powerbook g4 17" not running my 12.04 ppc live disc.

[boneskid1]

well after looking at a powerbook g4 that was on a shelf i decided i might try to run ubuntu off of the live disk just to see how well it works, but i was stopped because it never goes past the black ubuntu 12.04 screen it freezes and i have to reboot the computer.

so what i am wondering is ........ is 12.04 even compatible with the ppc cpu?

i got the .iso from here
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/precise/release/
and i did the desktop cd

Thanks ahead of time,
Boneskid1

[2F4U]

I assume that you took the desktop cd for PPC (http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/p...op-powerpc.iso) and not the other desktop cd on the site.
In general, Ubuntu supports the PPC architecture:

https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/instal...supported.html

And there is also quite some help available:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ
https://wiki.edubuntu.org/PowerPCFAQ
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCKnownIssues

[2blue]

Powerbooks have rather low specs so, perhaps xubuntu or lubuntu. However, Ubuntu should boot just as well but maybe run a bit slow compared to the others. To run live CD there is a minum of RAM needed, but I cannot remember exact number at the moment. My iBook G4 runs fine with 512MB.

[boneskid1]

i have 1.5gb of ram and it requires at least 348mb so i figured that is not the problem but i will do some more trouble shooting today

[2blue]

More than eough ram then. I had trouble booting 12.04, but I cannot remember what the exact trouble was. I had to run a blacklist-command in the pre-booting stage or otherwise it haulted at a certain point. I think it had to do with wireless drivers. How quickly you forget , and probably not the case with your G4, but if you get any messages during bootup, it might be worth posting them.

[boneskid1]

yeah when i boot from the disc it takes me to a black command like screen where i hit return and it boots sending it to the ubuntu loading screen but after it sits for a bit it says something like firmware not configured and it gives a url to go to for a wireless firmware, but i have the powerbook plugged in to my Ethernet.

[rsavage]

Hi, your problem and solution is documented in the wikis that you've already been given.

I'm interested to know how people use the FAQ (so I can make it better), clearly it is different to how I would.

This is how I would do it:

Start with the FAQ. See there is a troubleshooting section. See there is a question "Ubuntu boots to a command line, hangs during boot, or blank screen etc.". Read that answer. See it suggests the Known Issues Page. Look down the list of 12.04. See it mentions a problem "b43 (Airport Extreme) hangs". Sounds like my problem. Follow the link.

Did you do any of that?

If you can tell me how it can be improved let me know!

[2blue]

Hmm...

If it is the same trouble I had, you have to type "live b43.blacklist=yes" in the first stage of booting when you come to a termial like screen (before CD loads any further). Later after install you have to type "Linux b43.blacklist=yes" to be able to boot fully. The bug sorts its` self out as soon as you do the updates. Here is the thread on the help I was given, and it worked fine. I have an iBook G4 from 2005, not sure how much the G4s differed in hardware.

[boneskid1]

Hi, your problem and solution is documented in the wikis that you've already been given.

I'm interested to know how people use the FAQ (so I can make it better), clearly it is different to how I would.

This is how I would do it:

Start with the FAQ. See there is a troubleshooting section. See there is a question "Ubuntu boots to a command line, hangs during boot, or blank screen etc.". Read that answer. See it suggests the Known Issues Page. Look down the list of 12.04. See it mentions a problem "b43 (Airport Extreme) hangs". Sounds like my problem. Follow the link.

Did you do any of that?

If you can tell me how it can be improved let me know!

no but i did not see a troubleshooting option, and i was posting what 2blue said might help figure my issue out.
also i will not have acess to 2 computers tonight so i can do this but i will do it in the morning, also does the Linux b43.blacklist=yes command work on the live disc?
i am not quite sure if i am going to fully install ubuntu just yet

[2blue]

I remember when I was all new to Ubuntu, I read wikis up and down, and still didnt get half of what I was reading. With some posting on the forum, reading, trying, testing, asking..., I gradually have become a bit better at it, even reading the FAQ pages. With the iBook it was sort of all new again for a while, and still stuff that needs sorting out. The ppc FAQ page is very good, but it needs a bit more than just reading it for a beginner at least.

...and no, for the live CD it has to be: live b43.blacklist=yes