Having zero luck with Linux install on PMG4 MDD - could use pointers

[feelingsupersonic]

Hello all,

I have been trying to get a modern-ish Linux setup going on my G4 MDD dual 1.25 Ghz. I have no use for yet another pre-Leopard OS (see signature....) and I'd really like to see how Linux runs on it.

I've tried 2 main distros, with the same issue: 1) Void Linux PPC, and 2) Lubuntu 16.04 remix by Wicknix.
In the live environment, it all seems fine. I start the installation process and all the sudden the screen cuts off and comes back on. Then, whole system lockup. Sometimes I can move my mouse around still, but nothing else is responsive at all.

The screen cutting off and coming back had me thinking about graphics drivers. Stock Radeon 9000. I've tried several permutations of

live radeon.agpmode=-1 radeon.modeset=1 video=offb:off nosplash

To no avail. Same behaviour.


I don't want to give up, but this is starting to actually piss me off. Anyone have a trick?

 

[repairedCheese]

Hello all,

I have been trying to get a modern-ish Linux setup going on my G4 MDD dual 1.25 Ghz. I have no use for yet another pre-Leopard OS (see signature....) and I'd really like to see how Linux runs on it.

I've tried 2 main distros, with the same issue: 1) Void Linux PPC, and 2) Lubuntu 16.04 remix by Wicknix.
In the live environment, it all seems fine. I start the installation process and all the sudden the screen cuts off and comes back on. Then, whole system lockup. Sometimes I can move my mouse around still, but nothing else is responsive at all.

The screen cutting off and coming back had me thinking about graphics drivers. Stock Radeon 9000. I've tried several permutations of

live radeon.agpmode=-1 radeon.modeset=1 video=offb:off nosplash

To no avail. Same behaviour.


I don't want to give up, but this is starting to actually piss me off. Anyone have a trick?

Would that be an MDD with the stock Radeon 9000? While it does seem like some recent changes may have improved things to older Radeon cards, the 9000 is sort of the broken wheel of getting Linux to work on an MDD. ABout all I can offer you is maybe https://www.adelielinux.org and wish you well, because your bugs sound exactly like what I've dealt with trying to run Linux on an MDD with a Radeon 9000. If anyone's got any options other than "replace it" I'd love to know.

 

[Tratkazir_the_1st]

@feelingsupersonic
May be I didn't understood you well (English is not my native language). Are you getting troubles during the installation process or after installation at first boot?
If all this happens during installation - I can recommend change videocard, if possible (some flashed GeForce to avoid Radeon troubles).
If it is at first boot - try install another Displa Manager package (I can remember that LightDM, which is deafult in Debian, wasn't working & screens was blinking). After Changing it to something like sddm or else - it was at least possible to logon.

 

[feelingsupersonic]

Tratkazir, I am in live environment (with intent of installing from there) but I can't get farther. Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I have now also tried the following:

- Adelie Linux 1.0-rc2 (using Action Retro guidance). Same exact issue.
- Different kernel, 4.x, for Void Linux, no change
- Stripped down everything that wasn't crucial (extra PCI cards, IDE to SATA adapter, etc)
- Only 1x known-good RAM stick installed in 1st slot nearest to CPU, correct PC2700 speed
- Removed, cleaned, and re-seated GPU
- Used different screen via DVI port instead of ADC


No dice. The pattern I'm noticing is that the desktop (in live environment) is stable and smooth, no obvious graphics issues. UNTIL I open a terminal instance or a GUI installer. Then, something triggers, and I get the screen reset followed by full lockup. This is true for Lubuntu 16.04, Void, and Adelie.


I don't have a spare GPU laying around - and as it's paired with an Apple Cinema display, I'd like a legit OEM card to drive the monitor over the ADC connector. I know about the DVI adapter you can get and I actually have this for my B&W G3 using the same display but I don't want to go there. I suppose I can mod the AGP Radeon card in my G5 but then I'd need a replacement card for it (also using ADC Cinema display).


If I can't solve this, I'm content to run Sorbet Leopard and make my PMG5 the Linux machine... just trying to avoid duplicates. Thanks again everyone for taking the time to read.

 

[repairedCheese]

Tratkazir, I am in live environment (with intent of installing from there) but I can't get farther. Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I have now also tried the following:

- Adelie Linux 1.0-rc2 (using Action Retro guidance). Same exact issue.
- Different kernel, 4.x, for Void Linux, no change
- Stripped down everything that wasn't crucial (extra PCI cards, IDE to SATA adapter, etc)
- Only 1x known-good RAM stick installed in 1st slot nearest to CPU, correct PC2700 speed
- Removed, cleaned, and re-seated GPU
- Used different screen via DVI port instead of ADC


No dice. The pattern I'm noticing is that the desktop (in live environment) is stable and smooth, no obvious graphics issues. UNTIL I open a terminal instance or a GUI installer. Then, something triggers, and I get the screen reset followed by full lockup. This is true for Lubuntu 16.04, Void, and Adelie.


I don't have a spare GPU laying around - and as it's paired with an Apple Cinema display, I'd like a legit OEM card to drive the monitor over the ADC connector. I know about the DVI adapter you can get and I actually have this for my B&W G3 using the same display but I don't want to go there. I suppose I can mod the AGP Radeon card in my G5 but then I'd need a replacement card for it (also using ADC Cinema display).


If I can't solve this, I'm content to run Sorbet Leopard and make my PMG5 the Linux machine... just trying to avoid duplicates. Thanks again everyone for taking the time to read.

That sounds a lot like the issues I've had using an MDD with a Radeon 9000, but without actually knowing what graphics card you have, I can't be sure. It does seem that most MDDs shipped with the 9000, and if that's the case, there's no real solution. Some time between 2012 and 2016, the AMD driver broke for the Radeon 9000, and no one has fixed it since.

 

[feelingsupersonic]

Sorry if I missed it earlier but yes, it's the Radeon 9000.

I guess that ends my journey then... time to see if G5 has better luck.

 

[Bedaso]

I’ve spent the past 4 days trying to figure out why my G4 MDD wasn’t working with Linux, then finally concluded it’s the graphics card. I’ve had the same exact issues with you. I’m thinking either going to NVidia (with a GeForce 4 MX) or an ATI Radeon 7500. Thank you so much for notifying me about the broken drivers, I thought I had faulty hardware.

 

[repairedCheese]

I’ve spent the past 4 days trying to figure out why my G4 MDD wasn’t working with Linux, then finally concluded it’s the graphics card. I’ve had the same exact issues with you. I’m thinking either going to NVidia (with a GeForce 4 MX) or an ATI Radeon 7500. Thank you so much for notifying me about the broken drivers, I thought I had faulty hardware.

I was able to find a reference to the problem in the Debian PowerPC/FAQ wiki. That's about as "reported" as the issue gets. Linux will definitely work on a Radeon 9200, and probably on an Radeon 8500, but unless you disable 3d acceleration on the Radeon 9000, it will crash. And the issue is consistent across all distros that it has to be a driver issue. In x86 Linux, there's a proprietary driver from that era to fall back on, but we're not so lucky.

And what makes matters worse is that it can be hard to disable 3d acceleration, and the results you get can be a mess even if you manage it. I managed to get Debian "working" in that, it booted to a desktop environment, but the image was so glitchy that it was effectively useless.

Considering most live disks boot to a gui, even getting to that point was hard.

And that's on top of the fact that 32-bit PPC Linux is missing a lot of software 64-bit PPC Linux has access to. It's just a better time on a G5 all around.