What have you done with a PowerPC today?

[lepidotós]

Had a dream about, of all computers, a 366MHz Clamshell iBook. It was nearly toolless to take completely apart for repaid and extensive upgrade (I think it had a 733MHz G4 and 133MHz bus by the end?) besides disassembling the motherboard, which required screwdrivers of standard size.
Ha hah, if only...
Other than that, not much. I'm pretty sick, so I've been asleep nearly all day. Mostly just quickly looking stuff up and finally getting around to installing Office 2008.​

 

[Dronecatcher]

Prompted by Action Retro’s rather vague review of Adelie Linux, I gave the live distribution a go on my DLSD.

First attempts to boot from the LXQT and Mate variants of the desktop version proved futile (LXQT rendered a desktop where nothing worked and Mate gave a cursor and black screen) but the KDE iso booted to a working environment fine.

My initial reaction was that the effect laden GUI responded quite well (probably down to the DLSD’s capable GPU) and amazingly, the touch pad action was fluid and accurate - this is a first for Linux on the DLSD - every other distro I’ve tried was glitchy (despite much config wrangling!)

Alas, no wifi, ethernet or sound out of the box but Action Retro’s useful tip of pretending to run the installer activates the ethernet ok.

Doesn’t appear to be any working browser (apart from Links via Konsole) or package manager included but did manage to install MPlayer with apk in Konsole.

CPU use appears quite high but understandable given the weight of a modern OS - I’d expect to be able to reduce the resource footprint on a full install, starting with the compositor.

This will probably shine on a DP G5.

 

[lepidotós]

Nothing especially impressive, just putting TenFiveTube through its paces with a visually complex video, LWK running in the background, and two LibreOffice windows open, and while there were one or two stutters, the audio never once cut out.​

 

[666sheep]

Tried flashing ATA133 Promise controller with Sonnet Tempo 133 firmware on my GE under OS 9. So far unsuccessfully - Sonnet utility does not recognize the card despite it being visible in OF and PCI section of OS 9 ASP. I know there is a way to do it, but I need to do some more research.

 

[galgot]

I have Ubuntu 9.10 installed on a Powerbook G3 Kanga for some years now, but never could have sound work on this...
I had the old snd-powermac driver in the /etc/modules and loaded, Alsa installed ... but every times I was trying to launch alsamixer, was getting : "alsamixer: snd_ctl_function failed for default: no such file or directory".
Googling that giving me nothing...

Today while playing with that machine tried again... but this time I didn't googled that error msg, I DuckDuckGoo-it...
And boom :

A fix for: alsamixer: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device

I recently setup Ubuntu Server 8.10 with RAID and LVM which I plan to use as a file server among other things. I also wanted to be able to ...

yoyar.blogspot.com

Put you user in the audio group... was as stupid as that

Alleluia, my fav radio plays fine in Audacious2. Now have to put some noices skins on this

This to say... I find Google sux more and more as a search engine. I had to make a lot of precise searches recently for another project, using other search engines gave me much more usefull results.

 

[alex_free]

Behold the Mac mini tower, 3 years in the making!

 

[Doq]

Man, my Mac mini tower of power doesn't look nearly as powerful as that.

I gotta do better.

 

[alex_free]

Man, my Mac mini tower of power doesn't look nearly as powerful as that.

I gotta do better.

Now I can simultaniously compile all 3 versions of PPCMC7 (Tiger & Panther on the G4, Tiger on the early 07, and Snow Leopard on the early 09) at one time over SSH using the 17 inch early 09 Macbook Pro!

 

[Dronecatcher]

Recently discovered MacUAE an Amiga emulator that works on OS9...

 

[WriteNow]

This to say... I find Google sux more and more as a search engine. I had to make a lot of precise searches recently for another project, using other search engines gave me much more usefull results.

It's funny this comes up... I can't really comment about Google's ability today. I use Duck Duck Go almost 100% of the time. It has served me well--even though I hear those grumbles from others: It's not as good as Google!!!!

This week, for some reason, I did a search with Duck Duck Go. And later did the same search with Google, wondering if I'd get some more results. Answer: no, and what I got with Duck Duck Go was better overall.

This is, of course, one experience with one search--but it still interested me.

 

[alex_free]

It's funny this comes up... I can't really comment about Google's ability today. I use Duck Duck Go almost 100% of the time. It has served me well--even though I hear those grumbles from others: It's not as good as Google!!!!

This week, for some reason, I did a search with Duck Duck Go. And later did the same search with Google, wondering if I'd get some more results. Answer: no, and what I got with Duck Duck Go was better overall.

This is, of course, one experience with one search--but it still interested me.

Google is getting so much worse. Its so weird to see it just completely ignore words in your search it deems are not relevent.

 

[galgot]

It's funny this comes up... I can't really comment about Google's ability today. I use Duck Duck Go almost 100% of the time. It has served me well--even though I hear those grumbles from others: It's not as good as Google!!!!

This week, for some reason, I did a search with Duck Duck Go. And later did the same search with Google, wondering if I'd get some more results. Answer: no, and what I got with Duck Duck Go was better overall.

This is, of course, one experience with one search--but it still interested me.

I always used Google mostly because it's by default on Safari up there, and didn't thought much about it. But really with that other project I was working on (trying to find peoples in old press articles, and precise sources), I got more consistent result using others, like Duckduckgo, and Qwant.
Google show results related to your search picking words and showing mostly the most recent stuff (which is not what you want if you search in old stuff), or related to businesses... Can really see how the searches are twisted to show you what they want, not really what you are looking for.

Anyways, back to PPC. And talking about MacMini G4, mine serving as a small files server with three 1Tb disks attached,
is reaching a year uptime in 17 days (Wouhooooo! )

 

[lepidotós]

I use google mainly because InterWebPPC and TFF have never respected my search engine preferences, and so I gave up.

 

[wicknix]

InterWebPPC and TFF have never respected my search engine preferences

Select the default search engine from the preferences pane. It wont stick if you just change it from the search box.

Cheers

 

[lepidotós]

@wicknix I do, but it didn't work. Maybe I should try again...

 

[MacMaverick855]

Haven’t posted in a while. I’m experimenting with trying to install Ubuntu Mate 14.04 on a 250GB Sata drive in a Mac G5 (not intel, not iMac). The DVD and USB route do not work. I found the following post in Ubuntu Forums:

[PPC] HOWTO: Boot PowerPC live/desktop ISOs without burning a CD

So you don't want to waste a CD/DVD, but so far you can't figure out how to boot from USB..... If you have an external USB hard/flash drive that cannot be seen from openfirmware.... Well, if you have Mac OS X installed then the solution it is pretty simple. This is what to do: 1...

ubuntuforums.org

It‘s instructions describe how to put a “Casper” folder on an OSX hard drive, and use Open Firmware to boot and then install the Ubuntu ISO which can be anywhere on the OSX drive. The post above is the only place I can find instructions like this. The problem is, it boots to a yaboot screen and using the yaboot modifications mentioned in the instructions, I get to a point where an error message appears saying it can’t find the ISO.

Is anyone aware of more detailed instructions on how to do this. I think there are some details missing or I’m not fully understanding the directions. I think the problem is where the .iso file is located, or perhaps the .iso file isn’t located on a properly formatted partition. I have seen errors at the yaboot prompt while booting about the process finding “apple-hfs” when it’s looking for ”apple-bootstrap”.

Take a look at the Ubuntu forums info and add any details I might be missing. I’d appreciate it, or if you are aware of any online information about this process I could reference.

Thanks,
MacMav855

 

[Macbookprodude]

Prompted by Action Retro’s rather vague review of Adelie Linux, I gave the live distribution a go on my DLSD.

First attempts to boot from the LXQT and Mate variants of the desktop version proved futile (LXQT rendered a desktop where nothing worked and Mate gave a cursor and black screen) but the KDE iso booted to a working environment fine.

My initial reaction was that the effect laden GUI responded quite well (probably down to the DLSD’s capable GPU) and amazingly, the touch pad action was fluid and accurate - this is a first for Linux on the DLSD - every other distro I’ve tried was glitchy (despite much config wrangling!)

Alas, no wifi, ethernet or sound out of the box but Action Retro’s useful tip of pretending to run the installer activates the ethernet ok.

Doesn’t appear to be any working browser (apart from Links via Konsole) or package manager included but did manage to install MPlayer with apk in Konsole.

CPU use appears quite high but understandable given the weight of a modern OS - I’d expect to be able to reduce the resource footprint on a full install, starting with the compositor.

This will probably shine on a DP G5.

View attachment 1941390

So in other words, don't waste time with Adelle Linux on a DLSD , right ?

 

[Macbookprodude]

Google is getting so much worse. Its so weird to see it just completely ignore words in your search it deems are not relevent.

Do you have the TOR browser ? Look up .onion websites.. Actually, duckduckgo.onion brings up more results than the .com version. Check out the Dark Web.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Trying to see if TOR is available for PowerPC or was.

 

[lepidotós]

I used my G4 to tell the same tire rotation joke ("Why would I pay $30 to get my tires rotated? It happens for free when I drive!") to two different groups of people on Discord and both thought I was just an idiot. So that's cool!
Besides that, not much. Pulled it out while waiting outside the Labcorp for my mom to get out, and I was amazed at the battery life I could pull out of it. A little bit clunky at 14" but not too bad.​

 

[Dronecatcher]

So in other words, don't waste time with Adelle Linux on a DLSD , right ?

On the contrary, it's the only distro that works well with the DLSD touchpad and warrants further investigation from those who like to dabble with Linux.

 

[fooyork]

Can anyone point me in the right direction (preferably with a link) to buy the equipment I need to install a SSD into a 15 inch PowerBook G4 (aluminium)?!

Preferably UK based!

 

[maxoakland]

I looked at my cute iMac G4 that I have set up in the corner. I use it to play with Mac OS 9 and apps, which is so much fun. I also plan on installing early versions of OS X to check them out

 

[MacMaverick855]

As you can see from my last post, I was struggling with getting Ubuntu 14 on my DP G5 using a dvd or usb drive. Implementing the link shown above was presenting problems as well. The process worked to a point but then dumped me into a command line screen that lead with “(initramfs)”. Not well versed in CLI, I researched what options were available to me, frustrated and wanting to move on to another approach, I entered “exit” on the CL. Next thing I know, Ubuntu 14 booted. I will detail my entire process at a later post because there are some (critical?) steps missing in the link I posted earlier.

Once the desktop loaded I was presented with a very pixelated background but the icons and menus were readable. I attempted to install Ubuntu 14 and was presented with this:

The installer window would not fill in and was basically transparent. The information is there because I found the “Quit” button with the mouse buy looking at screen shots of the window from another site.

The G5 uses and ATY 128 RV360, or Radeon 9600 GPU. Is there anyway using the Terminal to adjust the screen or modify the window settings to make this window fill in? The Display setting only has one setting, 1280x1024. It’s an Apple Cinema Display.

@wicknix posts have been extremely helpful in getting me as far as I’ve gotten. MacRumors as a whole has been THE source for my delving into Linux. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

MacMav855

(UPDATE: 01/31/2022) I haven’t been able to repeat the results shown above. Screen goes into convulsions stating something about being “stdin not a typewriter”. GRRRRRRR! I never get to the live desktop.

 

[PC mcLinMorph]

Its... nice, for a day, or two, to play around and tinker a little with my old faithful powerbook g4-workhorse, to try and fit different operating systems, and then to go back to OS X, and then, after some time comeback again to repeat the procedure on and on.
It's a nice hobby.

This weekend i decided to try to put BSD on my dear old machine.

I took the latest OpenBSD (7.0) and couldn't get it to work.

So... i tried to go backwards, downloaded some ISO'S and installed 6.6, worked fine, and i managed to add XFXE, i upgraded easily (with their new sysupgrade-command to 6.7, to 6.8 and finally to 6.9, everything still worked excellent, and then... (why?) i decided to, (why not?), try the bleeding edge, the latest one, 7.0, afterall i had XFCE running perfect, and everything was fine (well sleep and hibernate never works anyway and forget getting the keyboard backlights, i can fix that another weekend, hehe)

o.k... so... after upgrading to 7.0 i could login to xfce, but, ("of course"?) it was just "a grey screen" with a functioning cursor,

It was like xfce was there somewhere, but without any panels, icons or anything else.

Imagine having your os x, or windows of any version, and then after you upgrade, you suddenly don't have a "startbutton", or no "explorer"...
That's a little how it can feel sometimes when you're using Linux or trying out other OS's on a powerpc and... also don't have the skills/time to figure out what's wrong

p.s 1: I think i found out why now: A lot of the xfce-packages needed for xfce was suddenly "gone" from the 7.0 distribution for powerppc! Just gone. The Machine starts happily anyway but without the things you normally need in a desktop environment (like windows and menus, for example)
p.s 2: Do you think i'm going to start over, from 6,6 again sometime? Probabbly yes. Just for the "fun".
p.s 4: Do i think that xfce will work in powerpc 7.1? I highly doubt it, we are a very small crowd i guess. but perhaps the coming version of Adelie Linux, or Fienix will, eh..."work", oh, and i hear that morphos wayfarer-browser v3 is coming!
I added IceWM instead. Now if there only was a real, useable browser...