Slashdot Mirror
Running Multiple OSes on Macs?
raist_online asks: "My boss has just received a new iBook and asked me to sort out a multi-OS install. I'll admit to being a PC hardware person primarily. If it was a PC-based machine I'd install Linux as a base system, then put Executor on for Mac emulation and VMWare for other PC hosted OS's, but I'm sure there must be a better way to handle the Linux / Mac thing with OSX around (I'm just not sure what that is) and I know that VMWare only runs on PC processors (Intel and Athlons). So, what do you suggest? Yellow Dog or Mandrake Linux? OSX or Executor or what? Is there a virtual PC I can use? For our research, the more operating systems we can get onto this one machine, the better!"
Virtual PC will run both Linux and Windows flavors in a Mac "VM" so to speak. I haven't used it myself, but I've read that it's pretty nice.
YDL comes with a host to run MAC Classic OS inside of Linux. MaconLinux or some such thing.
The first thing you need to do is create separate virtual partions. This makes everything that comes next easier.
OSX on one, OS9 on the other, Linux on the rest is one way to go.
A lot of Linux/UNIX can run in OSX, including Xwindows.
Virtual PC is a reasonable option if you need Windows compaibility. Go with YellowDog Linux (or Mandrake, Debian, FreeBSD, etc) if you don't.
Some HD space would be nice, but not absolutely essential.
I currently have OSX/OS9/YDL 2.1(2.4.10 kernel) running native and Win95/98/XP running via Virtual PC5 (connectix). Works fine.
As usual, a simple search on google turns up lots of links. Like this which describes a "Linux installation on an Apple iBook" as a triple boot system with Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, and Debian Linux. You then run your PC emulator in OS 9.
http://people.debian.org/~branden/ibook.html
Mac OS X (currently at version 10.1.2) is a fine UNIX-like operating system, which uses a customized Mach mikrokernel and BSD libraries and userland utilities, as well as Apple APIs Carbon and Cocoa, to provide a replacement for Mac OS 9 as a next-generation operating system on Mac hardware. Give it RAM.
NetBSD also runs on Macs, and the suppor is very good. AFAIK, the port is in the main tree and development is at the typical moderate rate. I've never used it but of course it's BSD so it could make a good server OS choice, and it's another OS to throw into the mix.
Linux comes in many flavors for the Mac; as I recall most of the major players have PPC or Mac versions and a few minor ones do as well. SuSe, YDL, LinuxPPC, and a lot more are available. Since you read /. I don't think I have to go in to what Linux is or can do, so just point your browser to the LinuxPPC.org site for info down that avenue.
Dual booting sucks.
Multiple machines rule.
Yet do you really need 2 machines to do the job? Do you need to run close source Linux apps?
Figure out the specifics of why you need Linux, granted it's free and great and all, but Mac OS X is a Unix, with just about everything. I haven't had a problem compiling any source code, and the interface, while not as snappy as Microsofts or OS 9, still beats the piss out of xf86, and you can run xf86 rootless!
YellowDog is a pretty good dist. of linux.
/, swap, home, opt, etc. )
It might be a bit tricky to install. Pay close
attention to the instructions.
Look at MOL (Mac-On-Linux) and some
other options.
For multiple boot, "YABootLoader" is pretty
cool. Similar to LILO on WinTel boxes, you'll
get an OS menu and their respective keystrokes. I think it was something like:
M for MacOS 9.x
X for MacOS X.x
L for Linux
Think long and hard about your partition scheme before you get started.
I recommend this:
1) Boot from a MacOS 9.2.x CD and wipe
the drive with drive setup.
2) When partitioning the drive, do it like this:
(in this order on a 20 GB drive)
10 MB for Boot Loader (double check instr)
256 MB for MacOS 9
6 GB for MacOS X
(check min. requirement)
Whatever's left or min requirement) for
Linux install (use pdisk during install
to partition for
3) Install MacOS 9 first
4) Install Mac OS X
5) Boot into OS 9, install YDL
6) Double check instructions for YABootloader.
There's VPC for Windows stuff.
It works pretty well once you get it going.
It's kind of a pain in the ass to install it
if you don't read the READMEs.
RTFM is the rule.
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
Here.
Has some really useful features, such as disk-safe undo that isn't available on windows.
I especially like the tagline:
With the advent of this new version, PC users have no problem crossing over to the Mac. It's one thing to tell PC users that a Mac is better, but to show them that even a PC is better when it runs on a Mac really drives the point home.
You drank my drink, you drunk!
If installing Linux, I suggest Debian GNU/Linux. I've had better luck with their distro on PPC Macs than other distributions. (Maybe I'm just more used to apt than RPM.)
You might also want to check out MacOnLinux, which lets you run MacOS on top of Linux.
Finally, there's always Darwin and X Windows!
With multiple partitions, she/he could boot into any OS. The advantage is that each OS would run at full power, the disadvantage is that all Windows and many Unix flavors would be unavailable.
With VirtualPC, they could run pretty much any OS. And they could have a multitude of OSes running in different windows at the same time. Last VPC I used was version 2, which was good. Version 5 is supposed to be phenomenal.
But there could be different options which would be more appropriate depending on what he/she is trying to accomplish. Is this just a power trip, or is there a serious reason for this?
I'm running MkLinux, so I use BootX. There's YaBoot too.
I'm running MacOS/YDL dual boot on an iMac that I fished out of the trash. Install was painless. Runs nicely.
I would also check out SuSe for PPC. I've recently installed SuSe 7.3 on my Vaio laptop and really like it much better than RH. If you purchase the SuSe distro, you get some pretty good docs/manuals that your boss might find handy. I think these are better than what I've seen so far from YDL. Providing him with some resources may mean that you'll have less support/hand-holding to do.
Sig?
Sigue Sigue Sputnik!!!
If i install Yellowdog linux on a mac, would i be able to run windows applications inside wine? If so then you could have linux, OSX, and the windows of your choince running at the same time. Is this possible? will it work?
-Windchill2001 The One, The Only, The Cold...
You mentioned VMWare in the question and I just wanted to point out something for anyone that doesn't know. VMWare virtualizes PC hardware, it won't run on a PPC. VirtualPC was mentioned before and that seems to be the accepted PC on Mac emulation solution.
i've searched the web over, but haven't been able to find anything on this particular tid bit of information. how is pc gaming on macs via virtual pc 5 (or 4)? specifically, how is counterstrike in software mode? i doubt 3d acceration would work, but if i could get 25-30 fps software mode in 800x600, that would be the main convincing factor in buying that Ti powerbook g4 i've been eyeing since just before christmas for college. so i guess the questions are as follows:
1) does it run directXapps (halflife)
2)how many frames per second will I be seeing if it does work?
moox. for a new generation.
This is the kind of question I'd expect to see while browsing through comp.mac.beginner or similar. You really need to learn how to search for your answers or you aren't going to be help to anyone. If you had gone to any Mac-related site or even done a Google search on a term you used, "virtual pc" you would have found that Connectix makes an x86 emulator for Mac OS X called (drumroll please) "Virtual PC"!