ubuntu on g3

[Macpropro80]

Anyone know how to install ubuntu Powerpc on an imac g3? I installed a new hard drive today So when i boot up all i see if the flashing finder.

[Guiyon]

I haven't done this in ages but you should just be able to download the PPC ISO, burn it to a CD and then boot off of it. IIRC, the G3s don't require all that much special attention.

[jodelli]

I had Ubuntu Edgy Eft on a 450 DV iMac. I just inserted a live CD and held the c key down, then clicked on the install folder.
I seem to remember a video problem at one point where the screen remained blank; got around this by plugging in an external monitor until setup was complete. Believe the problem was a screen resolution setting.
Also had an ethernet cable plugged in while installing and the os picked up the connection immediately.

[aquajet]

Download and burn a copy of the hardy heron (8.04) PPC alternate desktop CD. The live CD will not work on a G3 iMac, and the intrepid (8.10) release is quite buggy in my experience. The alternate CD will give you the text-based installer, which is still very easy to use. The default installation will leave you with a non-functioning system however because the xorg.conf is not properly configured and the default installation is set up to boot directly into the gnome desktop. If your machine freezes, then hit the restart button and at the second yaboot prompt type:

Linux nosplash video=ofonly nofb

and hit return. The system will try again to boot back into gnome desktop, but should fail and dump you back into the command line. At this point you will need to reconfigure your yaboot.conf file. Login the prompt using your id and password and then type:

sudo nano /etc/yaboot.conf

Towards the bottom of the file, you should see two lines with some code underneath each:

image=/boot/vmlinux

and

image=/boot/vmlinux.old

Under both of these headings, add the following line:

append="quiet nosplash nofb"

Type control-o to save the file, and control-x to exit out of nano.

At the command line, use the following command to write your yaboot.conf file to the boot partition:

sudo ybin -v

At this point, you will also need to edit your xorg.conf file. Since it is very lengthy, PM me and I will email you a copy of mine which should work on your imac. Burn the file to a CD, place it in your imac's CD drive, and at the prompt type:

mount /media/cdrom

and then open the file in nano by typing:

sudo nano /cdrom/xorg.txt

and then write the file to the proper directory on your hard drive by pressing control-o, and saving the file as:

/etc/X11/xorg.conf

Exit nano by pressing control-x, and reboot the system by typing:

sudo reboot

This should get you a working ubuntu hardy heron system on your imac. Keep in mind though that gnome is pretty heavy for your old imac g3, and you might be better of using the XFCE desktop instead (the version of ubuntu with XFCE instead of gnome is known as xubuntu). An alternative to installing ubuntu would be the latest Debian lenny release, which is what I run on my 500 mhz imac g3. Let me know if you would prefer that route and I can provide additional instructions if needed, but much of the same that I've posted above will still be required with Debian.

Good luck. A stable and usuable Linux system on these imacs is very possible and workable.

[Cassie]

Ubuntu doesn't run easy on the early iMac G3's. I'm not sure what model yours is, but I know my 233 MHz machine won't run it.

[Macpropro80]

Ubuntu doesn't run easy on the early iMac G3's. I'm not sure what model yours is, but I know my 233 MHz machine won't run it.

I decided not to install ubuntu on it, I already have an ubuntu box.

[Mac SK]

Hunt up a copy of Yellow Dog Linux,it will go on there with no problem. If you put a Mac OS back on there make shure you have the right firmwear installed.

[aquajet]

I decided not to install ubuntu on it, I already have an ubuntu box.

Thanking people for taking the time to type a bunch of stuff out for you would have been a polite thing to do.

[verona007]

Hy aquajet! If you can, please e-mail that xorg.conf for iMac G3 for me. I installed Xubuntu 8.10 for my Mac, but I cannot get a valid xorg.conf file. My email is dlkmail@citromail.hu. Thanks for your help!

UP: If my reply e-mail can't reach you: Thanks! I will write my experience with your xorg.conf, when I finish my installation.

[hemantx]

I'd love to have a copy of that conf file as well! Tried to pm you, but system says I don't have permission to do that yet.

ben at znet - tx dot com is my email address!

Thanks a million!
Ben

[aquajet]

I'll just post it here after all. :)

This is known to work with Ubuntu 8.04 and Debian 5 with a slot-load iMac G3 500 mhz. Should work with all slot-load iMac G3s. Post the following into /etc/X11/xorg.conf

# xorg.conf (X.Org X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
# sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/fonts/X11/misc"
# path to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib/defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TrueType"
EndSection

Section "Module"
# Load "ic2"
Load "bitmap"
# Load "ddc"
Disable "dri"
Load "extmod"
Load "freetype"
Disable "glx"
Load "int10"
# Load "type1"
Load "vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Generic Keyboard"
Driver "kbd"
Option "CoreKeyboard"
Option "XkbRules" "xorg"
Option "XkbModel" "pc105"
Option "XkbLayout" "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
Identifier "Configured Mouse"
Driver "mouse"
Option "CorePointer"
Option "Device" "/dev/input/mice"
Option "Protocol" "ExplorerPS/2"
Option "ZaxisMapping" "4 5"
Option "Emulate3Buttons" "true"
EndSection

Section "Device"
Identifier "ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 RL/VR AGP"
Driver "r128"
Option "UseFBDev" "false"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
Identifier "iMac"
Option "DPMS"
HorizSync 58-62
VertRefresh 75-117
EndSection

Section "Screen"
Identifier "Default Screen"
Device "ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 RL/VR AGP"
Monitor "iMac"
DefaultDepth 24
SubSection "Display"
Depth 24
Modes "1024x768" "800x600" "640x480"
EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
Identifier "Default Layout"
Screen "Default Screen"
InputDevice "Generic Keyboard"
InputDevice "Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
Mode 0666
EndSection