Problems installing Yellow Dog Linux onto Old World Mac

Sun Aug 20 21:51:59 MDT 2006

Derick,

On Aug 20, 2006, at 6:29 PM, Derick Centeno wrote:

> Hi Jeffrey!
>
> I noted your earlier posting and thought the following link might
> interest you:
>
> http://www.yellowdog-board.com/viewtopic.php?t=381
>
> It provides instructions on how to prepare BootX settings (and other
> details) so that you will be able to use YDL 4.x as long as you  
> need to
> use that Old World Mac.

This is essentially the same information as http://www.yellowdog- 
board.com/viewtopic.php?t=249> ("how to install YDL 4.0 on old world  
mac?"), but thanks for the pointer anyway.

> Regarding using earlier versions of YDL or any other Linux the  
> important
> thing to consider is not so much the software as it is the reason why
> such a thing is necessary for you.  As you are probably aware, each
> increasing version number usually addresses flaws, errors and other
> problems not initially addressed in a prior version.  I tried to
> consider the possibility of some Linux software which did not rely or
> interact with or need support from the Linux kernel at some level (for
> processing, recompilation or something else) and frankly I found  
> myself
> stuck.
>
> I'm not an engineer, nor does my knowledge base apply to the whole  
> world
> of Linux -- and so I can only state that my own opinion is that it is
> best to move forward or in this case utilize YDL 4.0 at least.   
> When you
> become more familiar with these instructions then perhaps you could
> attempt to develop a similar strategy presented in those instructions
> and adapt them yourself to fit YDL 4.1.

I agree; I will try to use 4.x if I can.

> There is one good thing behind all this though, according to this  
> webpage:
>
> http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/hardware/others.shtml
>

> Your Mac should be able to run the current version of YDL as long  
> as you
> use BootX.  Keep in mind that BootX is not provided with any  
> version of
> YDL beyond YDL 3.0.  This means that the only guide to use the modern
> version of YDL (while using BootX) is to use that above link.

Yes, thanks for the heads up. Now we know that it *should* work; I  
just haven't been able to get it to work yet.

> Just a different view, but did you bother to test the CD drive itself?
>

> You could use the hardware diagnostic test which is on the original
> Apple OS Install CD which came with that machine.  If you need to
> replace the drive make sure to have that replaced drive be as close to
> original Apple standard for that computer as possible.

I believe the drive is fine; it works for everything else with no  
problems. Of course, since I'm not getting YDL to install, everything  
is theoretically suspect; having said that, I *really* don't believe  
the problem is the drive.

On the other hand, I haven't tested the CDs themselves, although I  
will eventually get around to that part of the debugging process. One  
way to do that is to test them on, say, a New World Mac (where we can  
avoid all the BootX nonsense).

> Good Luck....

Thanks, I'll need it! :)

Sincerely,
--
Jeffrey Rolland
<jrolland at softhome.net>

>
> Jeffrey Rolland wrote:
>> Ken,
>>
>> Thanks for the links. I already had both printed out, along with
>> <http://www.yellowdog-board.com/viewtopic.php?t=249> ("how to install
>> YDL 4.0 on old world mac?").
>>
>> I was hoping someone would have some more specific support, like what
>> the correct kernels to use with each of 3.0.1 and 4.0.1's Anaconda
>> engine is. (I have a suspicion that the kernel is part of the  
>> problem.)
>>
>> Another thing I'd like to know is if I do manage to install 3.0.1 or
>> (heaven forbid) 2.3, is it possible to use the .iso's for 4.0 and 4.1
>> to update via yum or if I have to use a direct internet connection? I
>> have only dial-up access for the Power Mac, so updating over an
>> internet connection instead of CDs would be almost impossible.
>>
>> Thanks for the reply.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> --
>> Jeffrey Rolland
>> <jrolland at softhome.net>
>>
>>
>> On Aug 20, 2006, at 4:33 PM, Kenneth Browne wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Jeffrey Rolland wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello, all!
>>>>
>>>> I am attempting to install Yellow Dog Linux
>>>>
>>> First off! Don't give up. It isn't all that hard.
>>>
>>>> (versions 3.0.1 and 4.0.1
>>>> burned and tried, 2.3 burned but not yet tried, waiting for CDs  
>>>> onto
>>>> which to burn 4.1) onto an Old World Mac (Power Macintosh 7500  
>>>> with 1
>>>> GB RAM and a 50 GB HD (10 GB Mac OS 8.6 and 40 GB unformatted))  
>>>> and I
>>>> am having trouble.
>>>>
>>>> The 4.0.1 disk won't load Anaconda (the YDL installer engine) and
>>>> crashes.
>>>>
>>>> The 3.0.1 disk will load Anaconda, but won't read the 3.0.1 disk  
>>>> for
>>>> data and keeps waiting for readable CD; the 3.0.1-loaded Anaconda
>>>> will read the 4.0.1 disk a little bit, but then crashes.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> On Old World Macs you cannot use a bootable CD without installing
>>> Boot-X
>>> first on the Mac Side as an control panel.
>>> I've done it on a PPC 5500 (motherboard as the 6500 but in an all
>>> in one
>>> form factor that was sold to educational institutions.)
>>>
>>>> Is there anybody on the list who has experience using BootX and
>>>>
>>>>
>>> I'm currently running v. 4 alongside OSX on a G4 and it's been a  
>>> while
>>> since I toyed with Boot-X but to quote the printed copy of the v. 4
>>> "Companion to Installing Yellow Dog Linux 4.0"  under the heading
>>> NewWorldROM Computers..."Yellow Dog Linux no longer officially
>>> supports
>>> OldWorld ROM computers....While this does not mean this version of
>>> Yellow Dog Linux does not function with these systems, the required
>>> BootX bootloader ( http://www.penguinppc.org/bootloaders/bootx )
>>> must be
>>> installed."
>>>
>>> Here's the URL to the aforementioned installation guide.
>>> http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/installation/ydl4.0_guide-
>>> double.pdf
>>>
>>> as well as the URL to the v.3 guide with more details about
>>> installing BootX
>>> http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/installation/ydl3.0_guide-
>>> single.pdf
>>>
>>> Hope this helps. I still have one of those old PPC5500's in my  
>>> garage
>>> awaiting a hard drive and a home :-)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
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>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
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