Can't read/boot from CD on iMAC G3

[briantm]

Trying to install Xubuntu Feisty Beta PowerPC (alternate cd) on an imac G3 tray loader with 96MB RAM.

Holding down C at startup I can't boot from the CD. It just eventually gives up and loads OS9. I can't read the CD in OS9 and it asks me if I want to eject or initialize it. Am I right in saying it can't initialize a CD in a non writable drive? I've just been ejecting anyway.

I burned the ISO on a windows machine, but that shouldn't effect it. The CD is readable on the PC.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Brian

[3rdalbum]

iMac G3s are well-known for their faulty CD drives - they don't like to read CD-Rs.

There are two types of burnable CDs that they sometimes work with:

CD-RW
and "Music" CD

That is, use a CD that says it's designed "for music".

As for CD-RWs, I've got a stack of Verbatim CD-RWs that I use to burn the betas of my Copland distribution to, for testing on my iMac. Either way, just make sure that you burn the CD at a low speed (8x or below) on the Windows machine, and you should be fine!

[briantm]

Thanks man, thats brilliant

B - off to get some cd-rws :-D

[rondackcpu]

Folks,

Indeed the Imac G3's are allergic to CD-R's. Before you go buy some new CDs, I suggest you try burning the CD at a lower speed. I have had good results burning at 4X. Takes only a few minutes more, but all the difference in the world.

CRS