Linux for 601-based PPC Macs?

jTepp... asks: "The company I work for is upgrading the majority of our systems, and migrating to Linux for most of the machines. I have a lab full of early PPC Macs that I now have been told to Migrate to Linux if possible, or scrap the entire room and start over. Since this would come directly out of my IT budget, and I need to use it for other projects, I'd rather keep the machines. The catch is that most of these units are powered by 601 chips, for which I'm having a difficult time finding a flavor of Linux that will support. I see support for older chips, and newer chips, but not the 601. Anyone know why? Or where I can find support?"

Comments

Re:mklinux

[Phexro]

I can second this. I have MkLinux running on a PowerMac 7100/80. Not running fast, mind you, but running.

I know that work has been done more recently to get Linux to run natively on NuBus hardware, but I haven't played with it. I'd recommend that you try that first.

Re:mklinux

[grammar nazi]

I third this. I successfully ran MkLinux on a PowerMac 7100/80 from late 1996 (an early version) until just early 2001. Granted, that I only used the PowerPC as a fileserver the last few years, it never failed me.

During the first 3-4 years, MkLinux was my XServer to Solaris workstations in my schools engineering building. I would even run Motif from the engineering building, displaying itself on X in my dorm.

One impressive point is that enventually, when I gave the Mac away (Summer 2001), my friend noticed a few h4xx0red programs running in the background. Apparently, all of those years as a file server allowed somebody to hack in. I even reinstalled in the newer version of MkLinux 2000.

The coolest thing about the Mac is that I still needed the Mac OS 7.6 to boot MkLinux. I was able to install the entire Mac OS 7.6 + CD reading extensions + MkLinux booter + SimpleText onto an 8 MB partition!