Alternatively, we can change Firefox's (or any other Mozilla-based browser's) user agent to make websites think we're on an iPad running iOS 12.2, freeing up even more resources, especially for YouTube.
Code:1. Type 'about:config' in the URL bar. 2. Add a new string, titled 'general.useragent.override'. 3. Copy / Paste the following text into its string value: Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; CPU OS 12_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148 4. Delete all saved cookies through the 'Privacy' section in Firefox's 'Preferences' pane.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Fastest Web / YouTube Performance
Get Surf & SurfTube from the Software sector below. More info here: (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surftube-a-new-ultra-fast-youtube-browser-for-linux.2187988/)
= Fixes =
Ubuntu 14.04
Live Ubuntu 14.04 images, such as Lubuntu, will not display properly when installed onto the system as-is, and as a result, you will not get any discernible picture if you install via that route. However, Ubuntu Server 14.04 will display everything with no issue if installed onto the system, and later given a desktop environment of your preference. Ubuntu Server 14.04.6 (March 2019) is already embedded in the above download link, therefore use the image available here for guaranteed functionality.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Ubuntu 16.04
Some Late 2005 Power Mac G5s, due to a problem with the system mounting critical partitions, will not boot Ubuntu 16.04 if installed with the Live Lubuntu and Ubuntu MATE images. However, this problem doesn't seem to exist on the Ubuntu Server 16.04 image linked above, therefore it is highly recommended to use that instead.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Debian 8
The Debian 8 nouveau drivers do not work correctly with G5 machines. If you attempt to install a desktop environment while in the installer, you will be met with a garbled screen, and constant nouveau errors. More info here: (http://powerpcliberation.blogspot.com/2015/10/g5-and-g4-nouveau-modesetting-bug-and.html)
As a fallback, you may apply this fix for PowerPC G5 machines only. Download the 'linux-image-4.10.8-powerpc64_1_powerpc.deb' on another computer: (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B8pqd5Ots1vfZXh6dzdXSnBSWmc), and transfer it to a USB drive.
In the Debian 8 system you installed without a desktop environment, plug your USB drive in, and input 'sudo mount /dev/sdx1 /mnt' ('sdb1' if you have one HD, 'sdc1' if you have two HDs), and then 'cd /mnt'. Once you're in the same directory as the linux-image.deb on your USB drive, run 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb'. And once it's in, do 'sudo nano /etc/yaboot.conf', and make sure these configurations are replicated in your copy:
Code:image=/boot/vmlinux-4.10.8-powerpc64 label=Linux read-only initrd=/boot/initrd.img-4.10.8-powerpc64
Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return, and then enter 'sudo ybin'. Then, reboot. You should now be free to install a desktop environment + LightDM without crashing.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
No Sound
No sound? No problem. This will probably fix it.
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/modules 2. Add: snd-aoa snd-aoa-fabric-layout snd-aoa-soundbus snd-aoa-i2sbus snd-usb-audio 3. sudo reboot
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Suboptimal Tracking
Do you have an Early 2005 PowerBook or newer? Do you notice the trackpad responsiveness to be spotty at best? Let's fix that.
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/modules 2. Add: appletouch 3. Crtl + X ---> Y ---> Return 4. sudo reboot
If this does not work or the results are unsatisfactory, please either remove the module, or revert to the instructions here: (http://ppcluddite.blogspot.com/2013/06/getting-usable-trackpad-on-aluminum.html)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Problematic Fans
Are your adoring fans always roaring? Intermittent? Shut them up with:
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/modules 2. Add: windfarm-core 3. Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return 4. sudo reboot
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
No Battery Indicators
Running on a portable? You may notice there's no way to check the battery status in the OS. That is, until now.
Code:1. sudo nano /etc/modules 2. Add: pmu-battery 3. Ctrl + X ---> Y ---> Return 4. sudo reboot
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
No Wi-Fi
So how about that missing Wi-Fi? Put it back with:
Code:wget http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20170531T212258Z/pool/contrib/b/b43-fwcutter/firmware-b43-installer_019-3_all.deb && wget http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20170531T212258Z/pool/contrib/b/b43-fwcutter/b43-fwcutter_019-3_powerpc.deb && sudo dpkg -i *.deb && sudo rm *.deb
Reboot.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
No YouTube Playback
Part of the whole reason of installing Linux was to get better Web compatibility, so why isn't YouTube playing anything? - Usually, this is a simple fix caused by a lack of media codecs. Get the required codecs by running 'sudo apt-get install vlc'.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Login Problems
Having issues logging into a desktop environment? LightDM could be to blame, so let's get another display manager. Run:
sudo apt --no-install-recommends install lxdm
It will start processing, then explain to you what a display manager is and which one you want to use. Select LXDM when you are given the choice.
Afterward, reboot. Choose a desktop environment from the left side of the bottom menu bar, and log in.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Can't File Manage Over Network
Getting errors every time you try to access your home file or media server? This is due to the absence of the component that handles these functions. Let's add it in with 'sudo apt install gvfs-backends gvfs-fuse'. Now, restart your file manager and see what's different.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Radeon Problems
The iBook G3s, Mac Minis, '03 eMacs, and Late '03 / Early '04 iBook G4s will display flashing screens, crashes, and instability in Debian 8+ and Ubuntu 14.04+ due to a problem with their Radeon 7500 / 9200 graphics cards. A solution has recently been discovered and can be found at:
(https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/making-g3s-and-radeon-graphics-great-again.2191877/)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Slow Window Management
Do you have Radeon graphics? Are moving windows around the screen among other actions very slow? Download and install the below firmware like any other package:
(http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/...free/firmware-amd-graphics_20190114-1_all.deb)
Restart.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Temporarily Unresolvable Issues
Suspend -
Aside from Debian 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 on certain G4 machines, suspend (sleep mode) does not work, but it may be possible to reinstate this functionality on other setups with newer versions. - Update: New solution detailed at (https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/the-powerpc-linux-wiki.2178457/page-4#post-27513481).
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Tracking -
Early 2005 PowerBooks and newer will experience cursor jitter if you lightly rest your finger on the trackpad. This quirk has not yet been resolved, so it's recommended to just use a USB mouse when at home. Otherwise, track using your fingerpad for best results (one finger on button, other on touchpad).
= Tune =
Screen Brightness
Is your screen too bright? Adjust it to your liking with xrandr.
Code:1. xrandr --current 2. Notice the display name listed directly under "Screen 0:". (ex. DVI-I-1, LVDS, etc.) 3. xrandr --output <display name> --brightness .6 (choices include '0.2' through '1.0')
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
12-Hour Time
LXDE / Xfce ship with a 24-hour panel clock by default. Here's how to change it to 12-hour.
Right-click the clock, select 'Digital Clock Settings', and manually change the clock format to '%I:%M %p.' You can also add '%a' to get the day, and '%b' to get the month.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Media Hotkeys
It's can be disrupting to always have to go back to your media player window to manually pause or skip whenever playing music. If you're on Debian 10+, this Problem can rendezvous with Solution.
Code:1. sudo apt install playerctl A. playerctl play-pause (Play/Pause) B. playerctl previous (Previous) C. playerctl next (Next)
Now, you can go to 'Keyboard Shortcuts' under your Preferences menu / application, and set these commands to activate when a desired key is pressed. Leave out the parentheses.
= Appearance =
elementary OS Icons
elementary-icon-theme is only available on Ubuntu. Here's how to get it on Debian so you too can look like you're running elementary OS on PowerPC! Copy / Paste below text to terminal:
Code:sudo apt-get install gnome-icon-theme && wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/universe/e/elementary-icon-theme/elementary-icon-theme_2.7.1-0ubuntu7_all.deb && sudo dpkg -i elementary*.deb && sudo rm -f *.deb
After it's finished installing, you can open your DE's icon theme selector to choose your new option.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
La Capitaine Icons
Do you require something more Mac-like than elementary-icon-theme? Look no further than La Capitane. Here's how to get it:
Code:sudo wget https://codeload.github.com/keeferrourke/la-capitaine-icon-theme/zip/master && cd && sudo mkdir .icons && sudo unzip "master" && sudo mv la-capitaine-icon-theme-master .icons && sudo rm -rf "master" && cd .icons/la-capitaine-icon-theme-master/ && sudo ./configure
Once the Terminal stops processing, you can go into the Appearance preferences and select the La Capitaine icon theme to take effect.
If you're on Xfce, download the below package to use a macOS title bar lookalike to complete the look, found under Window Manager settings as Agualemon.
(http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/x/xfwm4-themes/xfwm4-themes_4.10.0-2_all.deb)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Materia UI Theme
Are you running Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 10+? Would you like a well polished matte theme that comes with system-wide light and dark modes? Ask your doctor if Materia is right for you with:
sudo apt install materia-gtk-theme
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Ubuntu Wallpapers (Ubuntu 14.04+ / Debian 8+)
Make your Ubuntu (or Debian) look like new with these wallpapers.
Ubuntu 17.04 -
(http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/po...ntu-wallpapers-zesty_18.04.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ubuntu 18.04 -
(http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/po...tu-wallpapers-bionic_18.04.1-0ubuntu1_all.deb)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ubuntu 19.04 -
(http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/po...ntu-wallpapers-disco_19.04.2-0ubuntu1_all.deb)
= Software =
Note: Install standalone .deb packages by opening a terminal in their current directory, then running 'sudo dpkg -i *.deb'. Remove them with 'sudo apt-get autoremove <package name>'.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Web Browsers
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Surf - Ubuntu 12.04+ / Debian 7+
(https://surf.suckless.org/)
Install Surf: [Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 8+]
Note: If on Debian 8, remove "gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers" and "-f -a @ -B -S -D" from strings.
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers adwaita-icon-theme surf ffmpeg gstreamer1.0-libav && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/surf.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
GenericName=Web Browser
Name=Surf
Comment=Simple WebKit Browser
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;
Exec=surf -p -f -a @ -B -S -D -u 'Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; CPU OS 12_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148' https://duckduckgo.com/
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/Adwaita/48x48/emblems/emblem-web.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
Controls: (Ctrl + H: Back) - (Ctrl + L: Forward) - (Ctrl + R: Reload) - (Ctrl + G: Open URL Bar) / (Right-Click: Back, Forward, Reload)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Install Surf: [Ubuntu 12.04+ / Debian 7]
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
sudo apt-get install gnome-icon-theme surf && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/surf.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
GenericName=Web Browser
Name=Surf
Comment=Simple WebKit Browser
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;
Exec=surf -p https://duckduckgo.com/
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/48x48/emblems/emblem-web.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
Controls: (Ctrl + H: Back) - (Ctrl + L: Forward) - (Ctrl + R: Reload) - (Ctrl + G: Open URL Bar) / (Right-Click: Back, Forward, Reload)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove Surf:
sudo apt-get autoremove surf && sudo rm -f /usr/share/applications/surf.desktop
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Firefox 47 (June 2016) - Ubuntu 14.04 / Debian 8
(http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-port...efox_47.0+build3-0ubuntu0.14.04.1_powerpc.deb)
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Firefox ESR 45.9 (April 2017) - Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 8+
Install Firefox ESR 45.9:
Note: Save all downloaded packages to Downloads.
1. http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/debian/20170531T212258Z/pool/main/f/firefox-esr/firefox-esr_45.9.0esr-1~deb8u1_powerpc.deb
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/...n/libstartup-notification0_0.12-4_powerpc.deb
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. http://www.xenosoft.de/libatomic-ubuntu12.04-powerpc.tar.bz2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Copy / Paste into terminal:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo mv libatomic.so.1 /usr/lib/powerpc-linux-gnu/ && sudo dpkg -i *.deb && sudo rm *.deb *.bz2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove Firefox ESR 45.9:
sudo apt-get autoremove firefox-esr
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Firefox ESR 52.9 (July 2018) - Debian 10+
Install Firefox ESR 52.9:
Note: Save all downloaded packages to Downloads.
Note 2: Beforehand, run 'sudo apt autoremove chrome-gnome-shell' if on GNOME.
1. http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/...refox-esr/firefox-esr_52.9.0esr-1_powerpc.deb
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. http://snapshot.debian.org/archive/...unspell/libhunspell-1.6-0_1.6.2-1_powerpc.deb
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Copy / Paste into terminal:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo dpkg -i *.deb && sudo rm *.deb
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove Firefox ESR 52.9:
sudo apt autoremove firefox-esr
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Arctic Fox 27.9.17 (May 2019) - Ubuntu 12.04+ / Debian 7+
Ubuntu 16.04 & Newer: (https://github.com/wicknix/Arctic-Fox/wiki/Downloads)
Debian 8 & Older: (http://forum.hyperion-entertainment.com/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=4205&start=100#p48009)
Install Arctic Fox:
Note: Save all downloaded packages to Downloads.
Note 2: When installing on Debian 8 and older, download libatomic1 after Arctic Fox has been installed.
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/arcticfox/ /usr/lib/ && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/arcticfox.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Arctic Fox
Comment=Browse the World Wide Web
GenericName=Web Browser
X-GNOME-FullName=Arctic Fox
Exec=/usr/lib/arcticfox/arcticfox %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/lib/arcticfox/browser/icons/mozicon128.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
StartupWMClass=arcticfox
StartupNotify=true
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update Arctic Fox:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/arcticfox/ && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/arcticfox/ /usr/lib/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove Arctic Fox:
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/arcticfox/ /usr/share/applications/arcticfox.desktop
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SpiderWeb 2.1 (August 2019) - Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 10+
(https://github.com/wicknix/SpiderWeb/wiki/Download)
Install SpiderWeb:
Note: Save all downloaded packages to Downloads.
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/spiderweb/ /usr/lib/ && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/spiderweb.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=SpiderWeb
Comment=Browse the World Wide Web
GenericName=Web Browser
X-GNOME-FullName=SpiderWeb
Exec=/usr/lib/spiderweb/spiderweb %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/lib/spiderweb/chrome/icons/default/seamonkey.png
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
StartupWMClass=spiderweb
StartupNotify=true
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update SpiderWeb:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/spiderweb/ && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/spiderweb/ /usr/lib/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove SpiderWeb:
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/spiderweb/ /usr/share/applications/spiderweb.desktop
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Email Clients
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SpiderMail 2.0 (May 2019) - Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 10+
(https://github.com/wicknix/SpiderWeb/wiki/Download)
Install SpiderMail:
Note: Save all downloaded packages to Downloads.
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/spidermail/ /usr/lib/ && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/spidermail.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=SpiderMail
Comment=Check your email
GenericName=Email client
X-GNOME-FullName=SpiderMail
Exec=/usr/lib/spidermail/spidermail %u
Terminal=false
X-MultipleArgs=false
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/lib/spidermail/chrome/icons/default/default256.png
Categories=Network;EmailClient;
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;application/xml;application/vnd.mozilla.xul+xml;application/rss+xml;application/rdf+xml;image/gif;image/jpeg;image/png;x-scheme-handler/http;x-scheme-handler/https;
StartupWMClass=spidermail
StartupNotify=true
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update SpiderMail:
cd ~/Downloads/ && sudo tar xvjf *.bz2 && sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/spidermail/ && sudo mv -f ~/Downloads/spidermail/ /usr/lib/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove SpiderMail:
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/spidermail/ /usr/share/applications/spidermail.desktop
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
YouTube Clients
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SurfTube - Ubuntu 14.04+ / Debian 8+
(https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/surftube-a-new-ultra-fast-youtube-browser-for-linux.2187988/)
Install SurfTube: [Ubuntu 16.04 / Debian 8+]
Note: If on Debian 8, remove "gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers" and "-f -a @ -B -S -D" from below strings.
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
sudo apt install surf ffmpeg gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad-videoparsers gstreamer1.0-libav adwaita-icon-theme && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/surftube.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
GenericName=YouTube Player
Name=SurfTube
Comment=Lightweight YouTube Player
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;
Exec=surf -p -f -a @ -B -S -D -u 'Mozilla/5.0 (iPad; CPU OS 12_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/605.1.15 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/15E148' https://m.youtube.com/
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=AudioVideo;Player;Video;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/Adwaita/48x48/actions/media-playback-start.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
Controls: (Ctrl + H: Back) - (Ctrl + L: Forward) - (Ctrl + R: Reload) / (Right-Click: Back, Forward, Reload)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Install SurfTube: [Ubuntu 14.04]
1. Copy / Paste into terminal:
sudo apt-get install surf gnome-icon-theme && sudo nano /usr/share/applications/surftube.desktop
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Copy / Paste into window:
[Desktop Entry]
GenericName=YouTube Player
Name=SurfTube
Comment=Lightweight YouTube Player
MimeType=text/html;text/xml;application/xhtml+xml;
Exec=surf -p https://youtube.com/
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=AudioVideo;Player;Video;
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/48x48/devices/audio-headphones.png
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Save, and close window.
Controls: (Ctrl + H: Back) - (Ctrl + L: Forward) - (Ctrl + R: Reload) / (Right-Click: Back, Forward, Reload)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remove SurfTube:
sudo rm -f /usr/share/applications/surftube.desktop
= Other =
Optimized Applications for PPC64 (Debian 10+)
If you're on a ppc64 install, add the PowerProgress repository to get optimized applications and Debian-specific 64-bit browsers, like Arctic Fox and Pale Moon. Copy / Paste below string to terminal:
1.
sudo -s wget -O - https://repo.powerprogress.org/debian/conf/public.gpg.key | sudo -s apt-key add
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. sudo apt edit-sources
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Add:
deb [arch=ppc64] https://repo.powerprogress.org/debian/ sid main
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. sudo apt update
The below link contains a list of installable applications.
(https://repo.powerprogress.org/)
Chime Volume
This thread details how to lower or mute the startup chime.
(https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1701534)
= Enjoy your OS! =
This is a public Wiki -
Please contribute if you know something about Linux that can make people's lives easier.
Thank you.
To-Do
- Solve Trackpad Issues With This Instruction: (https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=813884&page=6&p=11973897#post11973897)
- Investigate converting all installers into one-click downloadable scripts
Yaboot lets you run Linux on a New World Mac, which includes all G5 and G4 Macs, and most G3 Macs.
Earlier (Old World) Macs will require BootX or Quik.
Well...
10.4 resulted in a Kernel panic, and 10.5 resulted in a black screen mid-way through the installation. I think it's safe to say that my system has issues! I might start another thread to troubleshoot these then I'll come back if and when I can get it working.
Thanks for the help everyone!
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Have you tried swapping the RAM out with different sticks? That'd be the first thing I'd try.
Download the file below, then install the dependencies (detailed in the README), make the script executable and move it to /usr/local/bin, then create battery.desktop with this code:
Code:[Desktop Entry] Name=Battery Applet Comment=Mac Battery Applet Exec=/usr/local/bin/.mac-battery-applet.pl Icon= Terminal=false Type=Application NotShowIn=KDE; Name[en_US]=Battery Applet
Save then store this desktop file in /etc/xdg/autostart/. Reboot. Boom. it should work for any distro with GTK2.
Didn't see this until today. Thank you! Another question: That Arctic Fox icon is very nice. Is there any place in which I can find a copy?
I installed Arctic Fox using the Fienix repo, so it comes with the icon itself. If you installed AF using the tarball, and if you look in the AF directory, you can find the icon in one of the folders. You'll just need to edit/create a .desktop file to show it. If the icon you find is different, then it must be that the Deepin icon theme (deepin-icon-theme, the one I use) has that particular icon within the theme.
Can someone try building Surf 2.0 or 1.8 on Debian 10 and see what happens?
https://dl.suckless.org/surf/
That's probably our last chance for getting it to work on Debian 10.
https://dl.suckless.org/surf/
That's probably our last chance for getting it to work on Debian 10.
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