I would ignore the upgrade requests. This 12.04 remix is systemd-less and tweaked for good performance. Updating will probably break something since I shoehorned newer software in.
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Lubuntu 16.04 Remix (updated)
- Thread starter wicknix
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Ok, after some time trying to boot on linux using my iMac G4 800 (2002 model) with the humble NVidia geforce4 MX I found how get the X working....
1) boot usb1/disk@1:,\\yaboot (no big deal)
2)
3) wait "blind" for some time (the screen will be frozen but it's booting)
4) Press Enter key once (blind)
5) type 'modprobe nvidiafb mode_option=1024x768-16' (blind)
6) now you'll see the console 🍻
7) Ctrl key + D
8) startx
9) Finally there!
1) boot usb1/disk@1:,\\yaboot (no big deal)
2)
Code:
live video=offb:off nomodeset single4) Press Enter key once (blind)
5) type 'modprobe nvidiafb mode_option=1024x768-16' (blind)
6) now you'll see the console 🍻
7) Ctrl key + D
8) startx
9) Finally there!
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Nice. Let us know how it goes. If 16 remix feels slow on 800mhz, give 12 remix or macbuntu a shot. They will be a bit lighter.
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Mine is the 15'' model, so goes up to 1024x768. You will have to try...
Also, I was able to install 12.04 but with 8bit video for now.
After install you have to
1) sudo vi /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-framebuffer.conf
And comment (#) the nvidiafb line
2) sudo vi /etc/yaboot.conf
And remove "single" from the append line
3) sudo ybin -v
To update yaboot
Now I'm working on "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-monitor.conf" to have color depth to 16. And also struggling with AirPort that list all my wifi networks but can't connect to my open network that I'm able to connect using OS9...
Once in a while gnome-network-manager can be stubborn. If you can connect to ethernet, try installing and using wicd-gtk and see if that fixes the wifi issue.
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I tried both the 12.04 remix and the 16.04 remix on my PowerBook G4 12" 1.33GHz. The 12.04 remix absolutely flies on this PowerBook, but I kept having graphics issues that I didn't have in 16.04 (mainly tearing, lower parts of windows and apps not showing correctly, and display elements missing on the bottom half of the screen). I found a xorg.conf file for the NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5200 in the iMac G5 and dropped it in /etc/X11 (you can create your own or you can copy it by opening the /etc/X11 folder as root under the Tools menu), but it initially broke my system and would only boot without a GUI, so I tweaked the xorg.conf parameters a bit for the PowerBook and managed to restore the GUI and fix all the issues I was having with the 12.04 remix (it also looks like this preserves GPU acceleration). I attached the xorg.conf file I used below. Hope it helps anyone else running into the same issues with the 5200.
Glad you figured it out, and thanks for sharing the xorg.conf. Yeah. 12.04 remix is quite snappy on older hardware. No systemd, and I rebuilt a lot of software with some better optimizations. If you really want to see it zip along, toss it on a dual 2ghz G5 like I did. 
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Glad you figured it out, and thanks for sharing the xorg.conf. Yeah. 12.04 remix is quite snappy on older hardware. No systemd, and I rebuilt a lot of software with some better optimizations. If you really want to see it zip along, toss it on a dual 2ghz G5 like I did.
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Thanks for this! I was actually really surprised at how much difference GPU hardware acceleration makes under 12.04 compared to Mac OS X. I have a 1.67 PowerBook with every optimization I could find for TFF and IceWeaselPPC, and this slower PowerBook (1.33) is significantly faster under 12.04 in pretty much every way. Scrolling is buttery smooth in some sites that aren't too script heavy (something I hadn't seen on this PowerBook, well, ever), and I'm just running stock InterWeb without any custom optimizations and with only ηMatrix installed.
It's amazing how bloated everything got OS-wise over time. Period correct kernels, libraries, toolkits etc make a huge difference. Anyway, enjoy. It really does give new life to these old machines when it comes to web related stuff.
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I tried out 16.04 on my new-to-me PMG4 MDD, and apparently it absolutely hates my Radeon 9000 Pro. It works for a bit, the screen flickers, and then locks up. I have yet to try 12.04, and I'm hoping it doesn't have the same problems.
With 12.04, there's some good news, and some bad news, when it comes to trying to get it running on my MDD. The live disk worked flawlessly, and it was just all so fast. Well worth installing, without a doubt. But in using the installer after deleting a partition to make space, not only did yaboot not show, but it managed to break both OS 9.2, which installing linux always seems to do for some reason, and OS 10.5, which is new. I'm actually feeling pretty lucky the system still boots into 10.4. I'm not done trying, I want to see Lubuntu running on this thing, but this is definitely a bit of a setback.
Not sure if it helps you at all, but here's how i set up my triple boot machines. OSX on partition 1, Ubuntu on partition 2, Void (or Debian etc) on partition 3, swap on partition 4. When installing Linux i have yaboot/grub install to the partition the OS resides on. This way they dont wipe out or modify the default OSX boot loader (or a previously configured yaboot). OSX boots by default, or just hold 'option' key to select any other OS to boot. Yeah, its a tad tedious to wait the few extra seconds, but it works flawlessly this way for me.
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UPDATE:
Sadly, trying to get Linux to run on my G5 Quad has caused me to retire this machine as useless. The nvidia 6600 simply won't work at all.. Tried, Noveau script and it still is not showing anything, but a BLACK SCREEN.. and thus I am retiring this machine.. Good news, my TI G4 1ghz is running Ubuntu like a charm.. no issues..
Sadly, trying to get Linux to run on my G5 Quad has caused me to retire this machine as useless. The nvidia 6600 simply won't work at all.. Tried, Noveau script and it still is not showing anything, but a BLACK SCREEN.. and thus I am retiring this machine.. Good news, my TI G4 1ghz is running Ubuntu like a charm.. no issues..
@Macbookprodude My DC G5 works pretty well in 10.4.11 with TenFourFox + foxPEP. What did you want to do in Linux that can't be done in OS X, besides be more updated?
Exactly, be more updated.. migrate from OS X Leopard, though I have opened my bank account website on it many times and nothing has happened.. though I am behind 5 firewalls. The Quad G5 simply will not work with the NVIDIA 6600 256MB.. I have tried everything and i get a black screen..
Linux anything on PPC machines is an exercise in frustration at best, and a fruitless time sink at worst. I have 2 beautiful Powermac G5's sitting in the corner of my office that haven't been turned on in roughly a year, because the lack of software support renders them virtually useless. Buy an old Core 2 Duo shitbox for a few bucks, and install Debian stable. You'll be very happy.
Let's be real, my trying to get linux on my G4 MDD isn't about getting performance. I just want this OS 9 capable system to be able to do as much as possible. Also, yaboot wouldn't hurt, since I do use a kvm switch, and it doesn't play nice with Apple's boot key commands.
I spent quite a bit of time messing around with my G5 Quad to get it to work. The only graphics card that will work is the FX4500 (I tried all available cards). Please see post #219 on page 9 of this topic for more information and you can backtrack a couple of pages to see the whole adventure.
Don't lose hope!
Joe
I spent quite a bit of time messing around with my G5 Quad to get it to work. The only graphics card that will work is the FX4500 (I tried all available cards). Please see post #219 on page 9 of this topic for more information and you can backtrack a couple of pages to see the whole adventure.
Don't lose hope!
Joe
So, the noveau script does not work with the nvidia 6600 ?
No, the script didn't work for either the 7800GT or 6600LE cards. I didn't spend a lot of time playing around the other cards once I got the FX4400 to work. I also didn't spend much time with the Radeon 1900XT (PPC version) card, there might be a way forward there.
Joe
Then the Quad will be retired also.. Useless junk since I can't get Ubuntu or any linux or BSD installed on it.
I read this with sadness.
So I assume we have no hero / madman running Linux on eMac here?
I ask for a friend that wouldn't like to lose a month fighting against windmills...
@ltpitt It is possible, but it's not an out of the box thing. I stand by the sentiment that it is a pain.
However, @wicknix has recently posted of someone documenting a way to get it working (I refuse to post Facebook links).
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However, @wicknix has recently posted of someone documenting a way to get it working (I refuse to post Facebook links).
eMac surprisingly usable as a daily driver
Give this a shot for linux. Seems quite a few people have had luck with his hack on their emacs. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ppclinux/permalink/437344776940132/ Cheers
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