HOW TO: Get a desktop on your G3 iMac, if you only have command prompt.

[natgab]

This is what I did to fix my iMac* after installing Debian Lenny 5.03** on my G3 iMac and it booting to nothing but a command prompt (Scary!) Kind of long, but hope this helps other newbies like me get a desktop on their G3 iMac.

NOTE: Installation instructions I used are for Linux only on your Mac. My iMac is not dual boot.

Step 1

I burned the ISO CD of Debian Lenny, and followed the instructions in this Debian forum post by Oswald Kelso. This tells you how to burn the CD, and make sure it works ok and very thorough instructions on how to install Linux on your iMac.

http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=20481

If you have an older tray loading iMac like Oswald’s you might get a desktop with just this information. It has notes on how to edit a file called xorg.conf which has the computer video / monitor information if you do not get a desktop immediately.

Step 2

On my first boot, all I got was the command prompt. I then went back to Oswald’s post (step 1) to look at the steps to edit the xorg.conf information. I saw how he edited the file for his G4 eMac to get it to work properly. I also then searched and found two other threads with different xorg.conf files to test: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36188&p=210546&hilit=imac#p210546

Step 3

After reading and copying some of the information in the above thread, I tried booting again but only got as far as the log-in screen and it was very slow. The iMac would then take almost two minutes just for me to enter my username alone! So I found this thread and posted questions regarding not being able to get past the log-in screen: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1242108

Step 4

I also started my own thread with the information about the iMac freezing at log-in. Oswald Kelso posted two xorg.conf for me to test. With this information, I was able to get past the log-in screen (still slow) and get a corrupted version of the desktop. I was almost there! See photo in thread.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1273159

Step 5

Since I was now going past the log-in screen and getting a corrupted desktop, I knew my xorg.conf was almost fixed. I then got a post from B_Free in the thread in the previous step (step 3) about trying Ubuntu 5.10 Breezy Badger Live CD. He had good success with this version. He also mentioned that though it was an older edition, it had more prompts to specify what hardware you had.
http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/breezy/

http://old-releases.ubuntu.com/releases/kubuntu/5.10/

Step 6

I wanted to try the Breezy Badger CD, thinking that if it worked, I would just needed to update to the newest version of Ubuntu and have a working computer. So I wrote down the information in my current xorg.conf file from Lenny, which was producing a corrupted desktop. In case I went back to Lenny, I at least wanted to go back to where I had progressed.

Last step

I loaded the Breezy Badger CD on my iMac, installation worked without problems. Desktop was perfect, all the apps worked. BUT it never asked me to establish a root password during instillation. So I had no way to set my internet connection and update. I installed a second time in case I ignored it or messed up the install somehow. No luck.

So I decided to make use of the working xorg.conf in Breezy Badger and go back to Lenny with the corrupted desktop. After re-installing Lenny, and getting back to the corrupted desktop, I then proceeded to make use of the information I got from the working xorg.conf from Breezy Badger. I used the information to identify my exact video card model, in the format that allowed the OS to see it. Previously, it was listed as generic ATI video card. This is my working xorg.conf file in my iMac:

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf (xorg X Window System server configuration file)
#
# This file was generated by dexconf, the Debian X Configuration tool, using
# values from the debconf database.
#
# Edit this file with caution, and see the /etc/X11/xorg.conf manual page.
# (Type "man /etc/X11/xorg.conf" at the shell prompt.)
#
# This file is automatically updated on xserver-xorg package upgrades *only*
# if it has not been modified since the last upgrade of the xserver-xorg
# package.
#
# If you have edited this file but would like it to be automatically updated
# again, run the following command:
#* *sudo dpkg-reconfigure -phigh xserver-xorg

Section "Files"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/misc"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/cyrillic"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/100dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/75dpi/:unscaled"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/Type1"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/CID"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/100dpi"
FontPath "/usr/share/X11/fonts/75dpi"
# paths to defoma fonts
FontPath "/var/lib//defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/TruType"
FontPath "/var/lib//defoma/x-ttcidfont-conf.d/dirs/CID"


Section "Module"
Load "GLcore"
* *Load* *"i2c"
* *Load* *"bitmap"
* *Load* *"ddc"
* *Load* *"dri"
* *Load* *"extmod"
* *Load* *"freetype"
* *Load* *"glx"
* *Load* *"int10"
Load "type1"
* *Load* *"vbe"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
* *Identifier* *"Generic Keyboard"
* *Driver* ** *"kbd"
* *Option* ** *"XkbRules"* *"xorg"
* *Option* ** *"XkbModel"* *"pc104"
* *Option* ** *"XkbLayout"* "us"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
* *Identifier* *"Configured Mouse"
* *Driver* ** *"mouse"
EndSection

Section "Device"
* *Identifier* *"ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 PR/PRO (AGP TMDS)"
* *Driver* ** *"ati"
Option "UseFBDev" "true"
Option "AGPMode" "2"
Option "AGPFastWrite" "true"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
* *Identifier* *"Generic Monitor"
* *Option* ** *"DPMS"
# HorizSync 28-51
# VertRefresh 43-60
* *HorizSync 60-60
* *VertRefresh* *75-117
EndSection

Section "Screen"
* *Identifier* *"Default Screen"
* *Device* ** *"ATI Technologies, Inc. Rage 128 PR/PRO (AGP TMDS)"
* *Monitor* ** *"Generic Monitor"
* *DefaultDepth* *24
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *1
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *4
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *8
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *15
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *16
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
* *SubSection "Display"
* ** *Depth* ** *24
* ** *Modes* ** *"800x600" "640x480"
* *EndSubSection
EndSection

Section "ServerLayout"
* *Identifier* *"Default Layout"
* *Screen* ** *"Default Screen"
* *InputDevice* *"Generic Keyboard"
* *InputDevice* *"Configured Mouse"
EndSection

Section "DRI"
* *Mode* *0666
EndSection


Note: I cut & paste and I get those asterisk. Those are NOT part of the code. The Debian Forum let me cut & paste without the extra asterisks. :confused: Everything is spaced correctly, just don't enter the asterisk. Sorry.

This should work for several models of G3 iMac that have the 8MB ATI Rage Pro 2x AGP video card. These other iMac / iBooks may also be able to use this xorg.conf file successfully. I think the hardware (motherboard & video card) is almost identical to my iMac. CPU / RAM are all different.

iMac G3/400DV - fruit, G3/400/DV SE, G3 /350 - Summer 2000, G3/450DV+ and maybe iBook G3/466SE - clamshell, G3/500 - dual USB, G3/500 - late 2001, G3/600 - late 2001 Go here http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple to look for your Mac.


* NOTE: My iMac is a 400MHz, Indigo w/ Firewire and a 8MB ATI Rage Pro 2x AGP video card.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/stats/imac_400_indigo.html

** NOTE: I used Debian Lenny (Ubuntu’s parent Linux) because it seems to work better with my older G3 hardware. I have since tried Ubuntu 9.04 Jaunty Jackalope Live Disc on my G5 Power Mac and it worked perfect : )

[B_Free]

Thanks for explaining how you solved your problems. I wish some how this could be posted in a section for solutions. One day I went through the first 10 pages of these posts, and then the last 10 pages. The problems are the same. The people answering are the same. New problems, the same problems. It would be nice if a programmer would produce a GUI for the terminal for us old Mac people. Even though I was excited with my find of 5.10, I have yet to get a working operating system myself. Maybe this week.

[rjcalifornia]

wow.... nice job there!

however, I prefer the desktop install over network....

[natgab]

Glad to know what I wrote makes enough sense to help people. I have added some apps using CLI, I am slowly easing my way into using Linux more. I've been using my iMac for my casual web surfing and its working great. Except for the lack of Flash of course :mad:.

BTW: I'm posting this message from my Power Mac G5 from an Ubuntu Live disc. I wanted to practice more on Gimp and its too slow on the G3 iMac. My Power Mac is way faster even from a Live Disc!

[tjniels]

Excellent tutorial, for those of us still playing with PowerPCs. I have an iMac G3 as my home office computer. I have the 350 MHz version with 320 MB RAM, I recently switched from my old Ubuntu 7.10 install to Debian 5.03 and used a similar process to what you described. I did the default installation from the PPC netinst disk, then control-option-F1 when I got the blank screen. I then ran the code lspci, then manually reconfigured the xorg.conf file. After a day of internet searches, and repeatedly messing things up, I got everything running. *almost* everything.

Does your G3 iMac suspend properly?

Under both Ubuntu 7.10 and Debian 5.03, my iMac will not suspend. In the Energy Saver (or equivalent) control panel, I have it set to turn of the screen after 20 minutes, and to put the computer to sleep after 30. The screen sleeps on schedule, but the machine never suspends. When I manually tell it to suspend, it goes to a black DOS-like screen that says this:

eth0: Link is up at 100 Mbps, full-duplex.
eth0: Pause is disabled.
(It also displays some seemingly-random numbers in [] brackets before "eth0", but they seem to be different every time. I couldn't attach any significance to this, and the screen doesn't stay up long enough for me to write them down.)

Finally, after about two seconds, the computer reverts to whatever I was doing before I told it to suspend. The mention of eth0 and 100 Mbps led me to believe the suspend issue was related to my ethernet connection, so I unplugged the ethernet cord and tried again. Now, the iMac displays the exact same behavior, except it goes to a blank black screen instead for 2 seconds before reverting to the desktop or login screen (whichever I was previously using).

As I said, Ubuntu 7.10 had the same problem, but it was never quite as verbose when it failed to suspend. I've searched a few times for a solution, but it always came back to "PowerPCs have power management issues, just deal with it."

*which is a bit less than helpful*

Thanks,

TJ

[oswaldkelso]

I'm intrigued by the problems on the later imacs (slot loaders) I suspect the suspend issues are related to the problems with X. If you search the archives you'll find lots of juicy titbits.

I'll see if I can get hold of my Sons imac 500. It would be great to fix them once and for all. Though I think they maybe slight differences with 350 > 400 > 500 > 600 > 700 imacs?

searching the forum with imac, ppc, 1024x768 Gives good info, this was the most interesting to me.

A followup to my last post---I've found a way to get a 1024x768 desktop.

In order to run at 1024x768 with 24[?] bit color I changed the video=ofonly to video=1024x768@60 in /etc/yaboot.conf and then wrote the changes to the boot sector using ybin (See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ). I based my change on trial and error using the information in Kernel arguments for PPC (http://www.jonh.net/lppcfom-serve/cache/1043.html) modified to use the format HRESxVRES@RefreshRate instead of the xxxxx:vmode:vv,cmode:cc format.

You imac slot loader users need to have a concerted effort to fix X with the max resolution once and for all. The hardware is capable but many fixes are rehashes of the same xorg.conf with no testing.

[B_Free]

It was nice that you shared your success with the PPC forum. Since last we spoke, I successfully installed the 5.10 version on my 450 B&W. It has none of the problems that most of the 200 some pages in the forum speak of.. This version was produced around the same time as the machines it was intended for. I have no ideas why they changed the configuration files. Anyway, this works great! Perfect 1024x768, no problem with Rage 128, no sound problems, no problems so far. And it is quick. It looks just like Ubuntu 9.04.

[oswaldkelso]

It was nice that you shared your success with the PPC forum. Since last we spoke, I successfully installed the 5.10 version on my 450 B&W. It has none of the problems that most of the 200 some pages in the forum speak of.. This version was produced around the same time as the machines it was intended for. I have no ideas why they changed the configuration files. Anyway, this works great! Perfect 1024x768, no problem with Rage 128, no sound problems, no problems so far. And it is quick. It looks just like Ubuntu 9.04.

Yes the problems seem to be unique to imac slot loaders. Running older versions is fine and sometimes much better than over-loading an old PC. There comes a time when upgrading is a retro grade step. If you don't want or need newer software and features it's a good option. Debian etch offers better hardware support form my emac 1ghz than any later version. Everything worked including my firewire isight.

The new xorg.7> has had a harsh effect on PPC on GNU/Linux. But for most other users it's offering huge benefits. We just got the dirty end of the stick :)

Looking at

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

Should tell you what is going on or at least what X thinks is going on :) A search of the Gentoo forum may turn something up they have good doc's and probably the best PPC support. (just a much steeper learning curve)

[natgab]

Wow, very different experience installing Ubuntu on my G5 than my install on the little iMac.

As I posted above, the live disc worked perfect. I just clicked install and it was as painless as a Mac OS X install. Everything just worked! Even internet, as I had entered my network info in the live disc, it took it and gave me internet after reboot.

I upgraded latest software and everything is fine. Just did have trouble when I installed Kubuntu package. KDE 4 is flaky, so I just deleted it and I am keeping Ubuntu only. (need to edit signature again)

I wanted to install Ubuntu Studio, seem like a nice Mac like package. But its PC only, so I will install the appropriate applications manually to get same package. I do some website work & play around with video clips.

Meanwhile the iMac with Debian will stay simple so that I have something to check the forums if I screw up my G5.:lolflag:

---tjniels, by suspend do you mean screensaver working? It works fine and comes back on. I don't use the re-login for it. Just move mouse and get back on.