PowerBook G4 OS Install

[macpro5]

Hi, I have a PowerBook G4 1Ghz 17”. I am trying to install either Linux Adelie and/or OSX Sorbet Leopard. After finding an iso for both, I tried using Carbon Copy Cloner and disk utility to create a startup dvd, but the PowerBook won’t recognize either OS install disk.

 

[barbu]

how did you burn them? Ccc is not appropriate unless you want to clone the installer to a partition on the PowerBook. This works, it’s kind of like the restore partition new Macs have. Otherwise, make sure your burn settings are for CD/DVD Master and it should work.

 

[Amethyst1]

There's no iso for Sorbet Leopard. It's a pre-installed disk image that needs to be restored to a hard drive partition. It won't boot from a DVD.

 

[theMarble]

How I install Sorbet Leopard on old Macs is:

1. Download the Sorbet DMG from Macintosh Garden
2. Either remove the drive you desire to install Sorbet on and connect it through a USB adapter, or boot the computer into Target Disk mode and hook up a FireWire cable to your modern Mac.
3. Set Source to the Sorbet DMG, target to the hard drive.
4. Put the drive back into the old Mac or reboot out of TDM.
5. Enjoy your new Sorbet install!

 

[macpro5]

Ok, I managed to get it to boot a Linux Adelie USB. After it goes through its script, it ends in a black screen with a cursor. I left it booting for 20 minutes, but it still didn’t fully boot?

 

[wicknix]

Adelie's GPU support seems very limited.
I was only able to get the Mate version to boot on 1 out of 3 G5's (KDE/LXQT versions failed to boot), and none booted on 3 different powerbooks (12"/15"/17").
You're probably better off trying known working distros.
Both my 12" and 17" powerbooks run void linux without issue.
There's also debian 11/sid, ubuntu 12/16, and arch linux that you could try.
Don't forget the BSD's either.
OpenBSD, NetBSD, and FreeBSD.

 

[macpro5]

I’ve been working on this for about a week straight now. Adelie will boot from a USB but won’t install a GUI, various versions of Debian and Ubuntu will boot but display text in very small unreadable letters, I can type “install” but they both reply with various install errors, MintPPC has a glitch in the download link, and I’d rather not pay for MorphOS. I’ve tried multiple usb drives and dvd’s but nothing seems to work!

 

[wicknix]

Well, maybe give VoidPPC a shot. It's working on my 17" powerbook. Same specs as yours. See attached image. I honestly hadn't tried any others on this machine, except openbsd, and that worked fine as well.

 

[macpro5]

The font is too small to read, the letters are a blurred blob in Debian, Ubuntu, and VoidPPC, are there any ways to change font size or display scaling?

 

[macpro5]

Ok, I tried booting through GRUB instead of Yaboot and it has been working so far, but the installer seems to be stuck on “Removing temporary packages from target”.