[UFO Chicago] Enduser Journal #3
Thomas
thomas@chicagomac.com
Fri, 22 Jun 2001 14:33:28 -0500
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Nothing to summarize in this post, it's pretty straightforward. A few =
questions at the end for the wise among you.
I installed Yellow Dog Linux on my Macintosh G4 Cube... it was almost =
enough to make me cry, or brake something. Ok, here's how it went. =
Since I had some time to kill last night I archived anything useful off =
the cube, formatted the drive into three equal partitions. It's a 40 GB =
drive so that left me a lot of room. I made the first partition HFS and =
installed a nice full OS 9.1 system on, the second partition is HFS+ and =
will be for MacOSX, but I didn't get around to reinstalling that last =
night. The third I left unallocated.
I booted from the YDL cd, went through some basic choices, went to =
format Linux partitions as required... a 10MB boot partition, a 256 MB =
swap (I was under the impression that beyond 128 MB was fairly useless, =
but their manual says anything between 64 and 256 is useful and I have =
the space), and the remainder as / then it went to format these =
partitions... and nothing happened. Or maybe it just seemed that way. =
Annoyed, I rebooted and tried again. Walked away and let it go. That's =
when I realized that it was probably fine before and the drive in the =
Cube (and the whole machine for that matter) is just TOO quiet. The =
only thing you can ever hear it the cd drive and even it's pretty quiet. =
Then I start the install. I go for the full "everything" install. An =
hour later, about 95%, the machine reboots. WHAT THE .... heck. I =
assume a fatal error that forced a reboot. I grit my teeth and start =
again with a "home/office" install. This goes fine. Some last minute =
settings, ignoring networking since this machine is strictly wireless, =
enter the starting run level... big mistake number 2. The GUI hates my =
monitor, a 15" studio display LCD. There's a work around, but you have =
to do it IN Linux which now has no monitor. Ok... I'm sure there's a =
way to interrupt the boot and change the run level, but I don't know it =
(yet). So... third time's a charm right?
I'm going to have to do a piece on the difference between Suse and YDL, =
from the newbie perspective because I just think YDL is falling short =
fast in my eyes.
Anyway, I now have the system booting into run level 3 and it worked =
fine. They claim the kernel argument to make my monitor work can be =
manually typed in as part of the boot sequence, but it had no effect. I =
know where I can add it, and it SHOULD work, but by this point it was =
late. I sent a list of problem to the Tech Support for YDL. And I have =
yet to even get an automated response saying they got it. Grrrr.
For readers of yesterdays Journal, the install on my PowerBook was a =
final failure and I'm reinstalling Suse as we speak... um, write.... and =
I guess it isn't really we. Anyway it's currently pulling updates, =
because unlike "yup" (Yellow dog Updated Program), yast2 works.
But I'm not bashing YDL. I'd like to see it work, and I intend to keep =
it on my Cube until it either does or proves beyond a doubt that it =
won't. They are only on Version 2... I'm hoping by 2.4 it'll be =
useable.
For any who want to know, the specs on the Cube are (from memory since =
I'm at work):
450MHz G4, 640 MB RAM, 128 RagePro with 16 MB, 40 GB IBM hard drive, =
10/100 ether (right now crossed over to a Snap server) and Airport card =
(802.11), Logitech wireless trackball that has worked extremely well as =
a 3 button mouse (it has 2 buttons plus the center wheel-button).
Now my questions:
Is there actually any point to having a 256MB swap? Would it cause any =
problems? The kernel I'm using is 2.2.19-k if that has any sway.
How would I stop a boot to change the run level? I tried the =
"interactive" start up and even after saying "no" to everything it =
still went to run level 5 and killed my monitor. For now I'm fine, but =
it'd be nice to know.
My biggest problem with Suse has been on my PowerBook, no PCMCIA =
support, so in a bit I plan to reboot, look at all the logs, and see if =
I can figure it out... but I'm pretty sure I'll have to post some =
questions.
That's it for now folks.
Tom
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Nothing to summarize in this post, it's =
pretty=20
straightforward. A few questions at the end for the wise among=20
you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I installed Yellow Dog Linux on my =
Macintosh G4=20
Cube... it was almost enough to make me cry, or brake something. =
Ok,=20
here's how it went. Since I had some time to kill last night I =
archived=20
anything useful off the cube, formatted the drive into three equal=20
partitions. It's a 40 GB drive so that left me a lot of =
room. I made=20
the first partition HFS and installed a nice full OS 9.1 system on, the =
second=20
partition is HFS+ and will be for MacOSX, but I didn't get around to=20
reinstalling that last night. The third I left =
unallocated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I booted from the YDL cd, went through =
some basic=20
choices, went to format Linux partitions as required... a 10MB boot =
partition, a=20
256 MB swap (I was under the impression that beyond 128 MB was fairly =
useless,=20
but their manual says anything between 64 and 256 is useful and I have =
the=20
space), and the remainder as / then it went to format these =
partitions... and=20
nothing happened. Or maybe it just seemed that way. Annoyed, =
I=20
rebooted and tried again. Walked away and let it go. That's =
when I=20
realized that it was probably fine before and the drive in the Cube (and =
the=20
whole machine for that matter) is just TOO quiet. The only thing =
you can=20
ever hear it the cd drive and even it's pretty quiet. Then I start =
the=20
install. I go for the full "everything" install. An hour =
later,=20
about 95%, the machine reboots. WHAT THE .... heck. I assume =
a fatal=20
error that forced a reboot. I grit my teeth and start again with a =
"home/office" install. This goes fine. Some last minute =
settings,=20
ignoring networking since this machine is strictly wireless, enter the =
starting=20
run level... big mistake number 2. The GUI hates my monitor, a 15" =
studio=20
display LCD. There's a work around, but you have to do it IN Linux =
which=20
now has no monitor. Ok... I'm sure there's a way to interrupt the =
boot and=20
change the run level, but I don't know it (yet). So... third =
time's a=20
charm right?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'm going to have to do a piece on the =
difference=20
between Suse and YDL, from the newbie perspective because I just think =
YDL is=20
falling short fast in my eyes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Anyway, I now have the system booting =
into run=20
level 3 and it worked fine. They claim the kernel argument to make =
my=20
monitor work can be manually typed in as part of the boot sequence, but =
it had=20
no effect. I know where I can add it, and it SHOULD work, but by =
this=20
point it was late. I sent a list of problem to the Tech Support =
for=20
YDL. And I have yet to even get an automated response saying they =
got=20
it. Grrrr.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For readers of yesterdays Journal, the =
install on=20
my PowerBook was a final failure and I'm reinstalling Suse as we =
speak... um,=20
write.... and I guess it isn't really we. Anyway it's currently =
pulling=20
updates, because unlike "yup" (Yellow dog Updated Program), yast2=20
works.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But I'm not bashing YDL. I'd like =
to see it=20
work, and I intend to keep it on my Cube until it either does or proves =
beyond a=20
doubt that it won't. They are only on Version 2... I'm hoping by =
2.4 it'll=20
be useable.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For any who want to know, the specs on =
the Cube are=20
(from memory since I'm at work):</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>450MHz G4, 640 MB RAM, 128 RagePro with =
16 MB, 40=20
GB IBM hard drive, 10/100 ether (right now crossed over to a Snap =
server) and=20
Airport card (802.11), Logitech wireless trackball that has worked =
extremely=20
well as a 3 button mouse (it has 2 buttons plus the center=20
wheel-button).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Now my questions:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Is there actually any point to having a =
256MB=20
swap? Would it cause any problems? The kernel I'm using is =
2.2.19-k=20
if that has any sway.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>How would I stop a boot to change the =
run=20
level? I tried the "interactive" start up and even after =
saying "no"=20
to everything it still went to run level 5 and killed my monitor. =
For now=20
I'm fine, but it'd be nice to know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>My biggest problem with Suse has been =
on my=20
PowerBook, no PCMCIA support, so in a bit I plan to reboot, look at all =
the=20
logs, and see if I can figure it out... but I'm pretty sure I'll have to =
post=20
some questions.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>That's it for now folks.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Tom</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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