My iBook is slowly borking itself to death...

[VirtuallyInsane]

My 1.42 GHz iBook G4 decided that it doesn't want to play ball with Linux, and it doesn't want to actually run Lubuntu 16.04 as an upgrade from 12.04 because it keeps freezing from the iso image when I try to install it, and Adelie, and OpenBSD have decided not to load properly on it either. I don't want to send it back to Mac OS Leopard if I can help it yet.

Any suggestions on how to breathe new life into this thing, or how to it make it so that it doesn't bork itself to death trying to load Linux on it? I have tried about five different disks, and even a Leopard installation and nothing is working. I tried an external DVD drive, and nothing. None of the files were corrupt. I don't know what to do from here.

 

[paardenkapper]

Maybe it's overheating or the memory is failing?
Are you using a hard drive or ide-sata-sdd?

 

[Amethyst1]

Yeah, what exact problems do you have? I'd start with Leopard since that should be the least troublesome OS. So what's happening in Leopard?

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

Maybe it's overheating or the memory is failing?
Are you using a hard drive or ide-sata-sdd?

HDD, 80 GB, and I really do not want to open it up or attempt to do that. The last time I tried that on another iBook, I couldn't physically do that.

Yeah, what exact problems do you have? I'd start with Leopard since that should be the least troublesome OS. So what's happening in Leopard?

When I try to load Leopard through a DVD (the DVD works and has burned, and I can confirm this on other Macs), the disk whirs a bit and it stays stuck on the Apple Loading Screen with the Apple Logo. It takes a long time to do anything.

Maybe I should try and burn a new copy of Leopard onto a disk and see what happens then. Or I can try to transfer Leopard onto it from my spare Firewire External Drive, but the DVD should work easily.

As for the others... Void Linux refuses to load the disk at all. I've tried many times to boot from the disk, and it has been left hanging at the CD boot screen and is very slow to load anything. It's not a problem with the slot-loading drive because Ubuntu 16.04 loads, but it is very sluggish when it gets going. Adelie Mate loads as well, and it kinda works, but not very well.

Feinix downloads and installs, but it doesn't let me onto it. It hangs on a black screen when it loads up. I tried Feinix 5 and the new one, 6. It can work on G4, theoretically and someone has gotten it to work for them.

It didn't even recognize OpenBSD's disk and spat it out, even when my DVD drive had said that it had burned it successfully on my Mojave iMac.

I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. I have installed Linux with no problem before, with the 12.04 Lubuntu, which is out of date and not letting me download an update or use this version properly. It was running fine before.

 

[Amethyst1]

When I try to load Leopard through a DVD (the DVD works and has burned, and I can confirm this on other Macs), the disk whirs a bit and it stays stuck on the Apple Loading Screen with the Apple Logo. It takes a long time to do anything.

Boot in verbose mode by holding [Command]-[V] immediately after it begins booting from the DVD. Any interesting messages?

 

[throAU]

With a machine this age it could be failing capacitors...either in the power supply or for voltage regulation on the board. hardware does eventually die.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

Update: It can still read disks, but it seems to not like DVD-R for some reason. DVD-RW is reading better than DVD-R, which is weird to me. It tried to install Tiger earlier and read the disk and it ran fine on DVD-RW. Maybe it just doesn't like DVD-R disks?

 

[mortlocli]

Update: It can still read disks, but it seems to not like DVD-R for some reason. DVD-RW is reading better than DVD-R, which is weird to me. It tried to install Tiger earlier and read the disk and it ran fine on DVD-RW. Maybe it just doesn't like DVD-R disks?

I find the cd/DVD drive on my iBook more reliable than those on both my iMacs.

Wondering though..wot is your intention for your iBook.??
I'm still exploring possibilities with mine ..but while tinkering with alternative OSs I'm thinking that maybe Shuriken or Sorbet may be the best option. Not so much as to be used as an 'online' computer but more as a way to access the software on Mac garden - Shuriken and leopard with the system 9 option.

I've been distracted from my iBook adventures this week or so..but when I get back to it, will continue tinkering with Fienix which is more just a curiosity at the moment - ie not working effectively.

My next explore after that is going to be T2 - SDE..which interestingly claims that it can be a basis for othe OSs ..and lists haiku as a possible ?! The documentation leaves lots to be desired but it remains a some wot unique PPC option. I'm curious to see how it goes as a cut down OS with a current web browser...an oddly enough one of the PPC downloads includes Firefox..and is labeled as such. Though the file size needs burning to a DVD and iBooks have a DVD reader - not a burner. Yeah - I know ..computing wasn't meant to be easy!? ..was it?

 

[TheShortTimer]

Update: It can still read disks, but it seems to not like DVD-R for some reason. DVD-RW is reading better than DVD-R, which is weird to me. It tried to install Tiger earlier and read the disk and it ran fine on DVD-RW. Maybe it just doesn't like DVD-R disks?

The lens could require cleaning or it might be time to replace the drive.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

I find the cd/DVD drive on my iBook more reliable than those on both my iMacs.

Interesting. The one on my Mac Mini '09 I got runs great, and so does the one on my iMac G5, and my iBook G4 12 inch. Maybe this one is just old.

Wondering though..wot is your intention for your iBook.??
I'm still exploring possibilities with mine ..but while tinkering with alternative OSs I'm thinking that maybe Shuriken or Sorbet may be the best option. Not so much as to be used as an 'online' computer but more as a way to access the software on Mac garden - Shuriken and leopard with the system 9 option.

I was planning on using it as a Linux machine, but it seems to want to go back to OS X Tiger, somehow. I would like to try Shuriken on it if it decides to play ball. If not, I always have my Powerbook G4 12-inch. But yes, accessing software sounds like a cool idea as well.

I have also always wanted a TiBook 1GHz to dual boot with Leopard and Mac OS 9, but that won't be for a long time. I'm not paying $200 for a half-broken, empty shell of a thing, or for something that's starting to rust. Collectible or not.

I've been distracted from my iBook adventures this week or so..but when I get back to it, will continue tinkering with Fienix which is more just a curiosity at the moment - ie not working effectively.

Yeah, life happens. I need to get into my PowerBook adventures, lol. I got a cheap one from Germany that needs a RAM bump, and a new Flash-IDE SSD installed into it. Apart from that, it seems to be working surprisingly well. The 17-inch needs an IDE change as well.

My next explore after that is going to be T2 - SDE..which interestingly claims that it can be a basis for othe OSs ..and lists haiku as a possible ?! The documentation leaves lots to be desired but it remains a some wot unique PPC option. I'm curious to see how it goes as a cut down OS with a current web browser...an oddly enough one of the PPC downloads includes Firefox..and is labeled as such. Though the file size needs burning to a DVD and iBooks have a DVD reader - not a burner. Yeah - I know ..computing wasn't meant to be easy!? ..was it?

Hasn't Haiku been like that for years? Sort of in limbo for PPC? That would be interesting to explore and pull off, it possible. And yes, Firefox past version 4? Interesting lol.

The lens could require cleaning or it might be time to replace the drive.

I did further testing, and I think that maybe the hard drive might be going (boo!). It boots alright off an external SSD, but when I try to copy that SSD to the HD inside of it, it freezes or tells me to restart. And the graphics are acting funny too. I am tempted to send this away to someone to open it up, lol. I want the big screen mostly for writing, to be honest. I have my iBook 12 inch and whilst it's portable, the screen isn't as big. I want the 4:3 aspect ratio.

I think I have been experimenting with it too much and it needs a break.

 

[mortlocli]

Sort of in limbo for PPC

yes..very much limbo for PPC..how ever recently it has had significant updates. Has appeal as a light weight operating system though.

 

[micahgartman]

Is FireWire Target Disk Mode an option?

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

yes..very much limbo for PPC..how ever recently it has had significant updates. Has appeal as a light weight operating system though.

I like that idea, a lightweight operating system.

Is FireWire Target Disk Mode an option?

I never thought of using that, actually. Good idea. I could put my iBook 12 inch into target disk mode and try transferring the stuff across on that. I'm only looking the OS and a few programs, not much on it.

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

Okay, it copied across thanks to target disk mode and I have let it cool down before restarting it, and ...

... computer says no! 😤

It went into a kernel panic. It told me to restart.

Maybe the HD is gone.

 

[Amethyst1]

What does the panic message say? Does it boot using the other’s iBook’s OS via Target Disk Mode?

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

What does the panic message say? Does it boot using the other’s iBook’s OS via Target Disk Mode?

It's just telling me to restart now, and the kernel message is away. I am just getting the restart message in Target Disk mode, loading from the PB 17" to the iBook. The Kernel message said something about 'holding' or something. I only got it once. The rest of the time it just told me to restart.

 

[Doq]

Try loading in verbose mode (hold <Cmd>V when the Apple logo appears).

e- If you're having trouble with the timing, you can also set this in openfirmware with setenv boot-args? " -v"

 

[VirtuallyInsane]

I left the iBork iBook for a week, and for some reason, it booted up into the copied across Leopard, and it was working. It was a bit slow (HDD) but not freaking out? And it was running off battery also. But then it froze, and I rebooted it. And then the 'no hard drive' crap started flashing across it, and I can't physically open those 🤣 (even trying to follow a guide, it's useless for me). I guess it's gonna have to suffer and wait for a while.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I did a PWM reset and it rebooted fine, and the apps work on it now. It falls asleep, and the fans aren't kicking in. Let's see how long this lasts.