Cube G4 Lubuntu 14.04.3 display freeze

[kyle69]

I finally got my somewhat hod-rodded cube, (1ghz cpu, 1.5gb memory, radeon 7500 mac), working by using the magic yaboot sequence of:

radeon.modeset=1 video=radeonfb:off video=offb:off radeon.agpmode=-1

I got a nice desktop and everything seemed ok, but then I get random freezes where it's locked up but the mouse still moves, (but doesn't click). I can't seem to use any keyboard commands and I can't use ssh to get in remotely either. It seems to be triggered by 'big' graphics events, large window resize, etc. Looking at the task manager, I was surprised how much cpu is used just by dragging windows around. The other thing I see wonky so far is I get a "0000:00:10:0 Invalid ROM contents" at startup.

I wasn't sure what log parts to post, so suggestions are welcome, many thanks-

[este.el.paz]

I finally got my somewhat hod-rodded cube, (1ghz cpu, 1.5gb memory, radeon 7500 mac), by using the magic yaboot sequence of:

radeon.modeset=1 video=radeonfbff video=offbff radeon.agpmode=-1

I got a nice desktop and everything seemed ok, but then I get random freezes where it's locked up but the mouse still moves, (but doesn't click). I can't seem to use any keyboard commands and I can't use ssh to get in remotely either. It seems to be triggered by 'big' graphics events, large window resize, etc. Looking at the task manager, I was surprised how much cpu is used just by dragging windows around. The other thing I see wonky so far is I get a "0000:00:10:0 Invalid ROM contents" at startup.

I wasn't sure what log parts to post, so suggestions are welcome, many thanks-

kyle:

Yes, the "random freezes" in the GUI is something I've experienced with Lu 14 . . . recently, and in subsequent versions of Lu for PPC. There is probably a bug report that you could add your name to . . . . Nothing seems to happen too fast in PPC-land. I wouldn't worry too much about the "invalid ROM contents" error, as long as things are running OK in the GUI; I tried to boot the Lu 14.04.2 live DVD a few days ago in my PM 3,1 and got a bunch of "SQUASHFS" errors . . . those are more serious, as the GUI doesn't load . . . it's a "crash."

I have a "XFCE" desktop that I added to a ubuntu 14.04 mini installer install on my iBook 933 MHz . . . adding the boot params to the Yaboot config file after installation . . . technically Xubuntu doesn't support PPC, but I kept having the same issues you are talking about with Lu, so . . . built my own, and XFCE seems to run pretty well on the 14.o4 base.

And, back over in my PM . . . ATI video card . . . looks like I tweaked my install or the Yaboot loader for my Xu 12.04/ToriOS install . . . so looking around for ways to fix it . . . or, nuke/pave . . . I might try my mini installer method of 14.04 . . . and add a DE . . . possibly XFCE again, or, maybe GNOME!!!!???

Lots of games to try out . . . try them . . . .

e...

[rican-linux]

What video card does the cube have?

[kyle69]

Thanks este, it's nice to know I wasn't totally losing my head... it was really weird to have the mouse sort of working but nothing else. I will certainly try xfce, or possibly the debian/openbox setup as outlined by ppcluddite. I originally went this route, but I wasn't getting any joy, (black screen). That was before discovering the yaboot sequence though, so I went back to what I sort of know- lubuntu. I've been running lu with very good results on an old mactel mini that I boosted the cpu, etc.

I also noticed another thing odd last night, I was using a 20" cinema monitor and I thought maybe the resolution was pushing the radeon 7500 too hard. So I plugged in a 15" lcd studio display, did my yaboot trick and... nothing, (blackscreen). It was getting late so I gave up there, although I might try forcing the resolution on the 15" for grins.

If I ever get the cube in a decent place, it might be time to look at my cranky g5 again...

-kyle

[kyle69]

What video card does the cube have?

It's a radeon 7500 mac edition, using the adc output, thanks-

[este.el.paz]

If I ever get the cube in a decent place, it might be time to look at my cranky g5 again...

-kyle

Talk with rican-linux about the g5 world . . . .

[kyle69]

I'm now trying a debian-jessie/openbox setup on the cube. Seems a little cleaner/lighter and isn't working the wee powerpc so hard. But still getting the exact same lockups, the system freezes but can still move the mouse cursor around, (but no clicks or keyboard). This chunk of Lucite would be sweet if I can just get around the crashes.

[rican-linux]

if it is freezing try turning off HW acceleration in Xorg.

Option  NoRenderAccel  "True"

[kyle69]

I now added:

Option "NoRenderAccel" "True"

to the Section "Device" area of an xorg.conf file I generated earlier. Same symptoms.

[este.el.paz]

I'm now trying a debian-jessie/openbox setup on the cube. Seems a little cleaner/lighter and isn't working the wee powerpc so hard. But still getting the exact same lockups, the system freezes but can still move the mouse cursor around, (but no clicks or keyboard). This chunk of Lucite would be sweet if I can just get around the crashes.

@kyle:

Well, ubuntu uses the debian kernel, so possibly changing to debian would not get you around the problem . . . ??? Not sure, I've been wrong countless times . . . . Also, speaking of your Yaboot.conf file . . . did you add those boot params you listed at the beginning to the "append" line ???? just a thought.

e..