Problem installing Lubuntu 16.04 LTS on eMac G4 1.42GHz model.

[bunnspecial]

Fedora Server 26 is a modern (July 2017) PPC64 release for G5, POWER8, POWER9, etc. I haven’t tried yet, but it should be possible to add the workstation packages for a complete desktop environment, I just don’t expect to find much in terms of Mac-specific technical support when things don’t work.

POWER still has some presence in the HPC/research computing market, and I suspect that this is the motivation for the Fedora folks continuing to compile for it.

I'd still guess that the writing is on the wall for 970 support, as age wise it's about like supporting early C2D processors.

Macs still remain unique in using Open Firmware, and not all historic OSs that run on the POWER architecture will run on Macs. Windows NT is a good example.

 

[Dronecatcher]

MintPPC (when it was still a thing) used to come with a post install script that used to tidy up and add all the extras on installation.
I just think it defeats the object, to release a distro - that many see as a means of breathing life into old hardware and therefore spreading the ethos of Linux and then by omission of a few extra lines of code, shutting out a substantial number of potential users who aren't computer nerds.

Someone tries to re-use old hardware>tries to install Linux>doesn't work>goes out buys new Windows/Mac>avoids Linux>cycle repeats....

 

[LinuxUser]

Thanks to everyone for the help, I'll update you guys once I obtain Leopard on a disc. This is a lot of information to take in at the moment. But I have reviewed it, and will acquire your assistance if I run into any problems, thanks again.

 

[backyardvoodoo]

I don’t think there was an intention to offend anyone. Of course we all know that PowerPC Linux contributors are few and far between and any support is better than none.

Fortunately, PowerPC as a platform is not limited to only 12+ year old Macs, so I can imagine support for Linux/PPC will continue on in some form or another. Regardless of Debian’s official PPC finish line and the ripple down effect for Ubuntu/Lubuntu, Linux/PPC aficionados will continue to build and hack away at the OS.

Fedora Server 26 is a modern (July 2017) PPC64 release for G5, POWER8, POWER9, etc. I haven’t tried yet, but it should be possible to add the workstation packages for a complete desktop environment, I just don’t expect to find much in terms of Mac-specific technical support when things don’t work.

With Linux, it comes down to the user’s nous and commitment to make it work in some form or another. If the end user wants an easy “It just works” solution then Linux (especially for PPC) is not the best choice.

It’s really not that it has been intentionally designed to be difficult, it’s more that the designers are often limited in scope to working with only technically minded users and not often considerate of anyone with less experience.

This is why Windows and Mac are always going to be more popular. They are massively funded to be designed for ease of use. In most cases, the end user can click their way through a task such as installing software or setting up hardware without any understanding of what’s going on at a lower level.

Often, the simplest “easy to use” software designs are the most thoroughly thought through, extensively focus group tested and massively $$$ expensive processes. It’s this expense that indie / open-source programmers can’t afford.

This could explain the typical entry level requirement for Linux.

Linux on PPC, x86 and, for instance, ARM are very different experience. A typical Intel installation is a breeze these days with all hardware auto-detected and ready to go. Couple this with a GNOME or a MATE desktop and you've got an ergonomic resource-efficient environment.

Linux on PPC on the other hand is stuck in 2006 with video driver, sound card and power management issues - it's exactly what we had on x86 back then!

Where all Linux flavors fall behind though in terms of being accessible to the end user is software installation - downloading a piece of software off the Internet is still a challenge given packaging format differences, glibc and library versions. This is finally getting solved with FlatPak though.

 

[z970]

Thanks to everyone for the help, I'll update you guys once I obtain Leopard on a disc. This is a lot of information to take in at the moment. But I have reviewed it, and will acquire your assistance if I run into any problems, thanks again.

Any time, my friend. We are always open.