Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Étienne Bersac]

Hello,

With the great help of Benjamin Herrenschmidt, i reach to run linux =20
and Xorg on an iMac G5 rev C 20" (the iSight line) with an Ati Radeon =20=

X600 XT Pro (RV380). Make your backup ! You should verify each file i =20=

ship with this howto. Conf files are available at http://=20
bersace03.free.fr/pub/Linux/iMac%20G5/.

You need at least a 2.6.15-rc1 kernel, a Mac OS X installation and an =20=

install cd. (I use an ubuntu one). I advice you to make a place for =20
linux before installation.

  - Get Ben's kernel at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/iMac%20G5/=20
vmlinux.bz2 (mirror of http://gate.crashing.org/~benh/vmlinux.bz2). =20
bunzip2 it at /.

  - Copy install/yaboot and initrd.gz from the installer to /. Rename =20=

initrd.gz to initrd-cd.gz. Copy yaboot.conf from the website to /. I =20
assume you will install linux in /dev/sda5, if this is not the case, =20
edit yaboot.conf

  - Insert your cd. It's time to reboot !

  - Type Option+Command+O+F at boot time. This should open the OF =20
terminal.

  -  Type "boot hd:X,yaboot" where X is the number of the Mac OS X =20
volume (often 3). Remember this each time you have to use yaboot =20
while we have not run "ybin".

  - Choose the "cd" label at yaboot prompt. First questions should =20
arrives such as language, country, etc. Then the installation should =20
go on.

  - Reboot at the end of the installation, using yaboot from OF prompt.

  - Choose the "rescue" label to boot. Copy the installed initrd.gz =20
to your Macintosh Volume, using an usb key/hd/whatever you want. Copy =20=

this initrd.gz as /initrd-hd.gz at root of your Macintosh Volume. =20
Here you may have to change the /yaboot.conf to reflect the =20
installation (especially the root=3D/dev/sda5 option). This might be =20
possible to run ybin here, but i'm not sure.

  - Disable the display manager (e.g. update-rc.d -f gdm remove).

  - Now it's time to boot the installed system, still using ben's =20
kernel. Choose the "hd" label at yaboot prompt. Once your system is =20
booted, configure network (network-manager work fine), install build-=20
essential and other good stuffs like kernel-package and fakeroot. Get =20=

the source ! 2.6.16 is fine. use g5_defconfig as .config and compile =20
the kernel.

  - Modify /etc/yaboot.conf, add an entry for your kernel and set it =20
as default (of course), add macosx option, etc.. When you are sure, =20
run ybin. Now you don't need OF prompt anymore.

  - You may want to restart, but we can continue.


Next step is xorg. You need a special branch of the ati driver for =20
xorg. Thanks to the new modular Xorg :)

  - Install automake-1.7, x11proto-*, xserver-xorg-dev, xlibs-dev and =20=

other stuff you may need to compile this. ./configure will help you. =20
The CVSROOT is :pserver:anoncvs@cvs.freedesktop.org:/cvs/xorg . I =20
install stuff with --prefix=3D/usr.

  - Checkout  and install util/macros.

  - Use ati-1-0-branch branch of the ati driver ( http://=20
webcvs.freedesktop.org/xorg/driver/xf86-video-ati/?=20
only_with_tag=3Dati-1-0-branch ). Checkout and install it.

  - Use the xorg.conf available at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/Linux/=20=

iMac%20G5/xorg.conf . I own an iMac G5 20", so if you have the 17" =20
one, you must use the result of 'parse-edid $(find /proc/device-tree -=20=

name EDID)'  as Screen Section, and use the resolution from xresprobe =20=

radeon in the PanelSize option of the Device Section. You should =20
check xorg.conf and track error.

  - Pray and run your display manager (e.g. invocke-rc.d gdm start). =20
If you are lucky, you will see the charming waiting cursor and then =20
the dm prompt. Eur=EAka !!

  - If it work, enable your diplays manager with z.B. dpkg-=20
reconfigure gdm.

OR

  - If you get a blank screen, try to play with radeon(4) options in =20
xorg.conf. Send feedbacks. Blank screen seems to mean that you won't =20
see anything while you do not reboot the box. This is where ssh is =20
usefull.

This is the end of this howto.

I had had some difficulties to write this howto because i did the two =20=

step  with several weeks and a lot of failures between them . So i =20
might have forgottent some important points. Please send feedbacks.

I really want to thank Benjamin Herrenschmidt who helps me several =20
times and does great work to support those computers. Merci Benjamin !

=C9tienne.

Re: Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Benjamin Herrenschmidt]

>   - Get Ben's kernel at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/iMac%20G5/ 
> vmlinux.bz2 (mirror of http://gate.crashing.org/~benh/vmlinux.bz2).  
> bunzip2 it at /.

Don't do that ! :)

There is no such thing as benh's kernels :) that's long gone. In fact, I
just removed the above one from the site... it was just a build to help
you. 2.6.16 should work on this machine, if you need a pre-build version
of it, try to get somebody on this list or post yourself one somewhere
but don't spread the idea that there is still such a thing as "benh's
kernel" :)

Ben.

Re: Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Étienne Bersac]

Hello,

>>   - Get Ben's kernel at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/iMac%20G5/
>> vmlinux.bz2 (mirror of http://gate.crashing.org/~benh/vmlinux.bz2).
>> bunzip2 it at /.
>
> Don't do that ! :)

I uploaded a .deb for 2.6.16 at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/Linux/=20
iMac%20G5 . We may extract vmlinux from it and copy it to Macintosh =20
Volume, but that's untested.

I really need feedback on it. I'll write an howto at wiki.ubuntu.com.

=C9tienne.=

Re: Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Étienne Bersac]

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Hello,

An howto is available at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/iMacG5revC . Thanks  
for contributing.

Étienne.

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Re: Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Mark Guertin]

On 21-Mar-06, at 9:03 PM, Benjamin Herrenschmidt wrote:

>
>>   - Get Ben's kernel at http://bersace03.free.fr/pub/iMac%20G5/
>> vmlinux.bz2 (mirror of http://gate.crashing.org/~benh/vmlinux.bz2).
>> bunzip2 it at /.
>
> Don't do that ! :)
>
> There is no such thing as benh's kernels :) that's long gone. In  
> fact, I
> just removed the above one from the site... it was just a build to  
> help
> you. 2.6.16 should work on this machine, if you need a pre-build  
> version
> of it, try to get somebody on this list or post yourself one somewhere
> but don't spread the idea that there is still such a thing as "benh's
> kernel" :)

If you're ever looking for prebuilt kernels for powerpc check out  
http://ppckernel.org/

Many prebuilt (vanilla, some custom kernels).  We're always willing  
to take on more configs as well (like ubuntu builds).  if you want to  
add some get in touch with me offlist and we can get you setup.

Makes for good regression testing as well as we keep an archive of  
the kernels built.

Mark

Re: Running Linux 2.6.16 and Xorg 7.0 on iMac G5 rev C (iSight)

[Étienne Bersac]

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I updated the Howto. feel free to check it. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ 
iMacG5revC

Étienne.

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