Any PPC live CDs?

[PastaLover]

Hello all,

I want to run Linux on an underutilized PowerMac and I'd like to "test
drive" it before wiping the hard disk and installing.

Are there any distributions for PPC that are live CDs?

Thanks.

[Thorsten Gunkel]

Post by PastaLover
I want to run Linux on an underutilized PowerMac and I'd like to "test
drive" it before wiping the hard disk and installing.
Are there any distributions for PPC that are live CDs?

Ubuntu?

Post by PastaLover
Thanks.

regards
Thorsten

[linuxiac]

Post by Thorsten Gunkel

Post by PastaLover
I want to run Linux on an underutilized PowerMac and I'd like to "test
drive" it before wiping the hard disk and installing.
Are there any distributions for PPC that are live CDs?

Ubuntu?

Post by PastaLover
Thanks.

regards
Thorsten

Go to http://livecdlist.com and select PPC in the search criteria.

HUGE number of them!

[PastaLover]

Post by linuxiac

Post by Thorsten Gunkel

Post by PastaLover
I want to run Linux on an underutilized PowerMac and I'd like to
"test drive" it before wiping the hard disk and installing.
Are there any distributions for PPC that are live CDs?

Ubuntu?

Post by PastaLover
Thanks.

regards
Thorsten

Go to http://livecdlist.com and select PPC in the search criteria.
HUGE number of them!

Thanks to both of you.

I found Ubuntu, and burned a CD. But it didn't really work too well. The
file manager wouldn't start, and about half of the apps died during
launch with a bunch of different error codes.

This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't
had a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.

I'll check out the URL and explore some more.

[Alf]

Post by PastaLover

Post by linuxiac

Post by Thorsten Gunkel

Post by PastaLover
I want to run Linux on an underutilized PowerMac and I'd like to
"test drive" it before wiping the hard disk and installing.
Are there any distributions for PPC that are live CDs?

Ubuntu?

Post by PastaLover
Thanks.

regards
Thorsten

Go to http://livecdlist.com and select PPC in the search criteria.
HUGE number of them!

Thanks to both of you.
I found Ubuntu, and burned a CD. But it didn't really work too well. The
file manager wouldn't start, and about half of the apps died during
launch with a bunch of different error codes.
This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't
had a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.
I'll check out the URL and explore some more.

Just to let you know: on my tangerine iBook with 160 MB RAM, ubuntu 5.10
runs without probs. Even the live CD does work. 256 MB are definitly
enough to run a linux distribution.

Alf

[I R A Darth Aggie]

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:25:16 -0700,

+ This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
+ powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution.

That's adequate. Granted, you may want to run fluxbox instead of GNOME
or KDE. And more memory would be nice, but what you have should be
sufficient. Which PowerMac are you trying this on?

[PastaLover]

Post by I R A Darth Aggie
On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:25:16 -0700,

+ This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
+ powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution.

That's adequate. Granted, you may want to run fluxbox instead of GNOME
or KDE. And more memory would be nice, but what you have should be
sufficient. Which PowerMac are you trying this on?

It's a aluminum 12" PowerBook that's a couple years old.

[Jerry Heyman]

Post by I R A Darth Aggie
On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:25:16 -0700,

+ This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
+ powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution.

That's adequate. Granted, you may want to run fluxbox instead of GNOME
or KDE. And more memory would be nice, but what you have should be
sufficient. Which PowerMac are you trying this on?

I have an old world beige powermac 8500/90 (upgraded to a 225MHz PPC 603),
but can't figure out how to make it boot directly from CD. Any advice??
jerry

[I R A Darth Aggie]

On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:29:24 -0400,

+ I have an old world beige powermac 8500/90 (upgraded to a 225MHz PPC 603),
+ but can't figure out how to make it boot directly from CD. Any advice??

I take it that you've tried the "press the C key on the keyboard
during boot up"? does the machine ignore you, or does it at least
*try* to load the CD?

And there is ... variablity ... between CD drives and CD-R/RW media,
and that could be bitting you, too. I've had CD-RWs that would boot
many machines, but often enough I'll find a hardware set that
absolutely refuses to boot from that CD-RW that's know good.

Don't know if that's dust, alignment, firmware, or just a random act
of Dog.

[Jerry Heyman]

Post by I R A Darth Aggie
On Mon, 26 Jun 2006 20:29:24 -0400,

+ I have an old world beige powermac 8500/90 (upgraded to a 225MHz
PPC 603), but can't figure out how to make it boot directly from CD.
Any advice??

I take it that you've tried the "press the C key on the keyboard
during boot up"? does the machine ignore you, or does it at least
*try* to load the CD?

no - it doesn't even attempt to load it. I've been told by others
that 'old world' machines don't handle the C key during boot :-(

http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1167.html#Section5

Post by I R A Darth Aggie
And there is ... variablity ... between CD drives and CD-R/RW media,
and that could be bitting you, too. I've had CD-RWs that would boot
many machines, but often enough I'll find a hardware set that
absolutely refuses to boot from that CD-RW that's know good.
Don't know if that's dust, alignment, firmware, or just a random act
of Dog.

firmware :-( searching the web shows *lots* of work rounds that
you can install on Mac OS 9.x to then boot to Linux/MacX...

jerry

[Jens Ayton]

I've been meaning to get around to getting Linux working on my Rev B
iMac (G3/233, 192 MB RAM) and this thread provided the impetus. I’ve
burned an Xubuntu live CD, and the machine recognises it. However, after
the init messages run, the screen goes black with a caret in the top
corner for a few seconds, then the display switches off and the power
light turns amber. It appears to be loading for a while after this, but
no amount of key-whacking or mouse-twiddling will wake it.

When run with the live-nosplash option, the last init message says:
*Starting ppbuttonsd
ERROR: The file '/dev/pmu' could not be found. [fail]

...which suggests the OS is unaware of the machine's power management
features and thus is not explicitly putting it to sleep, and also has no
knowledge of how to stop it from sleeping.

The only thing I could think of was to switch off sleep and display
sleep from within Mac OS, but this had no effect. Any ideas to fix this,
or suggestions of live CDs that work on rev B iMacs?

[Jack Malmostoso]

Post by PastaLover
This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't had
a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.

A live cd is surely more RAM intensive than a full install, but 256megs
should be enough.
I would check carefully the hardware and the MD5SUM of the burned CD.

If you want to try a lighter livecd, try Xubuntu (same codebase of Ubuntu
but with a lighter desktop).

[Thorsten Gunkel]

Post by PastaLover

Post by Thorsten Gunkel
Ubuntu?

I found Ubuntu, and burned a CD. But it didn't really work too well. The
file manager wouldn't start, and about half of the apps died during
launch with a bunch of different error codes.
This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't
had a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.

If you have any partitions with rw access create a swapfile and test again.

regards
Thorsten

[linuxiac]

Post by Thorsten Gunkel

Post by PastaLover

Post by Thorsten Gunkel
Ubuntu?

I found Ubuntu, and burned a CD. But it didn't really work too well. The
file manager wouldn't start, and about half of the apps died during
launch with a bunch of different error codes.
This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't
had a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.

If you have any partitions with rw access create a swapfile and test again.
regards
Thorsten

When I have had a problem with any of my 90 Live CDroms on any of the
100 systems I tried this year, the problem has been that the CD burning
program I used (Ahead Nero, in an XP Pro system on an AMD 2.0 -1.667 Ghz
w/512Mb RAM) and also in K3B on PCLinux or Kubuntu, the same problem
seems to be at the root cause...

A CDrom that is to be read in different CD machines on different systems
needs to have al the blank space 'PADDED'! None of those burning
programs state it up front. The standards discuss the problem and
recommend the padding!

To create a LIVECD that is universally readable, you have to implement
the burn of any ISO with command line interface in a console, using pad
63s. THIS IS A CRITICAL FUNCTION to get CDs that are NOT coasters!!!

Here is the straight skinny:

http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/coasterless.htm

I personally know Steve Litt, and highly respect this technical writer
(major contributor to such books as SAM's "Unleashed" series on SAMBA,
and, other works in the SAM's line. Also, if ever in Central Florida,
visit the GOLUG http://golug.org

It would behoove you to get his latest work on troubleshooting! It will
organize some of the thinking about the process of tracking down any
problem.

I have some MacIntosh gear, dated and older, from a 6320CD up to a PPC
603 based 6500, and am studying to become Apple Certified as a tech.
So, with my ten years of Linux advocasy, I want to make these older
machines run in the more modern world, as OS7.5 to OS9 are aging.

My major goal is file compatability on my network...

[PastaLover]

Post by linuxiac

Post by Thorsten Gunkel

Post by PastaLover

Post by Thorsten Gunkel
Ubuntu?

I found Ubuntu, and burned a CD. But it didn't really work too well.
The file manager wouldn't start, and about half of the apps died
during launch with a bunch of different error codes.
This PowerMac only has 256 MB of RAM, so I'm guessing it just isn't
powerful enough to support a full-fledged Linux distribution. Haven't
had a chance yet to try it on my iBook with 512 MB.

If you have any partitions with rw access create a swapfile and test again.
regards
Thorsten

When I have had a problem with any of my 90 Live CDroms on any of the
100 systems I tried this year, the problem has been that the CD burning
program I used (Ahead Nero, in an XP Pro system on an AMD 2.0 -1.667 Ghz
w/512Mb RAM) and also in K3B on PCLinux or Kubuntu, the same problem
seems to be at the root cause...
A CDrom that is to be read in different CD machines on different systems
needs to have al the blank space 'PADDED'! None of those burning
programs state it up front. The standards discuss the problem and
recommend the padding!
To create a LIVECD that is universally readable, you have to implement
the burn of any ISO with command line interface in a console, using pad
63s. THIS IS A CRITICAL FUNCTION to get CDs that are NOT coasters!!!
http://www.troubleshooters.com/linux/coasterless.htm
I personally know Steve Litt, and highly respect this technical writer
(major contributor to such books as SAM's "Unleashed" series on SAMBA,
and, other works in the SAM's line. Also, if ever in Central Florida,
visit the GOLUG http://golug.org
It would behoove you to get his latest work on troubleshooting! It will
organize some of the thinking about the process of tracking down any
problem.
I have some MacIntosh gear, dated and older, from a 6320CD up to a PPC
603 based 6500, and am studying to become Apple Certified as a tech. So,
with my ten years of Linux advocasy, I want to make these older machines
run in the more modern world, as OS7.5 to OS9 are aging.
My major goal is file compatability on my network...

Thanks for the advice. This might very well be the issue. The PowerBook
seemed to read the CDROM excessively and got extremely hot.

I'll try burning the CD at work using a better CD burning program. The
one I used on my XP machine at home is pretty "idiot proof" and doesn't
give you the ability to set a lot of various options.