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Void Linux for PowerPC

wicknix said:
This method should work, but i can't promise anything. Boot a live linux cd/dvd (void/ubuntu/adelie/etc) and use dd to create an .img of your entire drive (/dev/sda). This will make an exact copy, bootloader, partition layout, etc. Don't worry about partitions unless you have other OS's on the same drive. If you do then this process gets a bit more involved and is above my knowledge (unless you want those OS's on the second ibook as well). Copy the newly created .img to a usb stick. Boot the other ibook using a live linux cd/dvd and dd the usb.img to it's internal drive. If it is successful and boots use gparted to resize your / partition if your cloned ibook has a bigger HD to reclaim unused space.

Cheers
Click to expand...
For those in a similar situation, I only found my Finnix live iso which is basically booting to a root shell and very lean.

blkid to see all partitions
in my case

/dev/sda is the disk containing all Void partitions
/dev/sdb3 was a 128Gb ext4 partition on a USB stick which will hold the image

mount -t ext4 -rw /dev/sdb3 /mnt

Luckily Finnix has pv installed in it's live ISO so I can use it to follow the progress of dd.
27 Gb drive seems to take approx 25-30 minutes to clone to an image file.

Use DD with caution , it will wipe everything without warning !!!

pv -tpreb /dev/sda | dd of=/mnt/void.img bs=1M conv=noerror

To restore on the new iBook

/dev/sda is the disk on the new iBook
/dev/sdb3 was a 128Gb ext4 partition on a USB stick which holds the cloned image

mount -t ext4 -rw /dev/sdb3 /mnt

Use DD with caution , it will wipe everything without warning !!!

pv -tpreb /mnt/void.img| dd of=/dev/sda bs=1M conv=noerror

And tadaah after 30 minutes of backing up and 30 minutes of restoring the image, I'm now booted on my other iBook into Void.
 
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Las tic - off topic I know, but wot do you think of finnix.
it seems like a starting point for building a system to me
 
mortlocli said:
Las tic - off topic I know, but wot do you think of finnix.
it seems like a starting point for building a system to me
Click to expand...
I never used it actively , from it's roots it was meant to be a rescue OS, something simple to boot quickly for system and network admins in order to troubleshoot or fix issues.
As such the Live ISO doesn't have any DesktopEnvironment, it will drop you into a shell and that's it, out of the box it does have a nice set of handy tools pre-installed.

I don't think the original author (not the ones who ported it to PPC) intended to have a full blown Live distro , from what I can tell the original author also dropped ppc32 support quite a while ago.
But other users here might have another opinion.
 
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Ta Lastic.
I know Id had a look at it in the past sometime..and found it very much as you describe... thanks for refreshing my memory.
Might take another look at it.. had forgotten bout that one.
 
Tipps for Void PPC

To allow the user system access via the sudo command, you need to edit the file "/etc/sudoers" with "visudo". Uncomment this line: # %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL.

Lets anybody in the wheel group run anything as any user.

/etc/sudoers:

Void-with-Voc-shellquiz-sudoers.png

Configuring automount with autofs on Void PPC:

autofs-on-Void-PPC.png

You can also provide automount via autofs for a user:

Autofs_user_rw_mount_Void_PPC.png

Instructions for accessing of partitions without password for Void PPC

vi /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.UDisks2.policy

Please change the following policies

Code: 
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-mount-system">
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-fstab">
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-unmount-others">

from

Code: 
<allow_active>auth_admin_keep</allow_active>

to

Code: 
<allow_active>yes</allow_active>

Polkit-for-user-mount-on-Void-PPC.png

A simple script for adding users:

Useradd_Void_PPC.png

OpenSSH Public User Key Authentication:

Open-SSH-Public-User-Key-Authentication.png
 
xeno74 said:
Tipps for Void PPC

To allow the user system access via the sudo command, you need to edit the file "/etc/sudoers" with "visudo". Uncomment this line: # %wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL.

Lets anybody in the wheel group run anything as any user.

/etc/sudoers:

View attachment 1917950

Configuring automount with autofs on Void PPC:

View attachment 1917955

You can also provide automount via autofs for a user:

View attachment 1917958

Instructions for accessing of partitions without password for Void PPC

vi /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/org.freedesktop.UDisks2.policy

Please change the following policies

Code: 
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-mount-system">
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-fstab">
<action id="org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-unmount-others">

from

Code: 
<allow_active>auth_admin_keep</allow_active>

to

Code: 
<allow_active>yes</allow_active>

View attachment 1917959

A simple script for adding users:

View attachment 1917960

OpenSSH Public User Key Authentication:

View attachment 1917961
Click to expand...
Looks like your Void is a VM. can you tell me what host system is it?
 
xeno74 said:
Eolie

Jacadcaps (MorphOS) and Daniel Kolesa (Void PPC Linux) have fixed the JavaScript BE regressions and have added some big endian patches to WebKitGTK. The Linux WebKit web browser with all these big endian changes is called Eolie and is available for Void PPC Linux. This browser is very fast and can also display javascript-intensiv web sites.

Screenshot of Eolie on the A-EON AmigaOne X1000:

View attachment 1826358
Click to expand...
Where can one download Eolie for Void PPC Linux ?
 
It's in Void's repository. Just issue: sudo xbps-install -S eolie to install it. However, it isn't very fast or stable on 32-bit powerpc. For other webkit based browsers i'd recommend otter-browser or qutebrowser for general browsing instead.

If you haven't already, i'd also recommend installing octoxbps. It's a graphical package manager that can be used to search out software you might be looking for.

pb12-void-octoxbps.png
 
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wicknix said:
It's in Void's repository. Just issue: sudo xbps-install -S eolie to install it. However, it isn't very fast or stable on 32-bit powerpc. For other webkit based browsers i'd recommend otter-browser or qutebrowser for general browsing instead.

If you haven't already, i'd also recommend installing octoxbps. It's a graphical package manager that can be used to search out software you might be looking for.

View attachment 1918839
Click to expand...
You are right, eolie was very slow. I tried otterbrowser briefly, but it crashed on several sites for me.

Thank you for the tip about octoxbps!

Arcticfox is working fine for me on all sites i've tested it on so far, and it's relative "fast".
 
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I have a problem to run Mate on VoidPPC 32 (iMac G4 1,25 Ghz). IceWM and XFCE are running without problems but on Mate i get pixel trash. I also can't start with a 5.13.19 kernel because i get a black screen on xorg (System infos in screenshot 2).

Ideas to fix it?


image2.jpeg

image0.jpeg
 
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So, @wicknix, having had epic failures installing distros such as, Lubuntu, MacBuntu, Debian, and others on my G4 ppc, 867Mhz, 1GB Ram, on it’s own HD, using an Nvidia GeForce4 MX GPU, I thought I’d try Void Using the Live distro.

The first issue I ran into was, of course, the display:
F3B1B2C6-916F-4EC5-AE9E-5549C83917CF.jpeg


This goes away and I get a usable interface when I modify the boot kernel with “nomodeset” on the line starting with “linux”.

I was able to walk through the installation, ran some updates as recommended at voidlinux-ppc.org, and even installed Xorg (with xf86-video-nouveau), Lightdm and LXDE using instructions from this forum. The screen you see above is a reboot following the installation, install and upgrade steps without modifying the boot kernel.

I’m guessing I’m missing a step. I would like to, from the Grub screen, select a boot kernel, and boot to a useable graphic desktop environment. I’m only on about page 4 of this forum and will continue reading to see if my problem has presented itself to someone else.

Understand that booting to a usable desktop environment has been the single most issue when it comes to this G4 and most linux distros. I have loaded and booted Edgy and YDL 6.2 without issue, everything else has fought me tooth and nail to get to a usable desktop.

I am not against modifying the boot kernel every time if it gets me to a graphical user interface. But I’m thinking I’m missing a critical step that I haven’t been able to identify from the Void documents I’ve read so far.

Any help. Would be appreciated. Call me greedy, but I would love to be able to boast that I have an “old” computer that boots, Linux, OS9.2,OSX Leopard and OSX Tiger.

Thanks in advance,
MacMaverick855
 
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MacMaverick855 said:
So, @wicknix, having had epic failures installing distros such as, Lubuntu, MacBuntu, Debian, and others on my G4 ppc, 867Mhz, 1GB Ram, on it’s own HD, using an Nvidia GeForce4 MX GPU, I thought I’d try Void Using the Live distro.

The first issue I ran into was, of course, the display:View attachment 1921521

This goes away and I get a usable interface when I modify the boot kernel with “nomodeset” on the line starting with “linux”.

I was able to walk through the installation, ran some updates as recommended at voidlinux-ppc.org, and even installed Xorg (with xf86-video-nouveau), Lightdm and LXDE using instructions from this forum. The screen you see above is a reboot following the installation, install and upgrade steps without modifying the boot kernel.

I’m guessing I’m missing a step. I would like to, from the Grub screen, select a boot kernel, and boot to a useable graphic desktop environment. I’m only on about page 4 of this forum and will continue reading to see if my problem has presented itself to someone else.

Understand that booting to a usable desktop environment has been the single most issue when it comes to this G4 and most linux distros. I have loaded and booted Edgy and YDL 6.2 without issue, everything else has fought me tooth and nail to get to a usable desktop.

I am not against modifying the boot kernel every time if it gets me to a graphical user interface. But I’m thinking I’m missing a critical step that I haven’t been able to identify from the Void documents I’ve read so far.

Any help. Would be appreciated. Call me greedy, but I would love to be able to boast that I have an “old” computer that boots, Linux, OS9.2,OSX Leopard and OSX Tiger.

Thanks in advance,
MacMaverick855
Click to expand...

Test
Code: 
splash quiet

This has worked to start the live DVD on my iMac G4.
 
No joy @TzunamiOSX, understand that the screen above is a login screen smushed 3X across the screen. Entering “nomodeset” will present the same screen,but in a very clear, easy to read display. What is shown is the log in screen. I currently can only use the “root” user name to login, but that’s a problem for later. ”splash quiet” resulted in the exact same display as above.

There has to be some installation or command I have missed that results in the screen booting to the textual log in screen instead of a Lightdm login.

Is there some command I should or could enter after logging in as root that would take me to a graphical display?

I do have several Kernels to chose from at the Grub screen, but have currently only tried the earliest (4.14) as I understand the older ppcs don’t like the newer kernels.

Thanks for the feedback @TzunamiOSX

MacMav
 
After trying @TzunamiOSX suggestion, I logged back in using nomodeset on the 4.14. Kernel. I decided to start throwing some commands from the # prompt starting with “startX”. This is what came back:
8C09CB6F-E8DB-4C38-B0D8-4E57CBA3CC87.jpeg

It looks like I’ll be heading the Xorg wiki to see if I can troubleshoot this further.
MacMav
 
After performing a clean install of Void, I performed an update, and can get to here entering “nomodeset” into the 4.4-126 kernel:
DA2E37BA-5DE7-4A87-921E-E37CC2E8F918.jpeg

I can’t login under my related user name, yet, and would like to install Wayland, MATE, and IceWM. For what ever reason the ISO of VoidLive I used never provided an opportunity for me to load a Desktop Environment. I tried to use xbps-install to install MATE (and other DEs) but was greeted with “not in repository pool”.

I figure I have a couple choices, find a Void Live ISO with a DE already provided, or get some help on what exactly I need (and can) do to load the above packages.

@wicknix , @TzunamiOSX , Your assistance would be deeply appreciated.
MacMav855
 
Check the Keyboard Layout when login. Maybe it is the wrong one.

I can say. It would be better to install XFCE4 or IceWM first, because I have problems to run Mate under 3 Nvidia Cards (GeForce FX 5200 in iMac G4, FX 5200 Ultra and 7800 GS in a G5)

X86 user reporting the same with old GeForce cards. Older versions of Mate are running well.

You can add ShadowFB to your xorg to test.

forums.macrumors.com

Void Linux for PowerPC

Perhaps this will help (same look on my on my 6800 Ultra and 7800 GS without) xbps-install nano (if not installed) sudo mkdir -p /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/20-nouveau.conf Add this and save it: Section "Device" Identifier "NVIDIA" Driver "nouveau" Option...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

Wayland does not work on my G5 (only a short test)
 
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@TzunamiOSX , that’s all well in good assuming I don’t get the “not in repository pool” error. The bigger issue is with entering “nomodeset” into the kernel on boot up instead of booting into a graphical DM. I’m new enough at this that now I’m not even certain if the ISO I booted from even has a flavor, or DM and even if it is a base install there should be a way to load a server (Xorg or Wayland) a desktop environment (IceWM or XFCE4) and a desktop manager (lightDM) and, on reboot, have it boot to a graphical interface.
 
3811C4D2-3984-4A31-87AB-9295B236D79F.jpeg
@wicknix , as it turns out, I did just that. Being paranoid, I added “nomodeset” to the boot Kernel and upon startup received a message that a root file system couldn’t be found and, some message about dracut and the final message being “will not continue” and a flashing cursor. I went to shut down the computer by pushing the power off button and more verbiage popped up and it took me to a dracut# shell. It was late so I shut down the computer and will try again later. The next attempt I will boot the 4.4-126 kernel without modifying the boot kernel to see if that makes a difference.

A terrible picture of what the screen showed is above:
Thanks,
MacMav
 
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