6500 install hell

[Stefan Jeglinski]

>Yeah, I thought ATA was pretty backwards compatible from my Intel Linux
>experiences, but you never know what Apple's Expedient Shortcuts Division
>came up with in those lean and hungry days...

For example, the controller on the 6500 allows only a master, and no 
slave, same with their other IDE models until a certain G3 came out 
(forget which one).

I have installed Linux several times on 6500s, here is my take:

You may indeed not have enough memory. I increased my memory to 64 
when I installed Linux/PPC 2kQ4 and then YDL 1.2, then after to 96, 
then to 128. By the time I installed YDL 2.2, it did OK, but that was 
with either 96 or 128 (don't remember). So I can only hint at the 
solution.

You can still download the Linux/PPC 2kQ4 ISO image IIRC from 
somewhere (if not contact me off list and I can get an image to you 
one way or another). If you can get that to install but not YDL2, I 
think it pretty much boxes you into a memory problem.


>I might also, if I keep the machine, just
>do the install from a different system, pop the drive in, and run with
>it.

Possible, but could be tedious - you have to make darn sure you set 
up fstab correctly for the second machine before you power down the 
(first) install machine. Then if you've messed it up, it won't boot 
on either machine! Good learning experience though (I did this once 
to see if I could do it).

>  This process has yet to fall out of fun/frustration equilibrium, but
>it's gettin' there.

Wait until you get to ethernet. There is a subset of 6500s that is 
really flaky on ethernet. Question: do you feel lucky today? 
(apologies to MS and Clint Eastwood - well, to Clint anyway).


Stefan Jeglinski