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Lubuntu 16.04 Remix (updated)

Yeah, an uphill battle. You should be able to see the drives partitions / paths via gparted. The issue is that in order to update yaboot (which also resides on its own partiton) you must run sudo ybin -v to update yaboot on said separate partition. The yaboot.conf you're editing is the one that gets copied to the boot partition when you run ybin -v. The firewire connection is more than likely "in the way" of it doing just that. So you may actually have the correct paths edited in, but they aren't being copied over to the right place. It's a lot of work, but you "could" boot the live disk again, then chroot in to the installed system. Make edits from within the chroot and run ybin -v from within the chroot. That's about the only way i can think of to that might work.

The installed system should have 3 or 4 partitons. Here's an example from my mini.
/dev/sda1 unknown (a few kb)
/dev/sda2 hfs bootstrap (houses yaboot and its config to boot)
/dev/sda3 ext4 / (root filesystem with the OS on it / also houses yaboot and config, but not used to boot)
/dev/sda4 linux-swap

So in /etc/yaboot.conf knowing these, you can get rid of the OF style drive ID's and use /dev instead
boot="/dev/sda2"
partition=3
root="/dev/sda3"

Hope this helps.
 
Doh. Why didn't we think of that earlier. You can absolutely boot from usb. Just dd the remix iso and boot from that to install.
 
I'm posting from inside MacBuntu Remix.

Thanks for your help. Definitely going to write up some thoughts at some point.
 
wicknix said:
You can do that 2 ways. First when it boots where it says boot: type: Linux nomodeset
Second, to make it permanent: edit /etc/yaboot.conf and add nomodeset to the "append" line (which will probably have other parameters listed also), save, then open a terminal and type: sudo ybin -v to update yaboot.
More info here: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#Configure_graphics

Cheers
Click to expand...
i get this when i type: Linux nomodeset
IMG_1748.jpg
 
Woo! Glad to hear it. Hopefully it gives that old mini a new lease on life.
(replying from my powerbook g4 using macbuntu) 🙂

Edit: Don't forget to check out the readme.txt on the iso. It has some tips and tricks.
Cheers
[automerge]1589422587[/automerge]
@TzunamiOSX: you need to use a capitol L. Linux nomodeset

Cheers
 
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@wicknix - I took the plunge and installed Macbuntu on my DLSD, and this is absolutely impressive! It is legit fast - hard to say without a side by side comparison, but it may even be quicker than Leopard. Awesome work!
I do have a couple of questions (sorry if I missed them being answered earlier in this thread):
  1. Is there any way to swap the direction of 2-finger scrolling? I'm used to the modern OSX direction, so I could get used to inverted but it'd be awesome if I could swap it.
  2. Is there a way to swap keyboard shortcuts to use CMD instead of CTRL?
  3. How can I check if 2D acceleration is working? I'm suspicious that it is not, as I get tearing when dragging a window.
Thank you again for all your awesome work!
 
@dbdjre0143 : Nice. Hope you'll enjoy it. For 1) i don't know if this will work, but try this in a terminal:
Code: 
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad natural-scroll true
(if it still scrolls reversed try false)
For 2) You can edit (as root user) /etc/default/mouseemu at the 4th line and change it to "-right 125 272" and save. It might require a reboot to take effect.
For 3) In terminal type: glxgears If the FPS output is 50fps or higher your 2d is working. You can also type: inxi -G to display your gfx driver being used. Sometimes with 3d enabled you may get weird artifacts. If that's the case we may need to change your boot parameters (easy fix).

@TzunamiOSX : To boot manually (not letting it boot by itself) you need to use a capitol L in the word linux. Your picture shows lowercase linux. You want to type Linux. Example boot prompt:
Code: 
boot: Linux nomodeset
Or do you have more than 1 linux install on the machine? It's possible the name changed. For instance on my dual boot install Ubuntu12 is labeled "Linux", while Debian is labeled "Debian-Linux". Check /etc/yaboot.conf and see what label= says.

yabootconf.png


Cheers
 
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wicknix said:
@dbdjre0143 : Nice. Hope you'll enjoy it. For 1) i don't know if this will work, but try this in a terminal:
Code: 
gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad natural-scroll true
(if it still scrolls reversed try false)
For 2) You can edit (as root user) /etc/default/mouseemu at the 4th line and change it to "-right 125 272" and save. It might require a reboot to take effect.
For 3) In terminal type: glxgears If the FPS output is 50fps or higher your 2d is working. You can also type: inxi -G to display your gfx driver being used. Sometimes with 3d enabled you may get weird artifacts. If that's the case we may need to change your boot parameters (easy fix).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply @wicknix! I'll reply to each one numerically to try to keep things organized.

1) I tried what you said, and that setting doesn't appear to be available. Perhaps there's a package I need to install, or one of the other settings will give you a clue?
Code: 
danieldavis@Powerbook:~$ gsettings set org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad natural-scroll true                                                           
No such schema 'org.gnome.settings-daemon.peripherals.touchpad'
danieldavis@Powerbook:~$ gsettings list-schemas
org.gnome.system-tools.users
org.gnome.system.proxy.https
org.gnome.crypto.pgp
com.ubuntu.update-manager
org.gnome.desktop.wm.preferences
org.gnome.gnumeric.searchreplace
org.gnome.FileRoller.Listing
org.gnome.gnumeric
org.gnome.FileRoller
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.gui.screen
org.gnome.desktop.a11y.magnifier
org.gnome.system.smb
org.gnome.desktop.thumbnail-cache
org.gnome.crypto.cache
org.gnome.desktop.a11y.mouse
org.gnome.Evince
org.gnome.desktop.interface
org.gnome.gnumeric.plugin.latex
org.gnome.desktop.media-handling
org.gnome.system.locale
org.gnome.system.proxy.ftp
org.gnome.gnumeric.plugins
org.gnome.nautilus.preferences
org.gnome.gnumeric.undo
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.sort.dialog
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.gui.editing
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.gui
org.gnome.desktop.default-applications.office.tasks
org.gnome.gnumeric.plugin.glpk
org.gtk.Demo
org.gnome.gnumeric.functionselector
org.gnome.FileRoller.General
org.gnome.system.dns_sd
org.gnome.nautilus.sidebar-panels
org.gnome.desktop.lockdown
org.gnome.gnumeric.cut-and-paste
org.gnome.nautilus.list-view
org.gnome.system.proxy.http
org.gnome.SimpleScan
org.gnome.desktop.session
apps.gnome-mplayer.preferences
org.gnome.gnumeric.plugin.lpsolve
org.gnome.system.proxy.socks
org.gnome.desktop.default-applications.office
org.gnome.gnumeric.printsetup
org.gnome.desktop.screensaver
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.sort.default
org.gnome.nautilus.icon-view
org.gnome.gnumeric.plugin
org.gnome.FileRoller.Dialogs.Extract
org.gnome.desktop.default-applications.office.calendar
org.gnome.FileRoller.Dialogs.BatchAdd
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.sort
org.gnome.gnumeric.autoformat
org.gnome.desktop.sound
org.gnome.nautilus
org.gnome.desktop.default-applications.terminal
org.gnome.desktop.a11y.keyboard
org.gnome.Evince.Default
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.gui.toolbars
org.gnome.nautilus.sidebar-panels.tree
org.gnome.desktop.wm.keybindings
org.gnome.system.proxy
com.ubuntu.update-notifier
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.gui.window
org.gnome.desktop.a11y.applications
org.gnome.gnumeric.autocorrect
org.gnome.nautilus.compact-view
apps.gecko-mediaplayer.preferences
org.gnome.desktop.thumbnailers
org.gnome.nautilus.desktop
org.gnome.FileRoller.Dialogs.Add
org.gnome.gnumeric.stf.export
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.defaultfont
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.file.save
org.gnome.nautilus.window-state
org.freedesktop.gstreamer-0.10.default-elements
org.gnome.Charmap
org.gnome.desktop.background
org.gnome.FileRoller.UI
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.file
org.gnome.Charmap.WindowState
org.gnome.gnumeric.stf
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.workbook
org.gnome.desktop.default-applications
org.gnome.gnumeric.core
org.gnome.gnumeric.dialogs.rs
org.gnome.FileRoller.Dialogs
org.gnome.gnome-screenshot
org.gnome.FileRoller.Dialogs.LastOutput
org.gnome.gnumeric.core.xml

2) That didn't seem to have any effect, even after rebooting. Just judging by the contents of that config, it seems that is right-click emulation? Where would I expect to see a difference after making that change? For example, in AF now, I still need to use Ctrl-C & Ctrl-V to copy-paste, as opposed to CMD.

3) Thanks for confirming about glxgears, I mistakenly thought that it was testing 3D, rather than 2D. I am indeed getting a little over 50 FPS there. I'm not currently using any additional yaboot params for booting, so just wanted to confirm whether this looks right to you for the driver info:
Code: 
danieldavis@Powerbook:~$ inxi -G
Graphics:  Device-1: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] RV350/M10 [Mobility Radeon 9600 PRO Turbo] driver: radeonfb v: N/A
           Display: server: X.Org 1.11.3 driver: ati,radeon unloaded: fbdev resolution: 1440x960~60Hz
           OpenGL: renderer: Rasterizer v: 2.1 Mesa 8.0.4

Also, in playing around more I have a couple more questions....sorry....

4) I've noticed that when I close the lid, the computer does seem to sleep properly, but when I reopen it, it wakes up for a second, just long enough for things to appear on screen, then goes immediately back to sleep. If I then press the power button, it will wake back up and allow me to type in my password. Is this a known/expected quirk or might I have something configured wrong?

5) Via conky, after I initially installed/updated, I could observe that the frequency scaling was working, as frequently when I wasn't actively using it, the CPU frequency value would drop to half. However, now that doesn't seem to be happening. I haven't intentionally changed anything that would affect that, but (just a hypothesis) maybe when I tweaked my power preferences for battery/AC, I may have messed something up? Is there a way I can check if it is working and/or re-enable it? To check it, I've just left it sitting idling at the desktop for a few mins, which I would expect to cause it to scale down, but it never did.

Thanks again for all your help! I know you've said in the past that you'd rather not take donations, but if you have changed your stance on that, I'd love to send you a few bucks for your efforts. 🙂
 
Looks like 1) has everything but the kitchen sink. Bummer. Was worth a shot. I'm not aware of another way to reverse the touchpad scroll. There may still be a way with enough duckdukgo-ing. 😉

2) Ah sorry. I thought you meant for right click. For system wide changes that probably requires something like xbindkeys or xloadkeys. Nothing i'm familiar with, but should point you in the right direction for searching the web.

3) The inxi -G output confirms 2d is working using software rasterizer and the radeon framebuffer driver. Myself and @Dronecatcher prefer this driver for much better video playback. However if the tearing (i've not seen this on my mini, pb, or g5) is bad, we may need to try enabling the 3d driver and see if that works better on your system. Let me know if the tearing is bothersome and i'll walk you through it.

4/5) I don't see that on my PB, so it might be machine related. You can however (if you havent already) install the updated 3.13 kernel i included on the iso, which does have much better freq scaling than the stock kernel (stock kernel never scaled on my PB).

Cheers
 
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So, my mini-project tonight... and failed at this point... was to figure out a way to stream my G4 MacBuntu desktop to Twitch. Has anyone done this? Unfortunately, libx264 is not connected to FFMPEG for some reason. I was able to install it, but FFMPEG can't find it yet. I'll do more looking at that, but then ultimately, as I messed with the various options, I get an INPUT/OUTPUT error from Twitch.

Here is what I was starting with, and really, I think the version of FFMPEG you compiled will get the job done. I'd love to stream a G4 Mac mini to Twitch for some reason, just to show off.

 
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Interesting idea. I'm going to look in to that. You've probably noticed i made a script to "view" twitch streams included with my remixes, but i never thought about streaming 'to' twitch on a ppc machine.

Cheers
 
wicknix said:
Interesting idea. I'm going to look in to that. You've probably noticed i made a script to "view" twitch streams included with my remixes, but i never thought about streaming 'to' twitch on a ppc machine.

Cheers
Click to expand...

I found a scattering of posts suggesting that FFMPEG needs to be configured knowing where libx264 is. Something like:

./configure --enable-gpl --enable-nonfree --enable-version3 --enable-libx264 --enable-libfdk-aac (etc...)

I got libx264 by getting libavcodex-extras-53.
 
@TzunamiOSX : Yes. Harmless text. Another init script loads them further in to the boot process.

@NathanJHill : Yep, looks like i missed x264/h264 for encoding (decoding its there). If you feel froggy, ffmpeg didn't take too long to build. The time consuming part was installing all the -dev files. Attached below are all the codecs / encoders / decoders available in this build.

Cheers
 

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Ok, can someone assist me with getting Linux, any distro to run on the G5 Quad - I will use Ubuntu to describe problem - so I boot into the distro and I get a black screen with no graphics or splash screen at all once the text goes away - could it be the video card as its an nvidia 256mb 6600 - is there a special instruction to get the boot loader to recognize the card and provide a splash screen ? This only happens on the G5, G4 PowerBook has no issues, probably because its a radeon chip.
 
Macbookprodude said:
Still is there a way to get to the splash screen ? Once there I can install Ubuntu or any distro.. just this graphics problem is the issue., probably because its nvidia.
Click to expand...

I have the same card, and it's worked with every Linux I've thrown at it - nary a hiccup. I've never had to deal with the issue you're experiencing now.

Hence, I tend to believe @wicknix's suggestion that a cable plugged into the wrong port will only give a black screen. So it then stands to reason that simply swapping outputs is at least worth a try before we proceed any further without having all the information.
 
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