I did it to revive an aging hardware platform and provide a computer to a friend. Debian stable but could be a bit of a projectsteep learning curve getting it installed and learning how it works. Ive experimented with linux and bsd macs going back to the mac iici. The powerpc port of the crux linux distribution is a contributed project by. Can anyone recommend a good, supported linux live boot cd for a mac ppc.
The best linux distributions for mac users addictivetips. Backslash linux is relatively new and relatively unknown entrant in the linux distribution world. Check out the handbook here, select the ppc architecture obviously. This article shows how to use fullyfeatured, productionproven ibm developer kits for java technology for linux distributions for ibm power and ibm powerpc hardware on linux for apple powerpc hardware. Jul 19, 2017 trenta os is a stylish, open source operating system that attempts to give a premium feel to the linux ecosystem.
Syslinux facilitates the remote installation of several linux distributions through its pxelinux tool. The application is simple, straightforward, and small. In stead, i have a mac powerbook g3 lombard with os 9. We cant say that trenta os is the first choice for mac users, as a lot of other linux distributions do what trenta proposes to do, only better. It supports 64bit and 32bit hardware, with 64bit supporting both little and big endian. The gnome shell desktop environment has a lot of similarities when it comes to macos. Those of you still rocking powerpc hardware can inject new life with the right distribution. Normally id only recommend linux on powerpc to those who like to dabble with systems as theres no real performance gain, however, as i detailed in my first post, my current wheezy install is. A legacy linux distribution for powerpc systems that runs the linux. If you are looking for a distribution with the latest kernel, select linux from the. Countless more apps and games are available from the software. Dec 08, 20 yellowdog linux very old and the company has no interest in mac linux any more hence why so old and not updated. Let us track your sales conversations, eliminate admin tasks, get you more leads and uncover how you win, because your day belongs to you.
Void ppc does not operate as an independent distro, and will not accept such software. Bootx is a mac os application, so you have to boot mac os first, and then boot linux next. Unlike other distros, gentoo linux has an advanced package management system called portage. Zorin os is without question one of the best linux distros currently available. Pipedrive is crm software that makes your life easy, for less legwork and more sales.
This capable linux boot manager is exceptionally stable and shipped as free software under the terms of gnu gpl. Een deel wil graag een tweede os naast macos terwijl anderen liever gaan voor een. I believe there is some additional complexity in accomplishing this. As i alluded to in my last post, the answer to booting an old world ppc mac from a linux cd lies in a venerable and wholly unsupported piece of mac os software called bootx. Linux breathes new life into old mac computers infoworld. Revive a powerpc mac running linux the mac observer. Interview with casey cullen, the creator of fienix, a powerpc. In this feature we look at how to install linux on a mac including how to completely replace. Free, secure and fast windows os distribution software downloads from the largest open source applications and software directory. If you have a dvd drive, you can simply burn the iso image of lubuntu 16. If you installed refind, the boot manager automatically appears. Their development team is small but they are always available to help you on cruxppc forum. I first think of suse, but look like suse stop supporting ppc architecture, so i cant find a suse iso for ppc.
No offense to the other guys, but sometimes i wonder if some of the other distros can. Zelfs als je nog een oude powerpc mac hebt staan met een goeie oude. Revive your old mac g3, g4, or g5 with linux ghacks tech. If you are looking for a distribution with the latest kernel, select linux from the dropdown box below and type the version number into the text box next to it. The isolinux tool of this bootloader suite is widely used for creating live linux usb disks. Linux for mac ppc i have a friend who has a mac computer a g4, these mac are so niiiiice, really better quality than pc and he want to try linux on it. Linux distribution for ppc powerpc architecture nixcraft. May 17, 2014 as i alluded to in my last post, the answer to booting an old world ppc mac from a linux cd lies in a venerable and wholly unsupported piece of mac os software called bootx. On top of that i had the whole of the linux catalog of software at my disposal.
Compare the best free open source windows os distribution software at sourceforge. If youre not sure which one is right for you, cinnamon 64bit. If you are planning on doing a new installation of mac os x, though, do it before installing debian. Ubuntu is also well catered for in terms of software support, with a rich. A linux distribution aimed at the powerpc architecture, with the aim of providing more modern software and support for older apple hardware, in an attempt to fill the void of distributions that remain active in.
Some ibook2 hardware, especially on recently introduced. If you chose not to use refind, then as soon as your mac starts to boot up, hold down the option key. Whats the best linux distro for mac powerbook g3 lombard. For a mac user recently switching to linux, ubuntu is a good choice. The 15 best linux bootloader for home and embedded systems. There is a whole learning curve going to a different operating system and using primarily free open source software that may have the power of commercial apps but you need to figure out how to access it. Just like other distro it is a free software and opensource linux. Im looking to install linux on an old ibook g4, which runs on powerpc insofar as i can tell. If you have a dvd drive, you can simply burn the iso image of lubuntu. Debian, which is the upstream source for probably the majority of desktop linux distributions, officially shot its powerpc. For mandrake users, the tool diskdrake is a much friendlier and more flexible guibased tool to do the same thing. Just because it cant run the latest and greatest version of macos doesnt necessarily mean its time to put it out to pasture. Debian is a registered trademark of software in the public interest, inc.
Mac os x leopard was released in 2007, given its very last security update in 2011, and is the ultimate version of mac os x compatible with the. These days, thanks to apples move to intel about a decade back, bringing new life to an old mac by installing your favorite linux distro is just as easy as it is with a standard pc, as you will. Ppc linux for nubus power macs to develop and maintain a port of powerpc linux for apple jamvm jamvm is a new java virtual machine conforming to the gnu prolog for linux what is gnu prolog. The included software works best on g3 and g4 processors. Interview with casey cullen, the creator of fienix, a. If looks were the only thing, backslash linux does a marvelous job of imitating the looks of macos. There is a dearth of enterpriselevel commercial software for linux on the mac. But this is secondary to simply getting linux to run on the ppc mac. Bootx is a mac os application, so you have to boot mac os first, and then boot linux. Jul 04, 2017 like fedora, opensuse is a more bleeding edge version of linux. I found some on the net, but the ones i found seemed old and unsupported. Other distributions of linux unix are available for the ppc platform as well. This is made possible with a tool called fwcutter for. Ibm does not offer service support for these configurations and so the author is not encouraging.
We wrote this article with it, so we know the answer. Besides powerpc, opensource, and linux, i enjoy video games and i think. Freebsd is a unixlike operating system for the i386, amd64, ia64, arm, mips, powerpc, ppc64, pc98 and ultrasparc platforms based on u. Linux on macs is possible but what are the best distros. I assume at least someone here is using some kind of linux distributioin on their mac. Top 10 free linux distributions for desktop and servers all the linux distributions are either derivative of gnu linux os made up of linux kernel developed by linus torvalds and gnu software repository or derived from other linux. Keep holding it down until you see the mac s boot manager display a list of available devices you can start up from. Serveronly linux distribution designed to be secure. Getting the revival on for your powerpc mac running linux. By far the best way to install linux on a mac is to use virtualisation software, such as virtualbox or parallels desktop.
An open source office suite that provides a good alternative to commercial office tools on linux, windows and mac os x platforms. Be aware that the use of ibm java environments on apple ppc hardware is not supported by ibm. Gentoo may suit, youll also learn a whole lot about linux installing it. It supports 64bit and 32bit hardware, with 64bit supporting both little and big endian modes, while aiming to be legacyfree, using the elfv2 abi for both. Joe barr why replace mac os x with linux on an apple emac. With unetbootin for mac you can create a live bootable usb disk with real ease and simplicity. You could also check out yellow dog linux7 here, yellow dog used to be the main mac ppc distribution im not sure where it stands in linux world now. Does the powerpc based mac mini g4 make a useful daily driver in 2019. Suse was once one of the great userfriendly desktop linux distributions, but ubuntu eventually took that crown. I got the idea to create a new linux distribution after ubuntu announced that powerpc support would be discontinued after 16.
Tempted to try the ppc linux distros but the last time i installed linux distro. Ibm developer kits for java technology on apple powerpc hardware. Jun 10, 2009 yellow dog linux is a linux distribution that is only created for ppc architecture. Jan 20, 2004 for mandrake users, the tool diskdrake is a much friendlier and more flexible guibased tool to do the same thing. Portage is a true ports system in the tradition of bsd ports, but is pythonbased and sports a number. What you need to get started depends on what type of optical drive you have in your g4 or g5based powerbook or mac. The popularity of the open source software and linux is rising with each passing year, and more people are learning linux. I have not installed linux on my mac s but use the livecd as a. A lot had been said lately about running linux on powerpc and it reminds me a lot about the argument of pcs vs mac. Many linux distributions provide an installation system akin to that provided with other modern operating systems. Mandriva known as mandrake before that was once one of the great userfriendly linux.
The only powerpc macs that can use a 64bit operating system are g5 imacs and power macs. The ubuntu distribution brings the spirit of ubuntu to the software world. Jan 22, 2020 download linux software in the linux distributions category. My friend jack asked me a couple of weeks ago to help. Unetbootin for mac os x is a free crossplatform application that allows you to create bootable usb flash drive for various linux distributions without burning and wasting cds the application is simple, straightforward, and small. Also take a look at yellow dog linux, its a linux distribution specifically for powerpcbased macs. Search the distrowatch database for distributions using a particular package. Void linux for powerpcpower isa unofficial void linux ppc is a staging fork of the void linux distribution intended for the powerpcpower architecture. Booting a linux cd on your old world powerpc mac quadras. List of linux distributions jump to navigation jump to search. Revive your old mac g3, g4, or g5 with linux ghacks tech news. If youre looking for a truly modern build of linux for your g5 you dont have very many choices anymore.
Mageia is a fork of mandriva linux created in 2011. The only thing unique about any distribution is the software they choose to bundle in a distribution, the versions of each software package, the installation program, package management, configuration tools, desktop managers and the directory layout. Debian runs nicely on a g3 ibook, jason packer, macs in the enterprise, 2008. Using yaboot, you can choose among multiple linux distributions andor macos versions at boot time. One nice thing about running linux on ppc machines is that you can run the free software tool mac on linux this way. Heb je een mac, maar zou je graag linuxapplicaties willen gebruiken, of wordt je. In this article, ill show you how you can revive a powerpc mac running linux, like im doing on the powerbook g4 im using to write this article. Operating systems for powerpc macs macrumors forums. One of my first computers was a power mac, and i remember thinking the little. We love our community and we rely on your contributions, both code and financial, to bring. I have a friend who has a mac computer a g4, these mac are so niiiiice, really better quality than pc and he want to try linux on it. Linux mint is a great default distro for new linux users, as it comes with a lot of the software youll need when switching from mac or windows, such as libreoffice, the favored.
For those users, selecting linux distro with a smooth learning curve is. Oct 23, 2012 unetbootin for mac os x is a free crossplatform application that allows you to create bootable usb flash drive for various linux distributions without burning and wasting cds. More info can be found at the powerpc linux wiki, your onestop shop for everything linux on powerpc. One of the only pitfalls of using yellow dog linux is you might have to extract the firmware from your current, working os x in order to get the wireless working. I recently booted lubuntu from cd not installed on hd on my 1. On the other hand, some distributions, including gentoo linux, provide only the binaries of a basic kernel, compilation tools, and an installer. Fienix is focused on providing a more curated assortment of software that is. Using yaboot, you can choose among multiple linux distributions andor. Unlike linux distributions, which are defined as integrated software solutions consisting of the linux kernel and thousands of software applications, freebsd is a tightly integrated operating system built from a bsd kernel and the socalled userland therefore usable even without extra applications. Ubuntu has a livecd version which will run on mac ppc prior to intel cpu. I use to run crux ppc as my favourite distro on apple g4 and g5 and an old power4 workstation. Jul 14, 2010 im a quite happy linux on powerpc users.
Some people defend their favorite os to death and theyre so passionate that its hard to talk about it without offending someone. Debian ppc this distro works very well but some software doesnt update, the system. The reason i say a distribution is because i wanted to know if any particular distribution not necessarily fedora core was better for my mac. Adelie linux is a free, libre operating environment based on the linux kernel. We aim for posix compliance, compatibility with a wide variety of computers, and ease of use without sacrificing features, setting us apart from other linux distributions. If youre wed to mac software, linux probably isnt going to be on our daily driver mac. From a full microsoft officecompatible office suite to professional photo editing software, zorin os comes with powerful apps out of the box. Freebsd 28 freebsd is a unixlike operating system for the i386, amd64, ia64, arm.
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