[ Ports ][ Debian for PowerPC ][ Development ][ Documentation ][ InstallationAs useful and well-written as this article is, it has an incorrect assumption: namely, that support for old Macs will continue in Linux. In fact, 32-bit PowerPC support is going away in most. Basically what the title says, am looking for a linux distro to install on my iMac G5 Power PC. I'm a total Linux noob and have unsuccessfully tried Yellow Dog Linux. Am currently running Lubuntu from disc, but it hangs when trying to install it. Thanks in advance, really 'preciate it. The recently released version 4.0 has support for PowerBook G4 and PowerMac G5 processors (32-bit only, although a full 64-bit edition is currently under development), the Mac-on-Linux emulator for running Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X from within Linux, auto-partitioning and auto-yaboot configuration, as well as support for most hardware found in the.
]Debian GNU/Linux installation on PowerPC machines
Check the following pages for specific information about installing Debian/PowerPC on your system:
There are four major supported powerpc flavors:PMac (Power-Macintosh), Apus, CHRP and PReP machines. Ports to otherpowerpc architectures, such as the Be-Box and MBXarchitecture, are underway but not yet supported by Debian. We mayhave a 64bit port in the future.
There are also four flavours of the powerpc kernel in Debian. Theseare based on the specific CPU type in use (and should not be confusedwith the architecture flavours discussed above):
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Most systems use this kernel flavour, which supports the PowerPC 601,603, 604, 740, 750, and 7400 processors. All Apple Power Macintoshsystems up to and including the G4 use processors supported by thiskernel.
The POWER3 processor is used in older IBM 64-bit server systems: knownmodels include the IntelliStation POWER Model 265, the pSeries 610 and640, and the RS/6000 7044-170, 7043-260, and 7044-270.
The POWER4 processor is used in more recent IBM 64-bit server systems:known models include the pSeries 615, 630, 650, 655, 670, and 690.The Apple G5 is also based on the POWER4 architecture, and uses thiskernel flavour.
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This kernel flavour supports the Amiga Power-UP System.
Apple (and briefly a few other manufacturers - Power Computing, forexample) makes a series of Macintosh computers based on the PowerPCprocessor. For purposes of architecture support, they are categorizedas Nubus, OldWorld PCI, and NewWorld.
Nubus systems are not currently supported by debian/powerpc. Themonolithic Linux/PPC kernel architecture does not have support forthese machines; instead, one must use the MkLinux Mach microkernel,which Debian does not yet support. These include the 6100/7100/8100line of Power Macintoshes.
OldWorld systems are most Power Macintoshes with a floppy drive and aPCI bus. Most 603, 603e, 604, and 604e based Power Macintoshes areOldWorld machines. The beige colored G3 systems are also OldWorld.
The so called NewWorld PowerMacs are any PowerMacs in translucentcolored plastic cases, all iMacs, iBooks, G4 and G5 systems. TheNewWorld PowerMacs are also known for using the `ROM in RAM' systemfor Mac OS, and were manufactured from mid-1998 onwards.
Here is a list of powerpc machines which should work with Debian.
| CHRP | |
| 7248-100,7248-120,7248-132 | PReP |
| Notebook Thinkpad 820: 7247-821/822/823 | PReP |
| Notebook Thinkpad 850: 7247-851/860 | PReP |