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Is the current version of Ubuntu usable on a PPC mac?

I've got a "lamp shade" mac from 2003 that I'd like to recycle into my first Linux computer. I'm not a programmer. So it appeals to me that Ubuntu is a download/upload kind of thing.

Apple iMac G4 1.25GHz

Any suggestions?

Alvar
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Jen
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2 Answers2

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download the Desktop version for ppc computers from here. Then just make a bootable usb or CD, and install it from there.

A PPC Mac is a loose expression, I can't speak for your computer. You wont know until you try. But, if you look at the recommended system requirements and see that your PPC Mac fits that description, then go for it! Remember make a backup of your original system so you can go back if it doesn't fit your needs in terms of performance and such.

To quote the download site:

installs on systems with less than about 384MiB of RAM (although note that low-memory systems may not be able to run a full desktop environment reasonably).

The download link: (check alternate install)

Community
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Alvar
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  • thanks, and sorry for my ignorance, but by "make a bootable usb or CD" do you mean burn the download onto it? or are there additional steps involved? – Jen Jun 06 '12 at 00:28
  • @Jen Just have a look in the Ubuntu FAQ that I linked, it has all the solutions to the problems you may encounter. – Alvar Jun 06 '12 at 00:36
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I'm also totally beginner and know nothing about Linux command lines etc. After getting an eMAC recently, 1ghz processor and 1gb of ram, and seeing how slow OSx 10.4 is, I thought, cool lets try Linux. Many suggested Debian for PPC because its lightweight. Well, after a netinstall cd and successful net update and installation of the GUI, I couldnt get it to boot beyond a black screen. Eventually with some fiddling got to a command prompt I could see. Back to the net, I found and downloaded the Live desktop version Ubuntu 12.04.5 LTS for powerpc, burnt the image using poweriso on a windows machine onto Cd and it wouldnt boot to the disc, then burnt the image to a dvd and it booted the live session and from there it installed with no issues and is currently running. But word of caution, it's damn s-l-o-w on these low specs. Might not be worth it in the end. I cant watch movies beyond say 300MB size without hiccups and you wait for your life to pass while it opens anything. Maybe there are lighter weight versions? Good luck.

Morne
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