Linux for PowerPC

[jrsx]

I have a big problem: so I downloaded ubuntu 8.04 and when I boot up into it, it says, "pci cannot allocate resource region 0 of device 0001:10:18.0" and then loads a black screen, and the DVD stops spinning. What do I do?

EDIT: Ok, I figured out how to boot into the liveCD, but how do I dual boot it and OS X so I can run it at full speed? I can't figure it out, and can't find anything helpful on google. I can't partition within OS X, because it is the boot partition, and won't let me from Stellar or DiskUtility. Also, I don't see the ubuntu logo and progress bar when starting up.

 

[Javelin Dan]

OK, so I'm going to weigh in here. While I'm not as technically advanced as some of the others, I do have about five years of experience with several forms of Linux including using the Ppc version on two G4 Macs.

The simple answer to your question is Lubuntu 12.04, and I say this for a reason. I found both my Macs to be grumpy and particular about what OS they would boot. I can't tell you how many versions (mostly of the 'Buntu family) I tried that simply wouldn't boot on these machines. Lubuntu 13.04 is one of them. But 12.04 has always booted on both. It is still being supported (even though the timeline of "Buntu life cycles tells you it shouldn't be), and when it's not you can simply upgrade through the update manager saving all your settings.

I don't recommend running an older version as you will not get any security updates and most importantly, you won't get any browser updates. On some websites, you will simply be told your browser is too old and you won't be able to open the page. This circular firing squad of "the old equipment no longer is supported by the new software and the new software won't run on the older equipment" is exactly why I left Mac OS behind for Linux.

I tried Debian and Mint Ppc. I liked both, with a nod going to Mint as it ran faster - it might have been the snappiest one I tried on the Graphite "Sawtooth". But with both, the browser doesn't automatically get updated when you download all your other updates (unless it's changed since I fooled with it). You may be OK with it if you don't mind backporting your updates for your browser, but that was all a ittle too geeky for me. The support from the help forum in Mint is next to non-existant, and I felt that the Debian people, while in much more abundance, have little patience with a raw newbie. With Lubuntu, this stuff is all point and click, and in my opinion, the support community is a little more forebearing.

I didn't see anyone mention it here, but you must know by now that Adobe Flashplayer no longer supports the Ppc architecture, meaning no direct playing of Flash videos - unless you want to run OS 10.4 Tiger and Use the Tenfourfox browser, but then you're back to using obsolete software with no security updates. Gnash (available in the repository) will play Youtube videos in a hurky-jerky fashion on my emac (1Ghz. processor), but crashes on the old Sawtooth (450Ghz. processor). However, using Video Download Helper plugin in Firefox yeilds near HD quality video play on either machine...you just have to download first.

Having said all that, I don't in any way regret my move to Linux. It may not be as "polished" as Mac OS or Windows, but the differences are small and insignificant to me. And most importantly, I get to decide when my equipment is outdated, not the manufacturer!

 

[jrsx]

Thanks for the input.. yeah, I'm finding a lot of things I like about Linux too, even on PPC. Its pretty cool that you can still run relatively modern software, on an older PowerPC iBook or eMac, or things iMac G3s!

 

[jrsx]

If I did install Ubuntu 8.04, would the progress bar at startup appear? I have to enter a code to get it to boot from liveCD, and it doesn't show the bar.

 

[Javelin Dan]

Don't really know what that problem is - I never had it. My GUESS is that once fully installed, your boot-up problems will go away, but again, not sure. I have a copy of Xubuntu 7.04 and it always boots fine. But between that and Ubuntu 10.10, there were many versions I tried that I just wouldn't boot for reasons that I really never understood. These old Ppc machines (particularly the G3's) can be VERY particular about what they will and won't boot. Don't waste your time trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I really urge you to try 12.04 as I've found it to be very reliable on my machines. Using an older version that has no support would be a dead end.

Edit: I'll play Mr. Obvious and ask if you are holding down the "C" key as you attempt to boot up?

 

[jrsx]

Of course. I've also tried alt/option. I can get it to boot into the live CD, but just no progress bar. I think its not a huge deal, it will probably appear if I install it, but I was just trying it out for fun.

 

[Javelin Dan]

To more specifcally answer your question, there really is no fill bar on the latter versions of Ubuntu/Lubuntu at boot-up. I never got 8.04 to boot, so I couldn't comment on that one. However, I did go through my grooveyard of forgotten oldies and dug out my old copy of Xubuntu and booted it on the old Sawtooth. I lied to you - it's not 7.10 as I said before, it's 6.04, probably the first 'Buntu made for the powerpc architecture.

Anyway, it boots to a splash screen and a little bar floats back and forth in a narrow window for a long time, THEN acts as a fill bar before it boots into a desktop. You getting anything like that?

On the latest versions, you'll just get a Lubuntu splash screen with four little dots that will sequentially light and go dim. This will happen for a long time (over two minutes) on a live CD. Intermingled with all this, the screen will go black at several intervals so don't panic, it will eventually boot. Keep in mind that the booting process gets smoother and quicker once the OS is installed. Again, the problems you are describing I never had so I'm not sure what you are experiencing. Just for grins, try another version (any version) and see if you are still having the same problem.

 

[jrsx]

I'll try 6.04, that sounds fun... I like experimenting with older software, like XP, old Xubuntu, Mac OS 7, the works...

EDIT: its actually 6.06...

 

[jrsx]

Hmmm...booting 6.06 didn't work-it got to the loading bar screen, than froze and went back to the "pci cannot allocate resource region 0 of device 0001:10:18.0" screen just like on 8.04.

 

[pcfast]

The support from the help forum in Mint is next to non-existant, and I felt that the Debian people, while in much more abundance, have little patience with a raw newbie. With Lubuntu, this stuff is all point and click, and in my opinion, the support community is a little more forebearing.

Yup, true. Lubuntu is probably the best option but people can checkout MintPPC for themselves.

http://mintppc.org/

Having said all that, I don't in any way regret my move to Linux. It may not be as "polished" as Mac OS or Windows, but the differences are small and insignificant to me. And most importantly, I get to decide when my equipment is outdated, not the manufacturer!

 

[Javelin Dan]

jrsx - Sounds like a problem for a 'Buntu geek. Try asking your questions in the Ubuntu Ppc forum and see if that gets you anywhere. Sorry I couldn't be of any help...

 

[CharlieFrown]

what confuses most people is the statement Linux is fast & lightweight. It might be true when you refer to working with console. However, when it comes to handling video files you will probably encounter issues with video acceleration, which will result in slow, jerky performance.

 

[wobegong]

what confuses most people is the statement Linux is fast & lightweight. It might be true when you refer to working with console. However, when it comes to handling video files you will probably encounter issues with video acceleration, which will result in slow, jerky performance.

Very true, nothing will make your CPU miraculously performant all of a sudden. Lightweight linux desktops are fast because they are 'lightweight' (you could read this as less functional...) and this is a good thing as it does allow you to use a modern secure OS with your old hardware BUT when it comes to CPU intensive tasks (eg. Video encoding etc) it will be as slow as it is on any OS... PPC Linux is really useless for games so if you play don't bother and stick with OSX but for work it certainly does make for an interesting proposition.

 

[pcfast]

You'd be surprised what you can do with Puppy Linux.

 

[jrsx]

Ok, I got my IDE to USB cord in the mail today! I went right to work backing up, and in 20 mins, I have a full Macintosh HD backup! Now I can mess around with my HD partitions all I want without being scared of data loss.
Of course, PPC macs have a hard time booting USB HDs, but it can be done, according to Tom Vilsack's thread on this forum.

 

[Javelin Dan]

jrsx - Sorry I was of no help. Good luck, and keep plugging away!


pcfast - I agree that Puppy is an amazing distro, although very different (and sometimes vexing) from any other Linux flavor. Unfortunately, no version of Puppy for powerpc. I personally asked the devs to port one and I got an abrubt "Don't look for that to happen!" Best to leave sleeping dogs lay...

 

[Intell]

I'm curious as to where the mentality that PowerPC Macs either can't or have have a hard time of booting from a USB device came from. I have never had any problems booting nearly every model of a PowerPC Mac via USB through the 10+ years they've been able to.

 

[jrsx]

I'm curious as to where the mentality that PowerPC Macs either can't or have have a hard time of booting from a USB device came from. I have never had any problems booting nearly every model of a PowerPC Mac via USB through the 10+ years they've been able to.

My iBook just hates booting from USB. No matter what USB stick I try, it doesn't work. Now, my external HD doesn't, either.

 

[Javelin Dan]

I could never get either one of my G-4's (emac and Graphite Sawtooth) to boot from USB either. When I researched how to try I looked on the "Mac Users" part of the Ubuntu forum and definately got the impression it was very hit or miss.

 

[pcfast]

USB for me is iffy too.

 

[jrsx]

Wow, that was unexpected. I installed Linux MintPPC 11 on my iBook (took about 2 hours with my slow internet connection!) just for fun. It's basically Debian with LXDE and Mint icons, so essentially Lubuntu with a slightly different shell. There's one more difference, and that is on Lubuntu not much works. Sound, Wireless fidelity, etc. On MintPPC, EVERYTHING worked. Literally EVERYTHING. Wifi, Ethernet, BT, fans, the works. If anybody else is looking for PPC Linux, this is the flavor you will want to pick. I've also heard plenty of good things about Yellow Dog Linux, especially since it runs natively on PPC and most RISC architectures, but I have yet to try it.

 

[2984839]

Wow, that was unexpected. I installed Linux MintPPC 11 on my iBook (took about 2 hours with my slow internet connection!) just for fun. It's basically Debian with LXDE and Mint icons, so essentially Lubuntu with a slightly different shell. There's one more difference, and that is on Lubuntu not much works. Sound, Wireless fidelity, etc. On MintPPC, EVERYTHING worked. Literally EVERYTHING. Wifi, Ethernet, BT, fans, the works. If anybody else is looking for PPC Linux, this is the flavor you will want to pick. I've also heard plenty of good things about Yellow Dog Linux, especially since it runs natively on PPC and most RISC architectures, but I have yet to try it.

Glad to hear it's working. Other than Arch Linux, Mint is my favorite Linux distro and the one I recommend whenever asked. It is far superior to anything else out there in terms of usability out of the box, and you benefit from the very large Debian support base without the bloat of Ubuntu.

 

[jrsx]

Hold on-I spoke too soon. One thing doesn't work - sound. I have read about a work around but I'm to lazy to do it now!

 

[ihuman:D]

Debian + LXDE is a lot different than Lubuntu...

 

[jrsx]

Debian + LXDE is a lot different than Lubuntu...

In case you didn't know, Ubuntu is based off of Debian. And also, Lubuntu is quite obviously based off of Ubuntu, it just adds the LXDE interface and a few different apps. Therefor, Lubuntu basically equals Debian + 'buntu + LXDE.