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Mandrake Linux 8.0 Final Released For PPC
rstewart points to this press release, writing: "Mandrake has released version 8.0 final for the PPC architecture. Now Mac users have a choice of distributions between Mandrake and Yellow Dog. Now if only we could easily buy parts and build them cheap in our basements. " And PPC choices already include SuSE, LinuxPPC, Debian, NetBSD and more.
(Linux is a great way to put older Mac Hardware to use!) Mandrake offer's great online installation instructions, too! Also, check out the Mandrake Linux PPC 8.0 FAQ (it says "beta", but applies to the more recent releases, as well.)
Curious George
***General Consultant to the Human Race*** My opinions are free. You get what you pay for.
Well, the very slowest PPC made (601 at 60MHz, circa 1994) was still far faster than a pentium 60.
That machine won't run LinuxPPC though; a 100MHz 601 in a 7500 is probably the minimum.
That's about like a pentium 120.
What's the machine you're going to run it on? I think you'll be pleasantly surprised... a 300MHz G3 runs Linux quite fast... and that's basically an iMac. I'm not sure where it'd stack compared with a Sparc (which Sparc? Ultra-IIi 400MHz is one thing; an old Sparc Classic is quite another).
-- "Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything." -Joseph Stalin
Reformat your hard drive. You need an hfs partition (not hfs+) to install the boot loader on. This is a good place to put OS9 if you want to run Mac on Linux.
Install Linux. This includes setting up your swap, root, and other partitions.
Install yaboot (a lilo like program) onto the hfs partition. Configure yaboot. No worse than lilo
Set up the open firmware to boot lilo (not too hard), or set up the open firmware for dual boot. Dual booting is the hardest part, although there are some tools that automate the process. I dual boot so I can play with OS X. Mac on Linux meets all of my OS9 needs.
The distributions keep getting better and better. GCC is a general purpose compiler, so it generates general purpose (real slower) code on almost every platform. I've been using some flavor of PPC Linux for almost 2 years now, and find the platform to be very mature.
The middle mind speaks!
I don't think that is going to work. In the 2.4.9 kernel, inserting the ohci1394 module into the kernel has the effect of shutting down the machine. Apparently there is an adverse interaction between the 1349 code and the power management unit on the PowerBook. Therefore, you are not going to be able to use the FireWire port for anything significant until the 1394 drivers are cleaned up a bit. Give it a month, I'd guess, because there are very smart people actively hacking on this.
Finaly something I know something about.
I've installed linux on PCs and macs. The 2 macs I've installed on are "old world" machines a starmax motorola clone and a 7200.
It was fairly easy and straightforward (the documentation could have been better though.....)
I used linuxPPC The one thing that helps on the ppc side is that most hardware is fairly standard and autodetected.
It works great.. I have a firewall/ip masq machine and a server...