• Hello MLAers! We've re-enabled auto-approval for accounts. If you are still waiting on account approval, please check this thread for more information.

What unix for a dual 604e 200MHz in an 8600?

beachycove

beachycove

68030
The subject line says it all: what to run on a dual 604e 200 MHz in an 8600.

I had been thinking about installing BeOS, but it looks a little too limiting (though v.5 will probably go on one of the drives anyway), and MacOS, well, you know the story there. Some early versions of OSX can be installed, but XPostFacto provides no support for dual processors, and X in any form would be too slow on this hardware anyway. So, it'll have to be open source.

Any advice to an open source newcomer? I have been thinking about openSuse. Would this be a good choice?

 
I would recommend Debian. The only thing is that installing GNU/Linux on an "Old World" Macintosh like the 8600 take a little more elbow grease than installing on a "New World" Macintosh. You need to use the BootX bootloader and it only runs on Mac OS 9 or below (you can create a small partition for it). From there, it will boot to your GNU/Linux partition (there's an extension that brings BootX up first so you don't have to fully boot into Mac OS just to get to GNU/Linux).

BootX: http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/bootx/

To start the installation, you would have to point BootX to the kernel and initrd ramdisk that's on the disc. Once you've done that and click on the Linux button, it will boot the installation. After the installation is finished, don't reboot. You'll need to copy the freshly installed kernel and initrd ramdisk from the Debian partition over to the Mac OS partition. This can be done by first loading the modules for HFS (or HFS+ depending on how you created the Mac OS partition). The modules are "hfs" and "hfsplus". Once those are loaded, you can mount your Mac OS partition and then copy over the kernel and initrd ramdisk. Thjen you can reboot to your Mac OS partition and point BootX to the newly copied kernel and initrd ramdisk.

It sounds more complicated than it really is, trust me. It's just that I have to explain everything in detail so that you don't miss a step. :p

 
First and most invaluable piece of advice is:

Linux != UNIX

NetBSD is heavy going if you are new to Open Source OSs, there's a lot of terminal hacking and guff that sometimes is poorly explained (I have been fighting it for the last week and I'm only just winning here, but then I am using it on a more obscure platform than macppc).

There is a PowerPC distro of Ubuntu here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ports/releases/8.04/release/

I recommend you try it and see if you like it. It's a LiveCD so you can safely boot and use it without harming your hard disk contents.

 
I am using it on a more obscure platform than macppc
Click to expand...
Which, if I might ask?

Also, does Linux/macPPC do SMP? I seem to recall it not doing so on OpenBSD, which handles SMP fine on other platforms... am I wrong?

 
I tried • Mac (PowerPC) and IBM-PPC (POWER5) desktop CD, on dual G5

works great! but could not use the extra GUI effects ... sure nice distribution :) thx for tip SVP ;)

 
NetBSD, baby.
Click to expand...
Which, if I might ask?

Also, does Linux/macPPC do SMP? I seem to recall it not doing so on OpenBSD, which handles SMP fine on other platforms... am I wrong?
Click to expand...
I believe Linux does support SMP on the PowerMac. NetBSD, I don't believe does. Although I could be wrong about NetBSD; it's been years since I've tried it on an old world PowerMac. Version 2, I believe, was the last version of NetBSD I ever installed on a PPC Macintosh.

 
I believe Linux does support SMP on the PowerMac. NetBSD, I don't believe does. Although I could be wrong about NetBSD; it's been years since I've tried it on an old world PowerMac. Version 2, I believe, was the last version of NetBSD I ever installed on a PPC Macintosh.
Click to expand...
NetBSD has had SMP since 2.0, though they are gradually improving the locking mechanisms used.

I've only used NetBSD on m68k.

 
I guess NetBSD does support SMP then. I know that Linux does. You should get two Tux (penguin) images on the top of your screen when you boot.

 
The 8600 is an old world Mac. You can't use a LiveCD on an old world Mac. Well, you can use it. You just can't boot it.
Click to expand...
Surely you can drop into the OpenFirmware and boot it using manual 'boot ' prompt...?

EDIT: It appears not, because the OpenFirmware is broken. That's kinda stupid...

I believe Linux does support SMP on the PowerMac. NetBSD, I don't believe does. Although I could be wrong about NetBSD; it's been years since I've tried it on an old world PowerMac. Version 2, I believe, was the last version of NetBSD I ever installed on a PPC Macintosh.
Click to expand...
NetBSD doesn't *yet*, it will do with 5.0 apparently, which is due later this year.

I think most popular PPC Linux distros support SMP, but I'm not sure if that applies to a 8/9600 or not.

Which, if I might ask?
Click to expand...
NetBSD/cobalt-mipsel (for my Cobalt Qube2)

 
The 8600 is an old world Mac. You can't use a LiveCD on an old world Mac. Well, you can use it. You just can't boot it.
Click to expand...
Surely you can drop into the OpenFirmware and boot it using manual 'boot ' prompt...?

EDIT: It appears not, because the OpenFirmware is broken. That's kinda stupid...

I believe Linux does support SMP on the PowerMac. NetBSD, I don't believe does. Although I could be wrong about NetBSD; it's been years since I've tried it on an old world PowerMac. Version 2, I believe, was the last version of NetBSD I ever installed on a PPC Macintosh.
Click to expand...
NetBSD doesn't *yet*, it will do with 5.0 apparently, which is due later this year.

I think most popular PPC Linux distros support SMP, but I'm not sure if that applies to a 8/9600 or not.

Which, if I might ask?
Click to expand...
NetBSD/cobalt-mipsel (for my Cobalt Qube2)
Click to expand...
You have to use BootX in order to start an installation from the installation disc. You're required to have a Mac OS partition for it, but it doesn't have to be large and there's an extension that allows you to boot to GNU/Linux before even loading the entire Mac OS. You can use quik if you don't want a Mac OS partition on an Old World Mac, but it's safer to use BootX. And yes, OF on the Old World Macs was extremely buggy and you can only view it through a terminal connection through the serial port.

I've installed Ubuntu 5.04 on a StarMax 4000 even though it said it didn't support Old World Macs. Debian will most certainly work as well. But again, your best bet is to use BootX.

 
A friend of mine tried YellowDog once an concluded 'there's a good reason why it has 'Dog' in the name!' I suspect he was using an older version though, and it wasn't on a Mac.

If Linux from a modern distribution like Ubuntu, Debian, SuSE, Fedora et al is no feasible (or at least easy) on a 8600 then you are pretty much stuck with YDL or NetBSD, and anything else that explicitly supports Old World machines.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

stynx
Apple/Daystar Dual 200MHz 604e CPU card - core voltage -
Replies
2
Views
746
stynx
stynx
PB145B
Finally got a Macintosh II!
2
Replies
32
Views
6K
PB145B
PB145B
W
I compiled Mbed-TLS with Codewarrior 4 (attempting to make an HTTPS client)
2
Replies
20
Views
5K
lubert
L
bigmessowires
setting up a G4 Tower Quicksilver 933 MHz
8 9 10
Replies
188
Views
32K
volvo242gt
volvo242gt
Crutch
Presenting TidyMenus
2
Replies
23
Views
5K
demik
demik
Back
Top