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Re: ** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd?

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"Malt" <Mmm@aol.com> writes:

> Hello There:
>
> I got an IMac G5 PowerPc with Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger operating system.
> I would like to install Linux in it, I downloaded Ubuntu, Xubuntu,
> Debian and
> I have Kopix as well. When I boot the Imac, with the cd inside I press "C"
> to boot up from the Cd/Dvd to no avail. I tried with all the Linux.
> I tried also to press the "Option" key but won't read the Cd/Dvd
> unless it is
> a Mac cd like the 10.4 Tiger operating system.  My question is the
> following:
> Is a IMac G5 PowerPc able to boot up to a Linux cd?? I tried to boot up from
> a USB memory stick w/Linux in it to no avail.

You need to have a ppc version of linux.  The source code has to have
been compiled to make executables appropriate for the processor you
are using.  If you try a site such as http://penguinppc.org/ it will
list some distributions, likely not up to date.  For some of those you
mention, plus some others that seem to have recent work:

Debian: http://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/
Ubuntu: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPC
Crux: http://cruxppc.org/
Fedora: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Arch:PPC#Latest_PPC_Fedora_release
Arch: http://www.archlinuxppc.org/

> I heard that Macs with the Intel processor don't have this problem, is
> it only
> with the PowerPc Processors?

No, if you have a cd or dvd or whatever with executables for a
different architecture you can't (in general) use it on your
architecture.  

I would suggest you look to see which of the above have good support
for your iMac G5 and try that distribution.  Some of the iMac G5
models had issues with most distributions the last time I looked, but
that was at least a year ago.  In particular Debian seems to offer
good general support.  The latest Fedora is in alpha release, so it
may be problematic.

-- 
Stephen Harker                           s.harker@adfa.edu.au
PEMS                http://sjharker.customer.netspace.net.au/
UNSW@ADFA

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Thread

** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd? "Malt" <Mmm@aol.com> - 2011-12-07 23:16 -0500
  Re: ** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd? Stephen Harker <sjharker@netspace.net.au> - 2011-12-08 17:25 +1100
    Re: ** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd? "Malt" <Mmm@aol.com> - 2011-12-08 08:32 -0500
      Re: ** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd? "ppc.addon" <ppc.addon@gmail.com> - 2011-12-15 15:41 -0800
  Re: ** Is PowerPc Imac able to boot up to a Linux cd? Dennis <noreply@example.org> - 2012-01-18 11:11 +0100

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