Ubuntu Mate 16.04 LTS does not even boot live-dvd PowerMac G5

Support & Help Requests
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#21

Oh dear… now, the DVD wont boot anymore! Not even with the open-firmware “hack” (boot cd…)
I tried some other CDs (12.04 and MorphOS), which still boot fine.

I put the Mate DVD into my ibook and it booted…

Very strange - seems, my G5 just don´t like Ubuntu Mate, LOL

Then I tried to install to the PowerMac via “Targetmode” from my ibook, which also Fails. ubuntu said “Install succesfully”, but nothing was installed on the Powermac, instead, it messes with the hosts´s (ibook´s) yaboot :frowning:

After Blessing it again via booting from the live-DVD, ibook is back to buisness now.

Any ideas, what to do? Why the hell does 16.04. not install/even boot?

#22

Hi @Elowan,

I am sure you are aware of it but I will ask anyway, did you burn the disk at the slowest possible speed?:

#23

Hi Wolfman,

yes I did - 4x was the lowest speed. Burned on the PowerMac, the same device, I try to install to. So there is very Little reason, it should not read the DVD.

I will try to burn another disc with a new external DVD-writer later on and also use a “R+” DVD this time, instead of “R-”. Maybe that help…

If not, well then tere is no MATE on PowerMac G5 (at least for me)

Cheers

edit: Now I got a writer, which can burn “x1 Speed” and I will burn another DVD from a fresh download within the next days and Report back.

1 Like
#24

Out if curiosity I just copied the DVD R- (which not boots in powermac) over to a DVD R+ and boom, it boots without having no to type anything at firmware prompt. Just easy mode, by pressing C key, after Mac was turned on.

BUT:

The modeset 0 thing does not work:
https://m.imgur.com/1uyefT4

After a while, I get that message again:
https://m.imgur.com/seTKThW?r

Then, the screen goes funky:
https://m.imgur.com/gSrQJYE?r

I tried with some other parameter:
https://m.imgur.com/xN8e8vx

But get the funky screen, again.

I am downloading fresh 16.04 and 16.10, burn to DVD R+ with 1x speed, check md5 sum and verify the discs. This is all, I can do!

#25

Another option might be to do a text install which shouldn’t/wouldn’t stress the graphics card too much?:

https://help.ubuntu.com/12.04/installation-guide/en.powerpc/index.html

#26

Thanks Wolfman,

maybe there is another way:

What was/is the last known, working Linux for a G5 PPC Mac with a NVIDIA gfx-card?
Maybe there is an old LTS, I can upgrade from?

(I have 12.04 LTS PPC lying around)

Or will this be doomed, because no Linux ever worked on such a System???

For the record:

I am burning 16.10 and 16.04 right now, at slowest Speeds, which is 3x on my writer (can go up to 8x)
Before it showed 1x Speeds are possible, but after inserting a blank DVD R+, the slowest to choose was 3x (!)

I will test, if I get the same Errors with the new discs / version

#27

The burn speed is not only relating to what the burner can do but what the min/max write speeds are on the disks you purchased!. :smiley:

#28

Great, 3x is the min Speed for burning the DVDs, I have choosen.
So I burned them at 3x Speeds and this should be fine, now.

I checked md5s (ok) and also let every DVD verify after burning, without a Problem detected.

1 Like
#29

I’m sorry, but when you started swearing in your replies to me, my interest in helping you evaporated. Hopefully a life lesson there for you. I will, however, point you again in the direction of the FAQ and Known Issues pages since all your problems are explained there, if only you read them properly.

#30

16.10 and the fresh copy of 16.04 produce the same error as in my Posts before (funky Screen-freeze)

I also tested Ubuntu (not MATE) 12.04 - it boots to Desktop (!)
But : the Fans are spinning like crazy and there are no Icons on the left “menu bar / dock-like-Thing”
Everything else seems to work fine.

Maybe I try to DL Ubuntu 16.04 and install MATE-desktop after it. Hopefully it´s just a MATE issue and
“Standard” Ubuntu will work (on NVIDIA+PPC machines)

Edit: nope, I will not. there are only “Server-Images” without GUI for ppc GDI

@veggrower

Jesus loves you :slight_smile:

#31

Soooo, boys´n´girls - I got 16.04 booting to a Desktop, now !

I decided to share what I´ve found, so maybe others, who stranded here will at least make 16.04 boot on their PM G5´s with NVIDIA Cards.

"live nouveau.noaccel=1"

did the trick !!!

Type this at the “boot” prompt of the yaboot bootloader and it will bring up a working Desktop GUI after a while. (when installing, you will have to make this Parameter permanent in yaboot.conf)

Maybe there´s a way to re-enable gfx-card acceleration, when 16.04 was installed - don´t know yet …
It´s a shame not to make use of my FX4500 512MB Card, I´d say!

2 Likes
Do you have PPC64 hardware?
#32

Hi @Elowan,

good for you, please mark it as solved so others can see what you did!. :smiley:

#33

I will wait a bit - maybe I can provide a real solution soon, that gives at least 2D accel, if not 3D !

-Stay tuned!

1 Like
#34

I’m going to attempt getting around this on my G5 by cloning the install ISO to a 3GB partition on my hard drive and install it to another 30GB partition. This worked for Ubuntu Server on my PowerBook so I’ll let you know what happens. Also just note, NO version of Linux will support the GeForce FX 5200 64MB video card that came stock with the G5, so make sure you don’t have that.

#35

Nope, I got the Quattro fx4500 512MB Card - but still no 2d or 3d acceleration is working…

there was a blog about These issues and the solution was, to install a ROM file and set some kernel Parameters to load this file, but it did not worked for me.

I gave up on this already, I will not invest more of my precious time into this time-sink, that lead no where :wink:

I am glad to have a running MATE install on my G5 for now

#36

I wish people wouldn’t make sweeping statements like this without backing them up with something like a bug report. That card used to work with nouveau and I see no reason why it should be any different now.

#37

Hello all, I have an emac G4 and have had a very hard time installing something both current and user friendly. The installation media for the now defunct MintPPC let me install debian 7, but it didn’t seem user friendly enough for me. The only other I can get to install is Kubuntu 12.04 LTS which lets me upgrade to Kubuntu 14.04 LTS. When I try to upgrade to 16.04 it fails, but 14.04 LTS will be supported for another three years so at least I can have something supported and user friendly. So, if you are struggling to install on your PPC, maybe give Kubuntu a try. I think mine has nvidia too, so maybe I will try the suggestions here someday. Thanks all.