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Thread: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Alright, I got somewhere! Woo!

    Turns out my dvd drive was shot, soo I managed to temporarily hook up another drive and got Ubuntu installer running. It all finished up and restarted after I took out the cd.

    So, according to THIS, my next step is to login and run

    sudo apt-get update

    sudo apt-get upgrade

    However, I don't get a prompt to even log in. Several screens go by, without giving me time to interact with them. It stops on a screen that says;

    Code:
    Loading, please wait...
    [38.461143] ohci1394: fw-host0: SelfId received outside of bus reset sequence
    
    Check root= bootarg cat /proc/cmdline
    tab or missing modules, devices: cat /proc/modules 1s /dev
    Alert! dev/hda3 does not exist. dropping to a shell!
    
    BusyBox v1.1.3(Debian 1:1.1.3-5Ubuntu7) Built-In Shell(ASH)
    Enter 'help' for a list of build-in commands.
    
    (initramfs)
    Any ideas? I'm lost.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Slight update, kinda. I re-did the install, and it changed a bit. Now it goes to the Ubuntu loading screen, but the loading bar doesn't move. If I let it sit for about 5 minutes, it goes to a black screen saying;

    Code:
    BusyBox v1.1.3(Debian 1:1.1.3-5Ubuntu7) Built-In Shell(ASH)
    Enter 'help' for a list of build-in commands.
    
    (initramfs)
    Help?

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Ugh!! This keeps getting worse. I burnt a copy of Ubuntu Live to see if that would work. I put it in and it tries to boot and everything, but when it comes up saying;

    Loading, please wait....

    The computer shuts off there. It's the same spot that the already-installed copy was having problems. If I boot the Live CD as "live-nosplash" then it comes up with that exact same BusyBox error! Ugh!

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    Hidden!

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    With busybox coming up, it sounds like you are tying to install Gutsy 7.10. This has a known problem that needs to get fixed - check out this wiki for the solution about half-way through the doc about modprobe ide-core:

    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCKnown...l%20not%20boot

    Don't confuse this with Intrepid's bug, where you need to use modprobe ide-scsi in a virtual terminal to help it find the cdrom.

    Also, you will have to manually edit your /etc/X11/xorg.conf file to get graphics up properly:

    https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCKnown...on%20iMac%20G3

    What can make this difficult is that in newer releases, xorg.conf may be unpopulated or very slim as compared to the older releases, so if you aren't familiar with the xorg.conf syntax, it can be a hair-pulling experience.

    One option is to use Debian "stable" 4.0r6. It doesn't have any of the busybox or cdrom detection bugs, has a full xorg.conf file for one to easily modify, and you can use everything you've learned here to get it running. You can apply the graphics fixes to xorg.conf from these wiki's to it.

    Highly recommended for a first-time install!

    http://www.debian.org/distrib/

    Just be sure to get the powerpc "stable" version. Once you get your feet wet with that, and have a working xorg.conf, you can later decide if you want to tackle Debian Lenny, or perhaps go back to Ubuntu Hardy or Intrepid.
    20" G5 iMac - AMD64 HP desktop
    http://www.ppclinux.info/

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Ok, well I tried that just now and it didn't help. I started with typing

    Code:
    modprobe ide-core
    exit
    at the BusyBox prompt, and it just said "no such file or directory" over and over.

    Soo, I tried adding

    Code:
    break=top
    at the Yaboot prompt. This still brought up the BusyBox prompt, but it disabled my keyboard! Any more ideas?

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Beans
    1

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    I have an ibook g3 dual usb with 500mhz processor and i am running into the exact same problem word for word. I am going to try to use the debian install.

    I have had nothing but trouble with this crazy mac

    ive tried loading xubuntu with the no-spalsh powerpc commond and i get nothing but busy bo and when i try to probe the ide to find the cdrom drive it fails and just cant find the disk or invalid disk or something

    Any help would be greatly appreciated

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    Hidden!

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Is that external dvd drive disconnected when you try to boot after the installation?

    It looks like it can't find /dev/hda3, which should be the root partition. When you installed it, did you let guided partitioning "use the whole disk" ? I'm wondering if you tried to install to some dinky left-over partition on that suspect drive.

    We also don't know if the previous owner may have installed a non-oem replacement drive that is larger than 128gb. If so, you'll have to keep the / root partition below 128, make it 125 or so to keep it off the boundary when you do custom partitioning to keep / root below 128gb. Possibly - we just don't know about that hard drive either.
    20" G5 iMac - AMD64 HP desktop
    http://www.ppclinux.info/

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    The new DVD drive, through a longer IDE than stock, stays connected even after the install is done. When installing, I told it to use the whole disk, which is a brand new WD40GB drive.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Beans
    9

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Bump!

    Anyone? I'm trying Debian next.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Beans
    34

    Re: iMac G3 400 Won't Boot Ubuntu

    Hi.

    Nothing but grief for me with PPC *ubuntu too (iMacDV G3 400Mhz). Installed Debian 40r4a using the PPC Net install disc.

    Installation without a hitch, no work-arounds etc.

    Could then possibly install ubuntu linux kernel and desktops using apt but unsure if that's possible currently. Will let you know if I try. Otherwise Debian works out of the box with only the fewest of annoyances. (40r4a PPC net install)

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