I got an old iMac PowerPC G3 that I want to put into use again:

http://www.used-istuff.com/images/iMac-G3-01.jpg

It is currently running the Mac OS (Tiger) and still seem to be very slow...

So I am wondering if there is a small and fast PPC Linux distro and would run on it? Nothing too fancy I don't need the 3D cube but it would be great if it can stream YouTube videos, use Pidgin and FireFox... just an internet terminal for guests... which the Mac OS just doesn't cut it as of now, it is just too slow...

First things first. there were many different specs for the venerable G3 iMac...Click on the apple logo on the top left [desktop] and select "about this mac" good start to determine RAM [pc100 BTW]... Then press "more information" to find out things like airport [wireless] and cpu clock [anywhere from 233 to 700]. Debian has been the best for me on minimum spec equipment. But .. to be honest, osx in the 10.3.9 [Panther] carnation, still serves me very well indeed, on even decent equipment. That 10.4.X is wayyy too bloated, kinda like ubuntu will be also IMHO. Set-up of X is the only obstacle I know of.. and that is easily surmountable if you go the Debian route. Also , like I don't recommend 10.4 I also can't recommend the latest version of Linux's either.. But... It is your machine!
RP

Shoot... Double Post
OK I'll use it..Look Here
http://penguinppc.org/about/distributions.php
RP

1 members found this post helpful.

From my memory it is a 500mhz PPC with 256 MB of RAM.

From that list and what you recommended... I would nail it down to Arch and Debian.

Me Too! Good Choices! But with twice that RAM 10.3 is darn good.
Good Luck, and if ya go Debian I know of a post [I have to find] that will guide you, or heck Google is your friend.
RP

I see in that case I might try to downgrade to 10.3 first because it would be nice to be able to YouTube as flash on PPC Linux can be tricky as the problem with 10.4 was that it is basically too unresponsive for GUI computing.

yep Arch, Debian or even Slackware
good light Slackware based distro is SalixOS
very nice
http://www.salixos.org/wiki/index.php/Home

for debian do a minimal install with light wm's
you can take some debian here with all kinds of wms
and remaster them too
http://linux.softpedia.com/progMoreB...isX-31789.html

both chrysalis and xodus are lite and all have flash,etc

Thanks for you suggestions, however those seem to be designed for x86 rather than PPC.

Here's some ideas:

http://distrowatch.com/search.php?ca...&status=Active

sorry
didnt realize that

Slackintosh seems interesting too.