Desktop Hardware Compatibility List.

[Kevin S]

OS: Lubuntu 13.04
PC: Dell Dimension 4300, Pentium II, 768MB RAM (upgraded from original 256)
Old system, shipped with Windows Me. Lubuntu works great; now it's useful again. (Have not yet tried WiFi or anything "fancy.")

[mörgæs]

First of all: This is old and slow hardware. By modern standards it is hardly useful, and some applications like Flash and Chromium are not available for PPC, so one should only install Buntu for the challenge of it.

The hardware specifications are

snowball
    description: Computer
    product: iMac LCD 15"
    vendor: Copyright 1983-2001 Apple Computer, Inc. All Rights Reserved
    serial: [REMOVED]
    width: 32 bits
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       physical id: 0
       clock: 99MHz
       capabilities: powermac4_2 macrisc2 macrisc power_macintosh
     *-firmware
          product: OpenFirmware 3
          physical id: 0
          logical name: /proc/device-tree
          capabilities: bootinfo
     *-memory
          description: System memory
          physical id: 1
          size: 512MiB
        *-bank:0
             description: SDRAM
             product: PC100-222S
             physical id: 0
             version: 0000,00 00,00
             slot: DIMM0/J12
             size: 256MiB
        *-bank:1
             description: SDRAM
             product: PC100-222S
             physical id: 1
             version: 4141,09 66,02
             serial: [REMOVED]
             slot: DIMM1/J13
             size: 256MiB
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: 7450, altivec supported
          physical id: 2
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: 2.1 (pvr 8000 0201)
          size: 700MHz
          clock: 99MHz
          capabilities: altivec performance-monitor
        *-cache:0
             description: L1 Cache
             physical id: 0
             size: 32KiB
        *-cache:1
             description: L2 Cache (unified)
             physical id: 1
             size: 256KiB
             clock: 700MHz (1.4ns)
     *-pci:0
          description: Host bridge
          product: UniNorth/Pangea AGP
          vendor: Apple Inc.
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:0b.0
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          configuration: driver=agpgart-uninorth latency=16
          resources: irq:0
        *-display UNCLAIMED
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: NV11 [GeForce2 MX/MX 400]
             vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
             physical id: 10
             bus info: pci@0000:00:10.0
             version: b2
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: pm agp agp-2.0 vga_controller bus_master cap_list
             configuration: latency=248 maxlatency=1 mingnt=5
             resources: memory:91000000-91ffffff memory:98000000-9fffffff memory:90000000-9000ffff
     *-pci:1
          description: Host bridge
          product: UniNorth/Pangea PCI
          vendor: Apple Inc.
          physical id: 101
          bus info: pci@0001:10:0b.0
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          configuration: latency=16
        *-generic
             description: Unassigned class
             product: KeyLargo/Pangea Mac I/O
             vendor: Apple Inc.
             physical id: 17
             bus info: pci@0001:10:17.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: bus_master
             configuration: driver=macio latency=16
             resources: irq:0 memory:80000000-8007ffff
        *-usb:0
             description: USB controller
             product: KeyLargo/Pangea USB
             vendor: Apple Inc.
             physical id: 18
             bus info: pci@0001:10:18.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=16 maxlatency=86 mingnt=3
             resources: irq:27 memory:80081000-80081fff
        *-usb:1
             description: USB controller
             product: KeyLargo/Pangea USB
             vendor: Apple Inc.
             physical id: 19
             bus info: pci@0001:10:19.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ohci_hcd latency=16 maxlatency=86 mingnt=3
             resources: irq:28 memory:80080000-80080fff
     *-pci:2
          description: Host bridge
          product: UniNorth/Pangea Internal PCI
          vendor: Apple Inc.
          physical id: 102
          bus info: pci@0002:20:0b.0
          version: 00
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 66MHz
          configuration: latency=16
        *-firewire
             description: FireWire (IEEE 1394)
             product: UniNorth/Pangea FireWire
             vendor: Apple Inc.
             physical id: e
             bus info: pci@0002:20:0e.0
             version: 00
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: pm ohci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=firewire_ohci latency=16 maxlatency=24 mingnt=12
             resources: irq:40 memory:f5000000-f5000fff
        *-network
             description: Ethernet interface
             product: UniNorth/Pangea GMAC (Sun GEM)
             vendor: Apple Inc.
             physical id: f
             bus info: pci@0002:20:0f.0
             logical name: eth0
             version: 00
             serial: [REMOVED]
             size: 100Mbit/s
             capacity: 100Mbit/s
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 66MHz
             capabilities: bus_master rom ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation
             configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=sungem driverversion=1.0 duplex=full ip=[REMOVED] latency=16 link=yes maxlatency=64 mingnt=64 multicast=yes port=MII speed=100Mbit/s
             resources: irq:41 memory:f5200000-f53fffff memory:f5100000-f51fffff
     *-scsi
          physical id: 3
          logical name: scsi0
          capabilities: emulated
        *-disk
             description: ATA Disk
             product: WDC WD800BB-00JH
             vendor: Western Digital
             physical id: 0.0.0
             bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0
             logical name: /dev/sda
             version: 05.0
             serial: [REMOVED]
             size: 74GiB (80GB)
             capabilities: partitioned partitioned:mac
             configuration: ansiversion=5
           *-volume:0
                description: Apple partition map
                physical id: 1
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1
                logical name: /dev/sda1
                capacity: 31KiB
           *-volume:1
                description: Apple Bootstrap
                physical id: 2
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2
                logical name: /dev/sda2
                size: 974KiB
                capacity: 977KiB
                capabilities: bootable hfs initialized
                configuration: created=2013-06-25 07:28:23 filesystem=hfs label=bootstrap modified=2013-06-25 20:40:35 state=clean
           *-volume:2
                description: EXT4 volume
                vendor: Linux
                physical id: 3
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,3
                logical name: /dev/sda3
                logical name: /
                version: 1.0
                serial: [REMOVED]
                size: 73GiB
                capacity: 73GiB
                capabilities: journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink recover extents ext4 ext2 initialized
                configuration: created=2013-06-25 06:57:33 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/ modified=2013-06-25 07:28:59 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,user_xattr,barrier=1,data=ordered mounted=1970-01-01 00:00:20 state=mounted
           *-volume:3
                description: Linux swap volume
                physical id: 4
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,4
                logical name: /dev/sda4
                version: 1
                serial: [REMOVED]
                size: 1450MiB
                capacity: 1450MiB
                capabilities: swap initialized
                configuration: filesystem=swap pagesize=4096
           *-volume:4
                description: Apple Free
                physical id: 5
                bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,5
                logical name: /dev/sda5
                capacity: 24KiB
        *-cdrom
             description: SCSI CD-ROM
             physical id: 0.1.0
             bus info: scsi@0:0.1.0
             logical name: /dev/cdrom
             logical name: /dev/sr0
             capabilities: audio
             configuration: status=nodisc

When using a standard keyboard F12 opens the CD tray. Windows + Alt + o + f gives access to Open Firmware.

My iLamp needed a new CD drive. It takes a little while to disassemble the unit, but it is doable.

Download the 12.04 mini ISO for PPC and install from CD. Only a single-use CD worked, neither rewritables nor boot from USB did. Pressing c during power-on boots from CD.

The install works as usual except for some vivid colours, but one might need to enter the package mirror manually.

When booting from hard drive some boot options are needed. Mine (sporting an Nvidia screen card) needed the command

Linux nouveau.modeset=0

or

Linux nomodeset

at the yaboot prompt. Booting without options shows an interesting display of slowly fading colours and patterns.

With the minimal system installed

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

brings rest of it (note to self: Lubuntu would probably have been a better choice than Xubuntu).

Now booting into the system (with the above-mentioned boot options) gives a barely usable desktop in Andy Warhol-ish colours. I didn't find a way to make the default Nouveau driver behave well, but switching to the older nv driver did the trick.

The system is stable, but it might freeze without warning for some time doing regular tasks. Just wait and then wait some more; it will come back to life.

It's a good idea to add System Load Monitor or similar to the top bar to see how the workload is. When updates or another heavy task is going on just leave it for a while.

[su:bhatta]

Last Sunday did a box with these specifications:

1)Version Of Ubuntu : Ubuntu Studio 13.04 (AMD64)
2)Type Of Hardware : Mother Board & CPU
3)Hardware Maker : M/B ASUS & CPU AMD
4)Hardware Model: ASUS 88TM M/B & Phenom X2, 3.2 Ghz

[red_starfox2]

Ubuntu 13.04
Hardware:
P4 2,66GHz(FSB 400)

786 MB PC2100(32 bit, single layer)
Gigabyte GA-85GXP main circuit board
160 GB HDD/7200rpm/8 MB cache/SATA II
Nvidia GeForce 7900GS/256bit/256MB DDR2/AGP 8X

Works without any problems...just turn off unity's animation effects and tweak the graphic card for a bit more performance.
Very stable and smooth now!

[rty2]

Version of Ubuntu: Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-50-server
Type of Hardware: Shuttle SN68SG2
CPU: AMD Athlon(tm) Processor LE-1640
RAM: 2 GByte (2*1GB Corsair VS DDR-2 667)
Graphics: Onboard graphics GeForce 7025 / nForce 630a (used for console only -- it's my server after all)
Extensions: Sharkoon USB3.0 PCIe Host Controller Card

Concerning the many trouble reports, the USB3.0 card seems to be noteworthy. Detected out of the box (without device attached at boot time):

[ 8.340305] xhci_hcd 0000:02:00.0: PCI INT A -> Link[APC6] -> GSI 16 (level, low) -> IRQ 16
[ 8.340331] xhci_hcd 0000:02:00.0: setting latency timer to 64
[ 8.340343] xhci_hcd 0000:02:00.0: xHCI Host Controller
[ 8.340412] xhci_hcd 0000:02:00.0: new USB bus registered, assigned bus number 5
[ 8.345689] xhci_hcd 0000:02:00.0: irq 16, io mem 0xfdefe000
[ 8.349121] usb usb5: config 1 interface 0 altsetting 0 endpoint 0x81 has no SuperSpeed companion descriptor
[ 8.349194] usb usb5: configuration #1 chosen from 1 choice
[ 8.349198] xHCI xhci_add_endpoint called for root hub
[ 8.349200] xHCI xhci_check_bandwidth called for root hub
[ 8.349225] hub 5-0:1.0: USB hub found
[ 8.349233] hub 5-0:1.0: 4 ports detected

lspci: 02:00.0 USB Controller: Renesas Technology Corp. Device 0015 (rev 02)
lsusb: Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub

Performance is not overwhelming but okay for me, with ext2 formatted Toshiba Store.E Canvio 2TB hdd:

Timing cached reads: 2068 MB in 2.00 seconds = 1034.12 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 274 MB in 3.01 seconds = 90.96 MB/sec

Cheers!

[paul_c2]

Version Of Ubuntu : 12.04 LTS
Type Of Hardware : Core 2 Duo E4400 (2.00Ghz) / 4GB DDR2-800 / 500GB WD HD / ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX (onboard GF 9300 & WiFi unplugged)
Hardware Maker : Zotac
Hardware Model : GeForce 9300-ITX

Had a hard time making audio work through HDMI, turns out you have to unmute S/PDIF 1 in alsamixer.

EDIT : Oh! and suspend & Hibernate don't work, I just get a blank screen with a blinking promtp resulting in a forced restart.

[mörgæs]

HP dc7700: In order to boot from USB the BIOS must be upgraded from v01.10 to v01.15. After that everything works well with a 64 bit Xubuntu 13.04.

Some old threads in the forum talk about the need for boot options. No such need using 13.04 and v01.15.

[mörgæs]

In spite of the Trendnet TEW-703 not being mentioned on the Linux compatibility list it works out of the box with Xubuntu 13.04 using WPA encryption.

[Donut50]

Acer Aspire x3470
Ubuntu 12.04 and 13.04 tested, both work perfectly, even when dual booted with windows 7.
Hardware:
AMD A6 3620 APU with AMD Radeon HD 6530d 512 mb ddr3
8Gb ddr3 RAM at 1333mhz
standard motherboard, case and power supply.
Everything works out of the box, wifi, ethernet and everything else.
Just install the AMD catalyst driver and it is an ubuntu pc that feels like it is preinstalled with it

[Donut50]

only sleep option is a problem