Getting ubuntu linux up and running on a powerpc mac low. Sites like macintosh repository helped me fill out the parts of my install that were important and even essential. Here are a few tips about a power mac g4 power supply. The guys at terrasoft have done a lot of work in taking out much of the pain of getting linux running on a mac. How to install linux mint on a powerpc mac youtube. But we now live in a far more civilized ageone where macs and amigas can walk together, handinhand, along the. Motorola and freescales proper name of this family of processors is powerpc 74xx macintosh computers. Please correct me if im wrong, but im assuming theres no point upgrading the processor to bring such an old desktop up to speed, and that the project will involve replacing the. A lot had been said lately about running linux on powerpc and it reminds me a lot about the argument of pcs vs mac. But then i learned about powerpc and how difficult it is in 2017 to find a distro that will support it. May 21, 2001 built on mac os xs incredibly stable and robust foundation, mac os x server has the power of unix, yet is simple and easy to install, administer and maintain, said philip schiller, apples vice president of worldwide product marketing. I have been given a power mac g4 and the guy who had it deleted the operating system. I do remember a similar but slightly different utility for the mac which uses the underlying unix based functions of mac os x to force your mac to focus on a chosen app, ignoring or pausing all other background tasks.
All apple power macintosh systems up to and including the g4 use processors. The only powerpc macs that can use a 64bit operating system are g5 imacs and power macs. Solved what linux distribution is best for a power mac g5. Ill go into the parts in a second, but i should make it clear that, for the average person, this is completely impractical. Companies such as dell and hp attempt to steal the design that makes the macbook pro what it is. Apple has applied this name to various though closely related processor models from freescale, a former part of motorola.
How to run old software and games on your mac techradar. Nov 18, 20 hello everyone, i recently picked up an old power mac g4 and would like to use it to build a linux machine. Ive been trying older versions but havent had any luck. Any reason why i should be concerned about using it with my firepod and ardour. Some of my research indicates that maybe debian will support ppc better. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Revive your old mac g3, g4, or g5 with linux ghacks tech.
Macfixer mac software library a growing compendium of early mac system, utility and game installers the internet archive the grand attic of the internet adds software to its collection. Apple makes mac os x the default operating system on all. Sep 30, 2016 installing linux to a 16 year old mac powerpc g4. If your stick is in the right side of the machine, then you need to do this. I have been told that i would need the original os, which they thought was os9 and then upgrade from that. Last week i bought a power mac g4 and apple cinema display.
If youre planning on running the treasures of the past youll find here on real old macintosh hardware from the 90s, you sirmadame, deserve to win an internet. Handbrake is an opensource, gpllicensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder, available for mac os x, linux and windows. The last of the g4 towers, this model was originally introduced in 2002, briefly evolved into an os xonly configuration with firewire 800 in 2003, then returned to the original design for another year. Below youll find links to the isos on the main ubuntu server, as well as, help on finding mirrors. Long ago, mac fans and commodore amiga fans fought like mortal blood enemies. Samtygier ubuntu works great on my ti powerbook g4. I wont go into the finer details of partitioning the disk, since.
Apple power mac g4 quicksilver, singledual 733mhz1ghz g4, 200102 apple power mac g4 mirror, singledual 11. The ppc archive team ourselves has a variety of machines, ranging from imac g3s, blue and whites, ibooks, powerbooks, and g5 systems. Most powerpc isos are in a ports directory, but for others e. There is a whole learning curve going to a different operating system and using primarily free open source software that may have the power of commercial apps but you need to figure out how to access it. Our software is opensource, written by power mac users and maintained by power mac users, incorporating our custom new powerpconly features plus the latest bug fixes, security improvements and all the powerful technology underlying mozilla firefox. The power mac g4 series is capable of running windows through emulation using a program like microsoft virtual pc 7, but it cannot boot windows or run. Apple power mac g4 yellow dog linux fixstars solutions. That said, i used my imac g5 as a daily driver until august 2018 with adelie, and i found it more than okay. Finding old mac software was a mixture of easy and difficult. If you are unable to gain an image during install, try a different model of monitor. The powerpc version of ubuntu, which is communitysupported rather than officially supported, should run on your mac that has a g4 processor.
I come to this thread after about 3 weeks of trying many linux distros on a power mac g4 m8493 quicksilver. Using the list of official cd mirrors and a bit of ingenuity traversing the mirror directory structures for example, click on the parent directory or link you can probably find more mirrors that contain powerpc releases. Which power mac g4 models can only run macos 9 applications in the classic environment. Questions ranging from what airport capabilities are provided by the power mac g4 models. Installing ubuntu linux powerpc on an imac g4 krazy kens. What version of the macos is preinstalled on the power mac g4 which power mac g4 models can boot macos 9. Running linux on an apple power mac g41999 in 2020 youtube. I had previously used linux mint on an dell xp box with ease, and so expected no trouble with this project. The last of the g4 towers, this model was originally introduced in 2002, briefly evolved into an os xonly configuration with firewire 800 in 2003, then returned to. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided. Everything ive read suggests that installing morphos on a g4 mac mini is the easiest route.
It doesnt matter if its an ancient powerbook g4 or a slightly more recent model of macbook. The linux server i run my entire business on is, in fact, one of many virtualized servers running on a much larger piece of hardware. Running an old version of osx leopard in 20 just doesnt make sense. The amount i paid, all in, for my project, which included shipping costs and some more parts, including a power adapter that is proprietary to the mac mini prior to its 2010 redesign. Built around the powerpc g4 series of microprocessors, the power mac g4 was marketed by apple as the first personal supercomputers, reaching speeds of 4 to 20 gigaflops. Ever considered linux as an alternative to your aging os x version. I feel really happy and i get twitteremail of people all over the place trying to get into the powerpc scene. Indeed, their slogan is linux for human beings, and i dont think ive ever. In this video, we will take a look at installing linux mint on a powerbook g4. I am wondering if anyone has installed linux on a similar machine, i would like to know more before i try it. Some monitors do not function with the latest shipping version of this product. Revive your old mac g3, g4, or g5 with linux ghacks tech news.
There are some differences between the powerpc version of ubuntu and the versions of ubuntu for officially supported architectures. Several other 32bit implementations have since been released, including the 603, 604, 750 g3, 7400 g4 and the powerquicc embedded communications processors. Sep 21, 2016 why is the software centre or update manager so slow. It would be nice if you managed to show that the xorg. If i am trying to whip a dead horse here, then i would like to know that, as well, before i spend any time on the linux conversion.
Put the usb stick into your mac and press the power button while holding down command. A platinum sanctuary for old software of the classic mac os era. The power mac g4 series is capable of running windows through emulation using a program like microsoft virtual pc 7, but it cannot boot windows or run windows via virtualization like the intelbased macs. I used to think it was because the software centre was just slow on old machines, but ive found it actually works really well when the aptxapianindex package is not installed. No offense to the other guys, but sometimes i wonder if some of the other distros can spell ppc, let alone run on it. If you need a system capable of running windows, you would be best served with an intelbased mac or a windows pc. Improves classic application compatibility in mac os x and delivers updated support for macintosh systems that are based on the powerpc g3 or g4 processor. Jun 10, 2009 revive your old mac g3, g4, or g5 with linux. Ive got ubuntu running on a dual 533 powermac and it runs a lot faster and more efficiently than os x tiger. Also take a look at yellow dog linux, its a linux distribution specifically for powerpcbased macs. In last weeks column, i outlined the requirements for setting up a useful and fast powerpc ppc linux desktop, and im going to start with what i consider the best of the bunch ubuntu linux has done some of the best work in the open source community at making linux palatable for the average end user.
If you are booting linux then use,\\yaboot, but if you are booting a mac os use,\\tbxi. Dualprocessor and dualcore power mac g5s are competent performers, and the faster dualprocessor power mac g4 machines are solid workhorses as well with decent amounts of power. Otherwise, i would like to receive some advice on what linux distribution would be best for this application. Necromantic tricks to bring longforgotten software back from the grave with this guide on how to run old software and games on your mac. On top of that i had the whole of the linux catalog of software at my disposal. Feb 10, 20 do you want to breathe life back into your old powerbook or powerpc machine. There is a ton of software out there in the linux world. My main worries will be about hdd throughput, as that seems to be the only place i run into problems with my linux box. Feb 19, 2019 its bizarre to think about, but the mac ecosystem has influenced a lot about the way we use computers, in part because of all these software tools that can be used to this day on a g4 mac mini.
Mar, 2006 also take a look at yellow dog linux, its a linux distribution specifically for powerpcbased macs. Which linux operating system has a wide range of software and tools like. He chooses to install it on a vintage imac g4, and get it on the network, but. I suppose power usage would be higher if you are running your g5 247. Hi all, fyi i have a powermac g4 dual proccessor with mirror drive doors. Getting ubuntu linux up and running on a powerpc mac. I wouldnt want to use a power mac below 800 mhz or so with tiger or leopard, but dual 733 mhz or faster cpus work well enough. It makes installing morphos relatively painless if you call overwriting a perfectly good mac os x. Ive heard good things about mint for powerpc fast and slick linux for ppc computers id. If youre really ambitious it might be fun to see if you can get mac on linux running.
I would like to convert the power mac g5 to a linux file server, if that is practical. Yellowdog offers a distribution of linux that is largely. Reinstalling mac os 9 on a powermac g4 mdd the vintage mac. Have a mac os x installer disk handy for emergency boot. Lubuntu does not use the ubuntu software centre by default. Getting the revival on for your powerpc mac running linux what you need to get started depends on what type of optical drive you have in your g4 or g5based powerbook or mac. Mac os x requires a minimum of 128mb of memory and is designed to run on the following apple products. Please correct me if im wrong, but im assuming theres no point upgrading the processor to bring such an old desktop up to speed, and that the project will involve replacing the motherboard and most of the other components. In this tutorial ill show how you can put ubuntu linux on a powerbook g4 and resurrect one of these durable old laptops from the dead. Jan 29, 2019 i actually used to run ppc linux in production many, many years ago, but ive never installed it since on anything newer than a titanium g4. Me photoshopping screenshots of some of the apps i used on this thing. Powerpc g4 is a designation used by apple computer and eyetech to describe a fourth generation of 32bit powerpc microprocessors. Dec 18, 2015 ever considered linux as an alternative to your aging os x version.
I was able to revive that powerpc mac running linux. Amazon links are powered by the amazon associates program. Take a test run and see what your power mac g4 can do. If you need a system capable of running windows, you would be best served with an intelbased mac or a. I have 1ghz g4 imac set up with a mac os x partition and a linux partition. Some people defend their favorite os to death and theyre so passionate that its hard to talk about it without offending someone.
So this machine is, thanks to ubuntu, a wonder of free software almost execlusively. The ppc archive team ourselves has a variety of machines, ranging from imac g3s, blue and whites, ibooks. I am a powerpc user, and i am always hunting for linux distros. The installation process, including partitioning, and installation, look run pretty well, but when i boot my computer, is not anything like grub where i could select the operative system betwen osx and ubuntu. Do you want to breathe life back into your old powerbook or powerpc machine. This will make installation a lot easier, as the linux installer will partition and format the free space automatically you dont really want to configure your root, swap, and. Revive a powerpc mac running linux the mac observer. Rom files for various older mac models are available for download though, so you dont need to go through the rigmarole of copying off the system. There are pretty much 2 ways, you can either use mac os x 10. Thats our guess of what still has the most ground in the powerpc world.
All apple power macintosh systems up to and including the g4 use processors supported by this kernel. All of these design terms were the same during the powerpc era of time. If youre wed to mac software, linux probably isnt going to be on our daily driver mac. For others, theres sheepshaver, a powerpc emulator capable of running mac os 9. Once it boots up, which could take some time, simply follow the instructions to get your powerpc mac up and running using linux. Quite a few people still have power mac g5s kicking around, and quite a few people have imac g3s around as well. The power mac g4 is a series of personal computers designed, manufactured, and sold by apple computer, inc. Most systems use this kernel flavour, which supports the powerpc 601, 603, 604, 740, 750, and 7400 processors. I actually used to run ppc linux in production many, many years ago, but ive never installed it since on anything newer than a titanium g4. What is the newest and lightest linux version i can run on a.