Testers needed for PowerPC 12.04

[rkmugen]

At the risk of (me) sounding dumb, I wonder if you could use the "Force Version" feature in Synaptic... I remember using that a while back when I had two versions of MESA-related files installed (7.x and 8.x) at the same time and wanting to use 7.x.

[este.el.paz]

At the risk of (me) sounding dumb, I wonder if you could use the "Force Version" feature in Synaptic... I remember using that a while back when I had two versions of MESA-related files installed (7.x and 8.x) at the same time and wanting to use 7.x.

@rkmugen:

Thanks for the post . . . I don't know enough to know if that's a dumb idea or not, but at least you posted a reply and for that I appreciate it. I spent a few minutes yesterday Googling my question and it seems like it would take some playing around on the console to get the older kernels to show up when "tab" is pressed . . . it would be easier to fiddle with Synaptic . . . . Of course there is always a newer kernel coming, but would it pick up the "revive from suspend" issue I've been mentioning here for quite awhile???? probably not. Anyway, I'll continue my testing . . . appreciate the thoughts. : - ))

e.e.p.

[Update: Doesn't seem like this idea is panning out, I ran a Synaptic search of "vmlinux-3.2.0-45-powerpc-smp" and that runs and it shows up in the left side column, but doesn't show in the right side at all . . . so that side is empty and when I click on the "Packages" tab it's all greyed out, so the "Force Version" is not available?? It's probably not worth messing with, e.g., if I could force the old kernel to be installed I'd probably have to deal with other issues around dependencies, etc. Kind of ashame but seems typical, everything is more or less OK, but having to shut down the computer each time I want to revive from sleep . . . makes it hard to continue using it--so I'm trapped between the no longer supported browsers of 10.4.11, or, closer to the wave of time's Linux browsers, but more or less needing to shut down and cold boot each time, etc]

[xeno74]

Hi,

Thank you very much indeed for Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS PowerPC. It runs very very very well on my AmigaONE X1000.

Screenshots:





Here are the installations instructions for Lubuntu 12.04.2 (based on A-EON Linux manual Version 2.5.1.4
):

The installation instructions cover installing Lubuntu 12.04.2 LTS from a “netboot over the internet” installation from a single install image.

1. Download and extract the kernel image and modules, vmlinux-3.9.0-2 and 3.9.0X1000
   
   Downloads:
   
   kernel-3.9.0-2-x1000.tar.gz
2. Download the Ubuntu ramdisk image (initrd.gz) from:
   
   http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports...boot/initrd.gz
   
   and copy it to the USB Stick
3. Turn on the AmigaONE X1000 and press F to boot to enter CFE prompt. Insert the USB stick.
4. You can boot the installer using the commands below
   

   CFE> ramdisk –z –addr=0x24000000 –fatfs usbdisk0:initrd.gz
   CFE> setenv bootargs "root=/dev/ramdisk"
   CFE> boot -elf -noints -fatfs usbdisk0:vmlinux-3.9.0-2

5. Select Language
6. Select Your Location
7. Detect Keyboard Layout. Select No and Pick from the list
8. Configure Network
9. Enter Hostname
10. Select the Ubuntu Archive Mirror Country - [it is configured for the UK]
11. Leave the HTTP Proxy parameter blank and press return – [there will now be a long delay]
12. When prompted that no kernel modules were found select Yes to continue without loading them.
13. The installer components will be retrieved from the Ubuntu mirror [this will take a long time]
14. Enter your Full Name
15. Enter your username for your account
16. Enter your password and confirm
17. Select No to Encrypt your home directory
18. Confirm your time zone
19. When prompted for module dm-mod leave the parameter blank and select continue
20. Click Continue at the warning of “Software RAID not available”
21. Click Continue at the warning of “Logical Volume Manager not available”
22. You can now partition your disk.
    You must exercise caution when modifying your partition tables!
23. The base system will now be retrieved from the mirror site and installed
24. Select “Install security updates automatically”
25. At the software selection screen you will be asked to select which *buntu flavour(s) you would
    like to install. You can install as many as you like. To install Lubuntu arrow down to the “Ubuntu with LXDE Desktop” option and press the space bar to mark the
    option. Now press return to continue.
26. The additional packages required to install the full desktop will be retrieved and
    installed. - [this will take some time to complete depending on the speed of your internet connection ]
27. At “Continue without boot loader” take note of your root partition.
28. Select Yes to set confirm the system clock is set as UTC.
29. Select Continue to finish the installation and reboot!
    Booting Ubuntu 12.04
    Press F to boot to enter CFE prompt. Remove if necessary and re-insert the USB stick containing
    the vmlinux-3.9.0-2 kernel and associated modules.
    Enter the following commands replacing the root partition (sdb9) with the ID of the partition where
    you installed Lubuntu
    

    CFE> setenv bootargs "root=/dev/sdb9"
    CFE> boot -elf -noints -fatfs usbdisk0:vmlinux-3.9.0-2

    You will see the following warning during boot:
    “Init: Failed to create pty – disabling logging for job”
    Note: This warning message will be repeated many times and is a bug on Ubuntu systems that do
    not use an initramfs during boot. However it is nothing to worry about as the problem will 'correct
    itself' later in the boot process.
    Copying the kernel modules
    Log into the Desktop and open a terminal window.
    Type ls /media and press return to view the mounted USB stick directory.
    Assuming it is mounted as usbstick type the following command to copy the modules to the
    /lib/modules directory.
    sudo cp -rv /media/usbstick/3.9.0X1000 /lib/modules and press return
    Enter your password and press return again.Type sudo shutdown –r now and press the return key to
    reboot the system again.

[este.el.paz]

@rsavage & str8bs, et al:

Haven't seen too much activity on this thread for awhile . . . but, my testing is still continuing on my iBook and I think I may have found a solution to my "revive from suspend" failures . . . a little bit cumbersome, but better than switching to TTY and rebooting the system. I'm finding that if I log out with the various windows, browser, email, etc . . . open, and then "suspend" from the log in window, that when I "revive" and log in, the windows will re-load, the browser will ask me if I want to "restore" the session, etc . . . and things are back to the way they were. It's a little bit more time consuming, but if I just click "suspend" from the desktop it seems like every other time the desktop image loads, but clicking on stuff . . . as I've mentioned, does nothing and a reboot is the only option. Possibly this has been mentioned in other threads, but not here, so I'm adding my hard gained insights into the public record, here . . . .

And, so the lonely testing continues . . . .

e.e.p.

[frank18]

I've got this PowerBook G4 2002 TiBook, and finally got Ubuntu running on it. (I'm writing this on it right now.) Then I found this thread, and thought I'd post some info.

It's running 12.04 with all the updates as of right now.

The Live CD couldn't make the HFS drive a bootstrap/yaboot compatible drive or something like that, the alternative CD could though, and did. I used dd on a PowerMac G4 running Leopard to write the ISOs to a 1gb USB drive, and booted the laptop off of that.

All versions 10 would not show anything on screen upon booting from the USB, save for a few lines.

The mini CD for 11 couldn't make the internal drive boot without help, but That was almost a week ago that I last tried that.

The reason I tried installing Ubuntu on this thing is because the Mac OS 10.5 system it had on it had terrible graphical glitches, to the point that you couldn't see anything. I had fixed it once by installing the system anew, but the disc drive doesn't work anymore. I thought it must be the logic board had gone out, but I wasn't sure. So when I found out that Ubuntu 12 fixed everything, I knew it must've been the system.

Bugs:
The sound is not working right now, after I installed updates, but was working fine right after system install. I had/have to press fn with the volume buttons for them to work. However, the microphone level meter shows input when I'm yelling at the computer for not playing music. (lol) So the speakers and headphone output aren't working, but the microphone and sound input is.
EDIT: Nevermind that. (look down for info)

The simulated right click isn't working now either after updates. Ctrl click doesn't even work on an i386 pc. So, being deprived of my spell checking abilities, there may be some typos in this post.
EDIT: Nevermind this too.

The display works great when the system is giving it a signal, without any glitches whatsoever. But when the screen isn't getting any signal, the backlight and power stay on, but the picture gets buggy like a cheap LCD screen when it's turned off. (The picture slowly fades away, but a lot more slowly than it usually does.)

The screen also gives this response a few times during booting, but I find that almost natural. BUT when I change to a resolution other than the native (1280 by 854) it's the same thing. No signal. Luckily the timeout returned the screen to the previous resolution, restoring the picture without any further problems.

I haven't tried rotation yet because I want to get this posted before risking it.
EDIT: I tried rotation, and strangely it gives me graphical glitches amazingly similar to the ones I had on Mac OS X before I wiped it and installed Ubuntu 12.04. It does this at all three non-normal settings. I can see enough to click the restore button, which brings back the crystal clear picture I've come to know and love from Ubuntu on this computer.

The brightness buttons don't work, but I believe someone else mentioned that.

The battery works when I unplug the laptop, but doesn't seem to have any settings or indicators anywhere. However it wasn't in the computer when I installed the system, nor for the first boot, so that may be my fault.

The system runs a lot hotter than Mac OS X did, but both fans work, which is more than OS X did most of the time. I'm not worried about this though. Taking the keyboard off and touching the heat sinks and metal covers is more painful than it was with OS X, but that's the only way I'd know it was running hotter. OS X probably should have been running like this. There are temp warnings in there after all.

The keyboard's num lock doesn't work, but this may not be a bug.

Pressing f11 doesn't work to make anything fullscreen, it seems to cut and move text around. This is probably a result of my own ignorance though.

My "u" key keeps falling off. (The worst bug. FIX THIS NOW!) lol

Other than that everything seems to be working fine. As much as a community supported pre-released operating system should be anyway. Slight software incompatibilities, but I don't consider those bugs yet.

PS I accidentally just hit f12 and realized that it made a right click! I knew f12 was supposed to do that, but never had any luck with other computers. but I'm not going to go back and spell check everything because I'm feeling lazy. That and I have other more vital stuff to do. So maybe that means I'm feeling more diligent. lol

EDIT: I forgot to mention that this PowerBook doesn't have an AirPort card in it, so I can't say anything about that. But it does work with a Belkin USB Wireless antenna (F5D7050) that all Ubuntu versions have worked with since 7.10 (when I started using it.)

Also, a few more updates and a restart, sound seems to be working again. A few pops and such when starting audio, but it did that before as well. I have a feeling this one may have been my fault.

Simulated right clicking is working again as well.

I'm happy.

Hi .where did you get your mini Iso of Ubuntu 12.04? i 've tryed to install Ubuntu 12.4 12.10 ,13.04 with no success i would not pass the terminal so no desktop never,so iwent to Debian 7.Wheezy mini Iso and it installed right up but the thing i can have wireless ,no flas to runn uTUBE AND SEEMS SLOW dispite i upgraded to 1.4GB mem ram, maybe ubuntu will run better! thanks

[phillw]

Hi,

I'll make an official announcement next week about 13.10, but https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...x/+bug/1066435 now appears squished in the recent daily builds of PPC for 13.10. Beta 1 testing starts next week and I will be calling for volunteers. If you'd like to dip your toe in the water to see how it fares on your systems (or can't bear to wait until next week!) , head over to http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/m...nes/270/builds and grab one

Regards,

Phill.

[phillw]

[QUOTE=....

And, so the lonely testing continues . . . .

e.e.p.[/QUOTE]

Hi,

PPC testing in lubuntu is carried out via the mailing list as people are scattered on different TZ's. https://launchpad.net/~lubuntu-qa will allow you to join that mailing list and read the archives. PPC related things have the subject prefix [PPC] so that people can quickly see if a mail is relevant to them, or not. You are not alone in testing PPC and are more than welcome to join. As per my earlier thread, I will be making an announcement early next week as to where we are up to in readiness for the Beta1 testing. (I have to check with kubuntu as to if they need testers as well etc.) The lubuntu wiki area for PPC is at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Lubuntu/Testing/PPC%26Mac64 I liase with kubuntu on the quality IRC channel so that we both know where we're upto

Regards,

Phill.

[kinetonat]

.

[este.el.paz]

@rsavage, et al:

Haven't gotten any notifications on this thread lately, but I'm very excited to announce that after a long period of undiagnosed kernel panicing I finally took the iLamp into a professional repair shop . . . and they found a bad RAM stick. Since the problem turned out to be relatively simple I've had them boost the RAM to the maximum . . . 1GB!!!! So, the G4 lives on . . . and my testing of 12.0.4 continues!!! It looks like there are "303 updates available" from when I last tried to update as a way to escape the constant crashing . . . . I'll be checking to see if the increased RAM will let the OSX partition upgrade to Leopard . . . so far using Leopard Assist has not fooled the installer . . . .

It's just interesting that the problem that was crippling the computer after 15 mins was not found in multiple tests of the RAM . . . of course the Apple Hardware Test is worth what I paid, but the Applejack test of the RAM was rather extensive . . . but failed to find a problem. My personal ersatz testing seemed to point to the FW port as the problem . . . which is why I turned to the professionals.

Anyway . . . the exploration of 12.0.4 continues . . . .

e.e.p.

[rsavage]

eep, good to hear you fixed it!