iMac boots to white

[catninja]

Hi, awhile ago I got an iMac from a friend of a friend. They didn't tell me what was wrong with it, only that it needed a new OS. It's a PPC mac and I wanted to try out Lubuntu linux (but I have OSX 10.6 if that doesn't work)

But when I try to boot, I get a white screen, then after awhile a folder with a question mark appears.

I tried holding alt(option) to boot, but the weirdest thing happens. I'm still in the same white screen, but I get a cursor.

This is again with the Lubuntu linux disk. The OSX 10.6 disk just gives me a white screen and the folder.

Is this a hardware issue or software? Because I tried booting Windows XP just for the hell of it and it actually went through the setup until the end.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

If it is a PPC Mac, it will not run Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will be the highest version possible on a PPC Mac.
I do not know about Lubuntu.

If you can get your hands on a Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard RETAIL DVD, you might be able to get Mac OS X installed onto that sucker.

 

[catninja]

thanks, I'm going to try and find 10.5, not sure about Lubuntu either. I guess I'll try Leopard to make sure it's not a hardware error

 

[Lampmeister]

If it is a PPC Mac, it will not run Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will be the highest version possible on a PPC Mac.
I do not know about Lubuntu.

If you can get your hands on a Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard RETAIL DVD, you might be able to get Mac OS X installed onto that sucker.

I agree. You've got to get that sucker running in OS X, then tackle Lubuntu.

 

[catninja]

So I downloaded 10.5.6 onto a disk and tried that, but same thing as Lubuntu. It boots to white screen and cursor when I hold option(alt) Any chance this is hardware related?