[ydl-gen] Current rev?

[Derick Centeno]

I ran YDL 6.2 on a 15" G4 for a long time until the LCD screen failed.
So what I'm sharing is based upon memory.  Be that as it may, my
experience running YDL spans all the way back since it's earliest
incarnations when Terra Soft Solutions (the original creator/vendor)
initially released the product -- which is quite a long time ago.

In other words, what I don't recall regarding YDL aren't the most
important aspects of YDL.

Unfortunately for you as a beginner development from major Linux
distributions have all ceased; the development (programming work) which
does exist has become community based which essentially means whoever
has the time to write code after the real lives and jobs have been
addressed.  There may be some universities and computer research
departments which have active research projects which require writing
code for PowerPC systems or even current IBM Power systems
(http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/power/) but those projects may not be
contributing to any code related to your interests.

Another unfortunate problem is that the current reality of PowerPC
programming has as it's pre-requisite well developed programming skills
at the professional level which even some professionals cannot meet
because more current projects such as compiz fusion which is found here
( http://www.compiz.org/) requires that one understand enough about
Linux to prepare the computer hardware for compiling and building
software from source within Linux although YDL behaves exactly the same
way here; the problem is do you know how to do this?  See here
(http://wiki.compiz.org/).  Under hardware you'll notice a listing of
GPU (Graphic Processor Units) within the Compiz Wiki:
http://wiki.compiz.org/Hardware

When Apple was building PowerPC Macs they changed between using ATI to
Nvidia across different models.  In order for you to discover which GPU
you have in your Powerbook G4 I found a page for you which you can use
to explore the details for yourself.  Here is the link:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_g4/index-powerbook-g4.html

I recommend that you look at the link which starts with Complete to find
the complete listing which will then include the exact GPU used in your
computer.  Even if you do all that you may discover only at compile time
(whenever you compile the compiz source code within YDL) that the
installed hardware is too old to use the source code used by the compiz
project.  Maybe it is not, you won't know until you do it yourself.  The
Linux compiler within YDL is strong and intelligent enough to provide a
lot of information, but I'll tell you right now that information makes
sense to professional programmers only.

A typical beginner would wonder how could a computing device be old?
The answer is that as time moves forward new programming tools and
strategies of controlling hardware are developed which hardware
manufacturers take advantage of by building these new strategies into
the firmware of their products.  You may have noticed that every
manufacturer has developed a process of updating the firmware (software
designed to control the hardware) of whatever they sell for a period of
time.  Sometimes that "period of time" is a year or longer.  Understand
that Apple based PowerPCs and other PowerPC systems are so old that the
manufacturers that produced those firmware updates in the past may no
longer do so -- if they even still exist!

This means that you have to know enough to make your own firmware update
which again is another level of programming sophistication because that
requires knowing how to code for the GPU directly utilizing the
guidelines provided by the manufacturer.

However if you are willing here is the page of the compiz project you
need to look at: http://wiki.compiz.org/Hardware/NVIDIA

Because each person using YDL, or any PowerPC based Linux, is really on
their own be sure that you read the instructions on that and other sites
explaining such details very carefully.  It is very easy to miss something.

Can using Linux be easier?  Probably -- if one was willing to just pay
money to stay current with whatever is popular.  Programming in Linux,
or YDL or anywhere should start with a willingness and determination
which most consumers don't have.  Think of it this way, a generation or
two ago people used to repair and upgrade their own cars.  Linux still
allows you to do something similar on your own computer, even in YDL
this is true.  It just means that individuals have to be focused and
determined to get done what one chooses to get done on their own -- with
occasional help from online references, computing/programming courses,
and solid research.

All the best...

On 4/26/2011 12:25 PM, Matty Sarro wrote:
> Hey everyone. I am new to YDL, so please be gentle. Tonight I am
> getting a 17" Powerbook G4 and I have a few questions.
> Does YDL 6.2 stack up against the current rev of RHEL (6?) Or is it
> closer to 5.5/5.6?
> Has anyone been able to get compiz fusion working?
> 
> I'm assuming that since the hardware is rather limited compared to
> what we have to deal with in the x86 world, there is better out of the
> box support? Is this correct?
> 
> I appreciate any help anyone can provide.
> 
> -Matty
> _______________________________________________
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> 
> 

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