Even though most Linux users have treated Linux as an operating system for their x86 white boxes, Linux runs equally well on PowerPC machines. David Mertz, Ph.D. looks at Linux on the PowerPC and the appealing range of PPC machines produced by Apple, where the option of using Linux is of great value to many users. Update: IBM pushes Linux on Power processors.
Linux on Mac: a POWER programmer’s primer
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Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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Let’s not forget, Apple Mac is not the only platform to run PowerPC Linux. Pegasos and AmigaOne can do it too
Although I’m installing YellowDog as we speak on my iBook, another good PPC Linux distro is Crux Linux [http://crux.nu / http://crux-it.org].
-Ports system (no dep resolving though).
-Small ISO (<250MB-PPC, <200-x86) IIRC. Stripped Docs,
small but solid pkg base.
-No GUI Config (I prefer, some may not)
-De-Crufted =]
Its just based of the x86 version by Per Linden.
I just want to check out YellowDog since I’ve never used it before.
-adam.
I personally had sucess and fun running Gentoo on my iBook. Especially when the Gentoo developers entered the concept of GRP binary packages. I liked how it was clean cut: you pick either plain PPC, G3 or G4. With x86 there are a few more # of flavors.
I would sooner buy a Peagasos-II and run linux on that platform then defile my beutiful G4, OS-X 10.3 Powerbook with linux.
Where can you get ppc knoppix.
What does he mean by saying that debian was not ready for the ppc? Has this guy ever installed it on an x86? He should have said that debian ppc is not ready for newbies.
I don’t believe the author didn’t try gentoo. Isn’t gentoo the next viable option after Yellow Dog Linux? In many instances, I even prefer Gentoo over it. (Portage anyone?) Oh well!
For entertainment purposes, post a list of things that *do not* detect properly on the iBook.
You’d think that having such a limited hardware pool to draw from, YDL’d have that all sewn up…
It’s comercial developers who seem to have that conception. If a program is a binary only release, nine times out of ten it’s only going to be for x86.
As a veteran Debian user on x86, I will admit it took me a few times to get it to install properly on PPC. Once you understand what’s going on, however, it’s pretty easy. I will say, though, that mac-fdisk is quite possibly the ugliest partitioning tool next to NetBSD’s.
I don’t believe the author didn’t try gentoo. Isn’t gentoo the next viable option after Yellow Dog Linux? In many instances, I even prefer Gentoo over it. (Portage anyone?)
As for Gentoo, quit trolling. He was writing an article comparing distros, and didn’t have the three weeks (not exaggerating on a G3 or slow G4) or so it takes to build a working Gentoo system. If it works at all. I’ve found Gentoo to be horribly broken most of the time on PPC. On the PC (where they’re focused), it normally works okay, but the PPC side….it’s a risky deal. I suppose it goes along with having on QA for packages, since they’re all user-built.
Knoppix for PPC is called Knoppix-MiB.
mirrors knoppix-mib.org
ftp://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/knoppix-mib.org/
ftp://ftp.crihan.fr/mirrors/knoppix-mib.org/
There is also a knoppix-mib mailing list available (including archives):
http://mail.nongnu.org/mailman/listinfo/k-mib-ppc
A Knoppix for PPC project different from Knoppix-MiB is available here:
http://debian.tu-bs.de/knoppix/powerPC/
Regards, Walter.
I am also running Debian on my iBook G3 and everything works – airport (beware of the G4 models though, Broadcoms airport extreme cards are not supported b/c the company refuses to release specs), sleep, CPU speed (700 and 400 Mhz on the fly stepping, plus a nice deamon to change it on demand), screen dimming, battery charge status and what’s best MacOnLinux which lets you start OS X (or 9 or any other OS) run in parallel to Linux. Also kernel 2.6 of course
And opposed to hurdboy my very first install succeeded and is running still (which was also my very first debian install, x86 came after that wonderful experience
I’d really like to buy a G5 and put Debian on it as well. But since I also use my current x86 Linuxdesktop for some games yet 3D drivers/games for Linux/PPC are still rare this won’t happen too soon (at least Opera started offering their browser for Linux/PPC as well) – chicken/egg problem.