Ubuntu Remix on a PowerMac G5 in 2020 (Video)

[wicknix]

Sorry for the 480p quality. I need a better phone and/or camera. Anyway, here is a quick video of ubuntu 12 remix on one of my powermacs. All videos were played in 720p (except youtube which i have defaulted to 360p/480p), Twitch was streamed at 720p as well. Browser used was SpiderWeb as its a nice fit with performance between Arctic Fox and InterWeb. Only a hosts file to block ads was used. No script blockers, no adblock addons, no tweaked prefs files, just raw stock browser. My powerbook G4 1.67 runs just as fast, i just have to dial video playback/streams down to 480p max to not spike the cpu to 100%.

Edit: My custom FrankenLinux wallpaper is available attached below. I thought it fit the bill perfectly for this project.

Cheers

 

[Dronecatcher]

Any chance of doing similar on your Powerbook? Afterall, a Dual G5 is expected to be fast - even my G5 iMac used to play 1080P

 

[wicknix]

Yeah I could probably do another one of these days. I was thinking of using my slowest machine, which is my 1.5ghz Mac Mini. It's be that happy medium between low spec g4s and low spec g5s.

Cheers

 

[Dronecatcher]

Do you know whether Lubuntu activates the frequency scaling on the DLSD? On OSX it becomes hard to gauge performance when you don't know what CPU speed the meter is showing a percentage of.

 

[wicknix]

On 16 yes, on 12 not with the stock kernel no. When I built 4.19.113 for my G5 I enabled it. I plan on building that latest 3.x (still supported yet) for 32bit one of these days as 3.x has working suspend/resume.

Cheers

 

[wicknix]

@Dronecatcher : Here you go. I tried to mimic the G5 video. Used the same top gun 720p .mp4 just to show its possible (with 97% cpu use, but it plays almost flawlessly with my rebuilt mplayer), used the same youtube top gun trailer, same twitch gamers stream @360p (can do 480p at 85% cpu), and visited roughly the same websites with SpiderWeb. Specs: MacMini G4 1.5ghz, 1gb ram, with original 40gb hard disk.

Cheers

 

[Dronecatcher]

That's great performance

 

[Dronecatcher]

Do you use the exact same setup on your DLSD? Everytime I try the 12 live disk I run into trouble with Interweb hanging/crashing plus the trackpad is still wonky. Can't get Mplayer to associate permanently with videos either. Is it a case that a full install is needed and then careful streamlining (as in OSX?)

 

[sparty411]

Do you use the exact same setup on your DLSD? Everytime I try the 12 live disk I run into trouble with Interweb hanging/crashing plus the trackpad is still wonky. Can't get Mplayer to associate permanently with videos either. Is it a case that a full install is needed and then careful streamlining (as in OSX?)

I've never been able to get the trackpad on my DLSD to work properly in Linux. I've seen people blame this on the fact that it is a USB device, rather than ADB. Doesn't make any sense. I have plenty of other laptops with USB trackpads that work just fine in Linux.

 

[wicknix]

Yep, pretty much the same setup on the PB. For trackpad, yeah it isn't perfect, but if you drop it's speed in keyboard and mouse prefs that helps, then in mousemu's config you can enable the 'disable trackpad while typing' option which helps a lot.

A full install works much better. The live disk doesn't have all the extra updates installed, so some things don't work as expected. Once installed and updates applied with a few extra tweaks this is what you get.

To associate mplayer, right click on an mp4, choose properties, then choose to manually enter program to open with, type in /usr/bin/mplayer and check the box that asks to use this every time for this file type.

As for interweb, I noticed the Cisco h264 plugin wants to install (it's Intel only), make sure to disable it as it does cause hangs.

Cheers

 

[Dronecatcher]

To associate mplayer, right click on an mp4, choose properties, then choose to manually enter program to open with, type in /usr/bin/mplayer and check the box that asks to use this every time for this file type.

Yes, that's what I always use but it never sticks - from memory there usually a field to type in a name for your new association but it's not there...again maybe somehow only works with a full install?

 

[wicknix]

Entirely possible. Hard to say, but i'm using it on an installed system w/out issue with mplayer associated. Also i just noticed i forgot to add mouseemu in 12 remix. It's in 16 remix though. Doh! Once installed apt-get install mouseemu, then edit /etc/default/mouseemu and uncomment the last line "TYPING_BLOCK" to disable trackpad while typing. I'll make sure to add that package and have it preconfigured in v4 when i feel its ready. Still rebuilding a bunch of stuff for it yet. Latest addition will be new Scribus.

Cheers

 

[dextructor]

@Dronecatcher : Here you go. I tried to mimic the G5 video. Used the same top gun 720p .mp4 just to show its possible (with 97% cpu use, but it plays almost flawlessly with my rebuilt mplayer)

Hi @wicknix

I'm trying to achieve some good performance on my A1139 on VoidLinux and I'm still amazed with your mplayer but I can't come close to it even on resolution or FPS. There's any magic sauce on your mplayer build or config files that you could share some knowledge? Thanks!

 

[wicknix]

I think it just boils down to 12.04 being more lightweight. Older xorg, older mesa, etc. My 1.67ghz PowerBook struggles at 480p on void while it can do 720p no problem in 12.04. Cpu use is extremely high during video playback in void also. Some times newer isn't always better. Probably why I installed both, and triple boot leopard, 12.04 remix, and void on it.

Cheers

 

[Macbookprodude]

G5 is now retired since nvidia 6600 256 could not activate Noveau to get it to pass splash screen. Officially retired.

 

[dextructor]

I think it just boils down to 12.04 being more lightweight. Older xorg, older mesa, etc. My 1.67ghz PowerBook struggles at 480p on void while it can do 720p no problem in 12.04. Cpu use is extremely high during video playback in void also. Some times newer isn't always better. Probably why I installed both, and triple boot leopard, 12.04 remix, and void on it.

Cheers

As a tech guy it's hard to me to learn this "new isn't always better" but in the last couple of years I've been trying to adjust more towards it and it's have being fun process. Because of my DAC that I'll buy only works with Leopard (on the documentation description) and RetroArch for some emulators otherwise I would use Tiger for my PowerMac's and Linux for the rest of the works.