OldWorldMacs

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Introduction

I got bored with the linux install on my PowerTower Pro 200, so I decided to install [http://www.ubuntulinux.org/ Ubuntu] on it.

This page tells the story of what I did (mistakes and all), to let people know that it works. There are better ways of doing this, I am sure. Feel free to edit this page, make it better, and share it with friends.

(These instructions apply to Ubuntu's Warty Warthog version. The Hoary Hedgehog and other future versions may require different tricks, or may not install on oldworld macs at all.)

Initial Set Up

The 4 gig hard internal SCSI drive (attached to an Adaptec card) was partitioned as (from a previous install):

  • Partitions 1-4 - normal apple drivers, etc. Partition 5 - 350 MB, HFS, has miboot installed as the loader Partition 6 - 3.6 GB ext3 Partition 7 - 128 MB swap

Booting Linux from a mac can be a black science, and I won't get into it. I use miboot to boot my Mac, it's like yaboot is for New World machines. But you can just as easily use [http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/bootx/ BootX]...and I assume you know how.

[http://users.coastal.ufl.edu/%7Ebarr/ubuntu/miboot_ubuntu_kernels.tar.gz [Link to System Folder with miboot, and installed kernels and initrds to avoid my reinstallation]]

It would be good to get the link above hosted somewhere more permanently...(hint,hint,hint).

The above tarball has the mini System Folder of miboot and all the kernels and initrds that you need to install and then successfully reboot into your new Ubuntu distribution. (Actually, I think it contains the latest kernel as well, 2.6.8.1-3 and the associated initrd.)

If you don't can't use the tarball, then continue here: Mount the Ubuntu CD. Copy path-to-cd/install/powerpc vmlinux to your 'Linux Kernels' folder. Put initrd.gz and initrd.list on your HFS partition, outside your System Folder.

My boot.conf file (used with miboot, values taken from the yaboot.conf file on the CD) has this for an entry, you can pick out the necessary values for BootX:

Default Names from CD

Using tarball

label = install-powerpc

label = install-powerpc

image = vmlinux

image = vmlinux-ubuntu-install

initrd = initrd.gz

initrd = initrd-install.gz

append = "DEBCONF_PRIORITY=critical devfs=mount,dall init=/linuxrc"

append = "DEBCONF_PRIORITY=critical devfs=mount,dall init=/linuxrc"

initrd-size=8192

initrd-size=8192

root = /dev/ram

root = /dev/ram

Now you should be ready to boot.

Install

Ubuntu uses the new debian-installer. The first screen lets you pick your language. Before you select anything, hit ctrl-opt-F2 and drop to a console. I need to do this because the installer doesn't quite get the needed modules installed (one for the CDROM, and one for the onboard ethernet).

At the console prompt type:

modprobe mesh
modprobe mace 

If it says it can't find the module, then 'cd' to the directory (e.g. /lib/modules/2.6.8.1-1/kernel/drivers/scsi ) and try to modprobe it there.

Now the rest of the install proceeds without a hitch until the installer says you need to set up the boot partition. It looks like it's finished. Don't let it finish! (And as a side note, the installer really isn't finished, it's only at 81%. That's just bad design...)

You have to figure out a way to get your newly installed kernels onto your HFS partition so they are accessible to [http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/bootx/ BootX]/miboot. That means for my setup, I have to get them from /target/boot (during the install /dev/sda6 is mounted as /target) to /dev/sda5.

This part tripped me up. Pressing CTRL-OPT-F2 again drops me to a console. The version of mount that I have access in the install didn't let me mount an HFS partition. So I used 'pivot_root' to change into my newly installed distro:

mkdir /target/mnt/foo
/sbin/pivot_root /target /target/mnt/foo

Then I mounted my HFS directory:

mkdir /mnt/foo2
mount -t hfs /dev/sda5 /mnt/foo2
cp /boot/vmlinux-2.6.8.1-1-powerpc /mnt/foo2/Linux\ Kernels/
cp /boot/initrd.img-2.6.8.1-1-powerpc /mnt/foo2
umount /mnt/foo2

Cool!

They are copied, and I think I am nearly done. Unfortunately, the installer isn't really finished, and won't quite finish it's last tasks (thanks to my pivot_root trick, there is no /target anymore like the installer expects. Of course, if the installer were truly finished this wouldn't be an issue!)

So the installer can finish, you can pivot back to the installer's root, putting the target system back in the target directory:

/sbin/pivot_root /mnt/foo /target

then switch back to the installer with CTRL-OPT-F1 and let it finish.

(Note: With the tarball of kernels and initrds from above, which has the install kernel and the 'normal' kernel, put them *both* in place when you are getting ready to install. Then you'll just quit the installer when it prompts you to reboot. Reconfigure BootX/miboot to boot with the 'normal' kernel and initrd to finish the second stage install.)

And Bob's your uncle!

From NathanSprangers Tue Nov 16 01:27:21 +0000 2004 From: Nathan Sprangers Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 01:27:21 +0000 Subject: Copying Kernel and initrd image to hfs volume Message-ID: 20041116012721+0000@www.ubuntulinux.org

I used [http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/bootx/ BootX] to boot the CD so I could run the installer. Once the installer finished I booted from the Debian boot floppies (available at [ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/disks-powerpc/current/powermac/images-1.44/ ftp://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/disks-powerpc/current/powermac/images-1.44/]) and immediately dropped into a shell where I mounted the Ubuntu partition to /mnt and my HFS partition to /target. I copied the kernel and initrd from /mnt/boot to /target then rebooted into Mac OS 9 on the HFS partition.

The last step was to boot into Ubuntu using BootX. I selected the installed kernel and initrd.img and set the boot parameter root=/dev/hda11 where my Ubuntu installation was. From there everything worked smoothly.

An additional note: a previous attempt to install Ubuntu on this machine failed (Open Firmware settings had been changed and I was unable to revert them). I believe it didn't work because I had deleted a partition and created new partitions using Ubuntu's installer. I reformatted the drive using Mac's installer, leaving plenty of free space for Ubuntu's partitions then partitioned that space with the Ubuntu installer. This was done on a Beige Rev B PowerMac G3 with the help of BootX and the Debian install floppies.

From TimCarroll Sun Dec 12 22:32:08 +0000 2004 From: Tim Carroll Date: Sun, 12 Dec 2004 22:32:08 +0000 Subject: Copying kernel and initrd from /boot with SCP Message-ID: <20041212223208+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org

While trying the above solutions on my Wallstreet, I found myself at the end of the installation in /boot and thought to try to send the kernel and initrd files to another machine on my network via secure copy and it worked! Since the installer had configured my Wallstreet on the network via DHCP, this was very easy to do:

scp /boot/vmlinux-* me@theNetworkMachine:~/ 
scp /boot/initrd.img* me@theNetworkMachine:~/ 

Then, once I booted back into MacOS?, I was able to retrieve the files fromt he remote machine to place them in the appropriate places for BootX. For some reason, I still cannot boot into ubuntu, as I have a kernel panic related to not finding my /dev/hda10 partition ("unable to mount root fs") but this is another story...

From S.Nielsen Sun Jan 16 09:10:45 +0000 2005 From: S. Nielsen Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 09:10:45 +0000 Subject: Copying kernel and initrd from /boot with SCP Message-ID: <20050116091045+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org In-Reply-To: <20041212223208+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org

I tried all the above solutions to copy my kernel from /boot but with no luck. I got a wallstreet, and I hope there might be a chance that you could drop me your kernel and initrd.img That will save me all the frustrations, as there seems to be no way I can get there.

From TimCarroll Mon Jan 17 15:17:14 +0000 2005 From: Tim Carroll Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 15:17:14 +0000 Subject: re: Copying kernel and initrd from /boot with SCP Message-ID: <20050117151714+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org

To be sure, I did the pivot_root trick above, before I did my scp trick, so I had access to the scp on the installed partition.

Here is a link to my kernel and initrd files: http://www.boomboom.com/wallstreet/

I hope this helps! If you need more help, please write me at fats@boomboom.com.

From RaylynnKnight Thu Jan 20 21:12:03 +0000 2005 From: Raylynn Knight Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 21:12:03 +0000 Subject: Copying kernel and initrd Message-ID: <20050120211203+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org

I managed the copying of the kernel and initrd by using a USB thumb drive. My G3 has a PCI USB card. I plugged in a USB JumpDrive and just before the installer rebooted I copied the kernel and initrd from /boot to the JumpDrive. After reboot I re-entered MacOS and copied the kernel and initrd from the JumpDrive to the MacOS partition.

tlunde adds:

Works fine for me. 1998 Wallstreet Series 1, 250mhz. Installed to an external SCSI drive (just didn't want to mess up my OS X install on the internal drive until I was sure it would be OK).

One note: If you find that you have a vertical line of fuzz running down the left side of your screen after X starts, try adding: video=atyfb,vmode:14,cmode:8,mclk:71 to your boot parameters in BootX.

From ChrisLobkowicz Sat Feb 5 06:32:47 +0000 2005 From: Chris Lobkowicz Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2005 06:32:47 +0000 Subject: What worked for my G3 Gossamer (beige desktop) Message-ID: 20050205063247+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org

I installed as per the instructions above. What seems to need further clarification is BootX configuration. I wont cover BootX config, the link is here on this page, and the documentation with BootX is more than adequate.<br> ---Install (boot from the cd)--- copy vmlinux and initrd.gz from /cd/install/powerpc to the /MacOS-disk/System/Linux Kernels/ rename the kernel to install-vmlinux, and the ramdisk to install-initrd.gz - no additional kernel parameters

---PostInstall Boot the installed Ubuntu System--- however you get your kernel file to the Linux Kernels folder is up to you.(scp, pivot_root, floppy, whatever) Set BootX to the new kernel, installed initrd.img ramdisk, no additional kernel parameters. Might be a good idea to rename the installed images install-vmlinux and install-initrd.img

This worked for me, I have a beige G3 desktop, Gossamer systemboad, not sure of what firmware rev. But I have an ide hard disk on the primary controller, and an ide cdrom on the secondary controller, no scsi for me.

Your mileage may vary, but this is what worked for me. Further documentation is here in the forums:

http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=13834

Additional Screen-fuzz question:

Please forgive me for any mistake as I am testing this wiki for the first time.

I just wonder if anybody has solved the issue of vertical bar/flicker on the wallstreet screen.

I have tried editing the booX parameters according to Ray's instruction but the flickr is still there...

From unknown Tue Mar 15 18:37:13 +0000 2005 From: Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 18:37:13 +0000 Subject: Custom / expert install via BootX? Message-ID: <20050315183713+0000@https://www.ubuntulinux.org>

I am having good luck with an Ubuntu install on my Wallstreet G3 Powerbook, but I am hard-drive-space challenged (I only have ~1.4GB for Ubuntu) and keep running out of disk space.

How do I pass the 'custom' or 'server-expert' commands to the install process using BootX?

From DaveM Fri Apr 8 19:15:53 +0100 2005 From: DaveM Date: Fri, 08 Apr 2005 19:15:53 +0100 Subject: Kernel Panic! aaahh! Message-ID: <20050408191553+0100@https://www.ubuntulinux.org>

I have a PM7500 with a G3 card in it and 2 hard drives (2gig and 9gig). I have OS8.6 on the 2 gig and managed to install hoary 5.04 release canditate on the 9gig. I got the kernel and initrd.img file by booting my G4 from a live cd and then copying them to a USB thumb drive. I keep trying differnent combiations of settings but I can't get the machine to boot to Ubuntu. I have G3 cache on, force video on, I have tried it with the initrd file and without and then used the "no video driver" check box.

when I can actually see video I get "Kernel panic can't find sda2 or something like that.

any thoughts?

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