How to install power pc Lubuntu 11.04 with Firefox 5

[swamprock]

@swamp-rock

Can't help you with your errors I'm afraid! I've added stuff about SMP to the FAQ. If you find out if cli-expert works can you add something to the FAQ please? Thanks!

The problems were of my own doing. Installing desktops, then uninstalling others will screw some things up. I've since wiped the drive and was going to try again when I had time (work is taking up most of my time these days)...

BUT...

I've come into possession of a G5 (soon, two of them!) and want to use this guide to install Lubuntu/Xubuntu, as well as install the SMP kernel. I'll do this and report back as soon as I can (which should be soon since I'm off work due to a hand injury). Once I tweak the G5, I'll return to the G4 and work out some other issues I've come across...

[knm]

Hi, total beginner here in linux and lubuntu...

First of all, thank you so much for such a detailed instruction/explanations.
I have Gowerbook G4 12" with me and have successfully loaded 11.04 and then upgraded to 11.10.

But when after installing Lubuntu through the command line, and rebooting the system, I am still getting the CLI login instead of any GUI.

Am I missing something? like an edit to Xorg.conf?

I'm a total newb so I'd greatly appreciate any advice.

Thank you.

[rsavage]

Very much depends on what machine you have and the graphics card. If you have a G3 iMac then yes you will have to setup a xorg.conf. If you have a rage 128 then you may have to load some modules. It's described in the configure graphics section (3.7) of the first post or take a look at the section of the FAQ https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#Configure_graphics which maybe descibes it better.

[rsavage]

Sorry totally missed you have written what machine you have! What's the graphics card?

[knm]

Hi rsavage,

I checked my graphics card using "lspci", and said the following.

VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34M [GeForce FX Go5200] (rev a1)

I was actually trying to read through the OP, but I couldn't find how my graphics card should be treated...
Again your guidance is very appreciated.

[rsavage]

Can you check the xorg server (the graphical environment) is trying to start.

Once logged in type

nano /var/log/Xorg.0.log

(Note the capital X. Also the zero between Xorg and log)

That should give you a whole load of stuff. At the bottom of the page should be the problem. You'll probably have an error about no screens detected, but what are the errors/warnings above that?

You could also try at the second yaboot prompt

Linux nouveau.modeset=0

This should boot, but you'll have rubbish colours.

[knm]

Hi rsavage,

Sorry couldn't get back to you sooner, but since I couldn't get to load the Lubuntu, I have re-started from the beginning and installed 11.04 and 11.10.

And what I have realized is that in the previous installation I have missed running the script that you have mentioned in the OP.

And now I have my powerbook running with Linux, and am typing on this post using that very powerbook.

But now, I'm struggling with other issues, such as;
1) No battery status (i.e. cannot access power management, and the battery status always shows 0% whether i"m charging or discharging)
2) No menu available to change the mouse setting, in order to change the touchpad setting to disable click on touch.
3) Change screen brightness, and use brightness keys to control the level of brightness.

I went through the OP and tried several methods (like resetting PMU & NVRAM, etc) for #1 but have not been successful, and for #2, and 3, I couldn't find a right solution....

Please let me know if you have any specific approaches for the above issues.

Thank you.

[rsavage]

The op doesn't really cover 11.10 in detail because I have never used it. The lubuntu power manager thingy changed in 11.10 so the command/instructions to get the applet going will be different. Probably have a look at the lubuntu wikis - they are very good.

Battery https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#H...y_indicator.3F

Touchpad https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#H...d_behaviour.3F

Brightness http://www.mintppc.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=773 (although there is probably a better/more correct way)

[wayover13]

Hi. I've got an eMac G4 I'm working at. The 12.04 live CD boots fine. I'm actually inclining toward building up a system from a Debian netinstall, though. I've gotten partway through that process but have run into some issues I'd like to ask about.

First, I want a dual boot--OSX alongside Linux. This machine has a 40 GB hard drive. If I didn't want to dual boot, I'd be up and running by now. But I'm still trying to get this to work.

I started by shrinking the HFS partition using parted. Booted back into OSX afterward to confirm it still worked--it did, apart from the fact that the Mac partition was now completely full (7.5 GB--this is a fresh install of OSX [10.04], btw). Then I started the Debian installation process thereafter.

Things started to go wrong when Debian couldn't find the place to install yaboot--some kind of NewWorld boot partition, as I recall. I tried to straighten that out by making the two small initial disk partitions bootable, but still no joy. Now, moreover, I think I fapped up the partition table as OSX won't finish booting now.

But what I want to ask here to begin with is whether I can expect to dual boot Linux (either Debain or Lubuntu) and OSX on a HD of this size? I'll need to somehow acquire installation media to repair OSX--probably requiring a reinstallation. Will the NewWorld boot partition issue straighten itself out once I do that? Is OSX willing to install itself on a pre-sized partition, or does the OSX installation routine allow for partition sizing?

I've installed Windows/Linux dual boot systems numerous times. But this OSX thing is brand new to me. Input will be appreciated.

Thanks,
James

[wayover13]

Things started to go wrong when Debian couldn't find the place to install yaboot--some kind of NewWorld boot partition, as I recall. I tried to straighten that out by making the two small initial disk partitions bootable, but still no joy. Now, moreover, I think I fapped up the partition table as OSX won't finish booting now.

I discovered what was the issue here on a subsequent installation attempt. You have to select a NewWorld boot partition as part of the disk set-up process, and I neglected to do that. I'm pretty familiar with partitioning and so forth, but had never before seen the option in a Linux install of selecting and using such a partition--not surprising since this is the first time I've ever tried installing Linux to a Mac.

But that doesn't explain how the partition table went awry: maybe because I didn't disable journalling in OSX prior to resizing the partition? Dunno yet.

James