I can not install linux on Power MAC G4
 

Following is my computer's hardware informations:

POWER MAC G4
DP 867MHZ/256MB DDR DRAM/60G HD/DVD/
CDRW/GEFORCE4 MX/56K/1000BT

MODEL:M8787CH/A



I have tryed PPC versions of Debian 3.0 rc2 and mandrake 9.1, but the two have the same problem.

While I boot computer with the install CD, the system can not find the hard disk, But boot with the OS X install CD, it can find the hard disk.

The computer has 3 IDE connecters, they are ATA100, ATA66 and ATA33. CDRom connects at ATA33, harddisk connects at ATA100. If I remove harddisk to ATA66, then boot with Debian and mandrake install CDs, both of them can find the hard disk. But there were some errors while I install them

the Debian installer show me a warning message, It says there is no bootstrap, but bootstrap partition do exist. While reboot system after Debian install complete, I can not see the loader load thesystem. It seems have no bootable devices. I move the harddisk to ATA100 connecter again, I can see some System boot information. But I got a error, it said, can not mount the root file system.

The mandrake also can find harddisk while the harddisk is connect to ATA66, but I can not partition the harddisk, the error messges are:

"Need bootstrap partition to boot system"

"No free space for 1MB bootstrap! Install will continue, but to boot your system. you'll nedd to create bootstrap partition in DiskDrake."

After the error messages, the install back to the partition step again. neither I create a partion named "Apple bootStrap" with size 10M , nor I leave 10M free space in disk, the errors still jump out.

I an sorry for my poor english, and thank you for you have read them all.


btw:

tekhead2 said folloings in http: // w ww.linuxqu estions.org/questions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=168194 , I have install OS X on it before, Is it the problem ? but I don't know how to solve it.

"You wouldnt happen to be running OS X v10.2.8 ? I heard that this most recent update , will update your firmware, and make it unable to boot into linux."

Have you looked at YellowDog Linux. It's designed for Mac's also. Here's a link:

http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/ydl_home.shtml

Hi!

Yes, Yellow Dog certainly is worth a try, however, if you do want to use either Debian or Mandrake on a Mac, you need to make sure you're using the correct architecture for your machine.

Did you download/obtain the correct version for Mac, i.e. PPC/i686 version, not i586?

These are the Linux distros that should work on a Mac:

Debian
Mandrake 8.2 and 9.1
SourceMage
Vine
Yellow Dog

There are also some live Linux CDs that will work:

Crux
Gentoo
Knoppix

You may want to download Knoppix since it's a great troubleshooting tool if your computer refuses to boot.
http://www.knoppix.org/
http://www.linuxcd.org/view_item.php?id_version=330

please post again if you're still stuck!

Terri

I am a newbie of linux, so I have to learn something most people use. So I don't think about YellowDog. And I also like things free, I can not offer the charge of YellowDog.

Thank for you advises

I did download the right version for MAC.

If they aren't the version for Mac, The computer should not be started by there install CDs. I also can find string "ppc" in boot messages.

Thanks for your reply

If MAC OS X is running great on your MAC, just use that. You can still download Linux software and install it.

I would get an x86 system if you do not want any trouble installing Linux. You can get those little PC that fits in a 5.25 inch (133.35 mm) drive bay and install Linux on that.

You means, install linux software on OS X ?

Though OS X is good, but few people use MAC in China, I can not find anybody to discuss if I get some problemes.

It is too waste if I leave a so beautful and powerful computer in they dust.

This MAC is used to run PhotoShop before, but few companys want to use it.


thanks for your reply.

Hi again, Aray!

No, you should definitely not waste a wonderful computer like a G4 - have you tried the Knoppix live CD to see if you can fix the missing boot data?
You can download this CD for free at either any of the mirror sites linked from http://www.knoppix.org/
or from this site: http://www.linuxcd.org/view_item.php?id_version=330

And yes, you can install Unix-type programmes on a MAC OS X because it's based on FreeBSD (version 4.3, I believe). I understand your concern regarding lack of support for MAC OS X, but since it is based on a Unix clone system, you can find help here about installing and using Linux programmes.

Terri

I will try Knoppix latter, and report result after try to install it

Beacuse I think Debian and Mandrake are very popular, and I will get more help if I got problems, so I plan to install one of them.

thank you agin

I downloaded the image form this URL, http://www.linuxcd.org/view_item.php?id_version=330.

I boot with the Knoppix CD, but there is no installation, It boot to the X system directly. It seems, this is a system on cd, not need to install it.

And also, This system CANN'T find harddisk connecting at ATA100, it can find the harddisk on ata66.

Does someone can help me?

Maybe,as tekhead2 said in http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=168194, OS X modified the firmware, It made linux system can't boot from hardisk.:mad:

Few days latter, If I still can't install a linux on this box, I will ask for support of Apple.

Hi Aray,

I know you are hoping to succeed with Debian or Mandrake, but I thought I'd point out that YellowDog 3.01 is available for free download from LinuxISO.org for free.

I have used YellowDog on my G4 PowerBook and it worked quite well.

The install guide at the Yellow Dog site was helpful.

I went back to OS X though and I have used Fink to run some linux programs.

If you haven't already installed X11 from your OS X cd, you can download it from Apple. Here's an article from O'Reilly about using X11. You may want to do some further digging on their site.

This may not solve your problem, but might provide some alternatives.

Best of Luck...

OK, I am going to download YellowDog and try latter

YellowDog is damn good, it does works.

but It can't find the harddisk which is connect to ata100, while the OS X can.

I am download the rest 2 CDs of YellowDog

Hi there

I got a new problem.:eek:

The harddisk in MAC is ST360021A, YellowDog can't identify it correctly. When partition the disk, the installer show some message, it said, some bugs occured. and halt the system.

if I use ALT + F2 to switch a console before the partition step. I run fdisk command, fdisk /dev/hdc, it show some information about harddisk. the sylinders, sectors, headers are wrong. they are different from the information in the hardisk cover. but I can partition it use fdisk

what should I do if I want to install YellowDog in this harddisk. I installed a YellowDog system in a old, small (12G) harddisk all right.