Linux on a TAM... Ain't Easy 😅

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Let's install a really old PowerPC-specific Linux on a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh! I'm totally sure it will work first try, no issues... right?!
What could go wrong?
LINKS:
🍎 Every Yellow Dog Linux: ftp.caliu.cat/pub/distribucion...
🍎 LinuxPPC 2000: macintoshgarden.org/apps/linu...
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#Macintosh #PowerPC #BeOS

[@anidnmeno]

"and there's a reason why we've saved this for last" just spent 3 days installing Linux on my old daily driver PC.. i felt this in my soul

[@myhandleiswhat]

how old are we talking? The most issues I've had with Linux in my life time were me being silly when installing packages, but, otherwise, it just worked.

[@JohnSmith-xq1pz]

With how much it's being bothered I'm surprised the TAM hasn't gone full Cursed Macintosh lol

[@Mainyehc]

Wait, it hasn’t? Have you taken a good look at that external optical drive? 😂

[@Ralph-yn3gr]

Just more proof of how AWESOME it is.

[@jasonhill8696]

Counterpoint: you could also quintupleboot with NetBSD

[@frozendude707]

Yes

[@klausschmidt982]

I really love how BeOS/Linux are using Mac OS as a glorified bootloader.

[@SimonQuigley]

That's all MacOS is good for. Like Internet Explorer is just used to download Chrome.

[@Juanguar]

@@SimonQuigley Mac OS of that era ? For sure Nowadays ? Nah

[@memsom]

When I used to use BeOS as my main OS, I used to use sheepshaver to boot MacOS in a Virtual Window and use Netscape and IE to browse content that NetPositive couldn’t handle natively.

[@memsom]

Also, the MacOS that Sean keeps mentioning is the absolute smallest bootable MacOS 8.0 image possible. It is like 2MB. It uses a modified Disk Tools Floppy image to boot and runs the BeOS boot manager from that. The actual install is completely useless.

[@SullySadface]

Yo dawg, I heard you like booting OSes so i put a bootloader in your OS so you can boot into your OS while you're booted into your OS

[@kungfujesus06]

Oh, your issue with booting from bootx might actually be that you need to copy over your installed kernel and ramdisk from wherever /boot is to your mac os installation so that bootx has access to it. I remember having to do that fairly regularly.

[@blackravenX]

There's a version of Windows NT for PowerPC. You could add that as a 4th OS.

[@DistrosProjects]

It only works on little-endian machines, so it would require heavy firmware modifications to the TAM's firmware to allow for running in that mode (and wouldn't allow multiboot easliy anyway).

[@adamsfusion]

There's an OS I'd love for you to try out: MorphOS. It only runs on PowerPC systems, and is targeted toward the G4 and above Apple line. It's a love letter to the PowerPC line, and I think you'd do it justice.

[@tngaskell]

But did it every have an Old World boot loader?

[@automatedinsanity]

@@tngaskell it doesn't, you'll have to use a g3 or above with a new world bios.

[@cadensnyder195]

ah yeah, the time honored Action Retro tradition of changing the title just minutes after uploading.

[@therealneoneddy]

I remember doing stuff like this just trying to get Linux with dual monitors working in the late 90s . All of your shenanigans give me nostalgia for when I used to make my own litestep themes. Little did I know I was preparing myself for using the successor of next step for the rest of my life (probably).

[@nalinux]

I've been using Linux / FreeBSD since 1998. Daily since :)

[@DerekWitt]

Around 2000, I ran Linux on my K6-2 350 with an infamous Diamond Stealth 3D 4000 (based on S3 Virge GX2...) AGP Card. Even Windows 95B was suspect at best with the that video card. I had to rebuild XFree96 4.0.1 several times... Took up most of my 8GB hard drive just to build (well, the Linux partition anyway). And took almost 8 hours just to build. I made heavy use of the the XFree86 email list tryng to debug it. I ended up getting it somewhat stable. I had to use some obscure flag in my XFree86.conf file... Without said flag, xdaliclock and even the moire2 xscreensaver module would cause my computer to lock up tight. The K6-2 350 itself was problematic. It would shoot upto 85C with a 100% load. Even 95 would have hiccups. At the time, I refused to use 98 (First Edition). Looking back, 98SE may have been a bit better for me. But 98SE was not out yet. The motherboard I had probably didn't help matters any. One was a Tyan S1590 motherboard. I think it had a Via chipset. Felt like I had a cyrix processor...

[@rmcdudmk212]

With all these upgrades we should call this unit the God TAM 😁

[@cobaltretrotech]

Thanks for the link to that Yellow Dog repo! I was looking for downloads not too long ago and didn't find anything

[@RyanMartinez]

What about the ultimate blaspheme? Windows NT 4.0 for PPC? Can the TAM run it?

[@linuxization4205]

Not possible, little endian only. PPC Macintoshes are big endian

[@justinm6392]

Dude you have fantastic content - I truly enjoy your sense of humor and adventure - your lighthearted nature is inspiring and it’s fun to learn about the new mods on the classic systems you work on - thanks for making these videos

[@Bikeguychicago1]

You, sir, are a madman and I love it! Too bad Boot Camp doesn't work on this machine. :)

[@joeturner7959]

Bootcamp is for Intel Apples.

[@Bikeguychicago1]

@@joeturner7959 I realize that. It was a joke

[@kungfujesus06]

When I did this with a beige oldworld G3 I think I managed to make it work with a fairly new version of yellowdog. I don't recall offhand if I grabbed the boot loader tool elsewhere or not to boot from 8.6, though. All you have to do is give it a kernel, possibly a ramdisk, and then it just works from what I remember.

[@Mainyehc]

Noooo, don’t let it be the last… What about Rhapsody? Mac OS X Server 1.0? You already have a Yellow Dog in there, the only thing missing is a Yellow Box 😂 Edit: hah, spoke too soon… Well, at least you’ll be able to get one Yellow something in there… Those two OSes likely don’t need as much hacking as BeOS or Linux, amirite? 🙃 Edit #2: well, Jaguar isn’t as cursed as early OS X, but seeing how it came preinstalled on my first Mac (an iMac G4 USB 2.0, which came bundled with three Panther installer CDs), I absolutely have a soft spot for it. :3

[@DavidRavenMoon]

The entire time you were fighting with Yellow Dog I kept thinking LinuxPPC. Worked fine back then I used it. I also ran MkLinux on my 6100.

[@jensputzlocher8345]

I had installed LinuxPPC on my PowerMac6500 (PowerPC 603e) around the year 2000, because I wanted a modern operating system, but it could boot MacOSX10.1 at most - and that only with tricks that I couldn't get used to at the time. So I decided on LinuxPPC. I still have the thick manual for LinuxPPC in a cupboard in my office today, but the installation medium has been lost to me. But I didn't go the Linux route back then, because I was able to get a cheap beige G3 desktop on which I could install all MacOSX versions up to MacOS 10.4 thanks to XpostFacto. Later I got an iBook G4 and finally an Intel iMac (imac 5.1 late 2006) on which I could even install Windows 10 (32bit). Now the time has come to switch back to Linux, because the Imac is still too good to throw away.

[@DeathInTheSnow]

Took me three goes to realise that the penguin didn't have its mouth agape at the very start of the video.

[@MatroxMillennium]

Lol, I have that same penguin

[@branpurn]

The black speakers really grew on me. The first video, I wasn't sure, but with each successive video I like them more.

[@alextirrellRI]

As you head into OS X with XPostFacto, remember that it's particular about being installed on the first part of a drive (and partition size). Might be the first 8GB if my quick search is right.

[@godzzwrath]

i absolutely adore your squarespace footage, its so funny watching you type "I DONT CARE WHAT YOU THINK" and then in iiittyy bitty text below it "I LOVE THE TAM"

[@martinnyberg9295]

I am thinking of starting to use my old G5 iMac as a distraction-free typewriter (since surfing the web pretty much does not work on it) and these videos give me so many ideas. 😂

[@fueledbyregret]

7:55 - ah it wouldn’t be an action retro video without an unnecessary out of focus section 😂

[@Lurker1979]

I rember those days. I did this on a old world Mac. Drove my dad nuts. Lol

[@sharedcow]

I’m not surprised it wouldn’t read the Linux ISO via the raSCSI, I have yet to get it to properly host ISOs without a miracle

[@MichaelSidneyTimpson]

If you get OSX on there, you got to then install virtual PC and install windows XP!

[@davidroemer5879]

You might get away with windows 2000 I doubt xp would be usable

[@linuxization4205]

It's only got a hundred megs or so, I doubt it would work.

[@eDoc2020]

@@linuxization4205 A hundred megs or so of what? RAM? XP itself runs just fine on 64 megs. It can even boot with less than 16 megabytes of RAM but disk swapping will make it unusable for anything except bragging rights.

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

When I started my career at Apple I was sitting in a motel room in Sunnyvale with a Duo 2300c and the Apple CD300 SCSI just like yours. Those were better days. I later worked on NewWorld firmware at Apple.

[@monchiabbad]

The ramdisk contains most of the drivers that are not built into the linux kernel you need to load the initrd every time linux boots.

[@CodeProfessor]

With webbed feet like that, you should have no trouble getting your TAM online!

[@charlesjmouse]

Very good... ...and the world of Linux pain, eh? Maybe BSD next..? I wonder if MorphOS will install on the TAM? It also has the advantage of being new, useful, and sufficiently lightweight that it may run ok.

[@ps5hasnogames55]

NetBSD should also run on it...

[@pjsampras7072]

Awesome t-shirt. I need one!

[@KorbenTheFireX]

I really want that Tux/Linux Penguin plushie! It's so funny!

[@JosephHalder]

LinuxPPC was the first Distro I ever ran. It was genuinely better than MacOS9 for a multitude of reasons for the time. Ran it on a PowerMac 7600 with a 604e card. There are OpenFirmware bootloaders for Oldworld, but those are much less straightforward than BootX

[@TuxPeng]

Yellow dog aint obscure, it was one of the mor popular PPC distro's. I ran it on my Red G3 DV+

[@troyBORG]

I've never heard of BeOS. I thought you were trying to say BSD at first until I saw the boot splash for it.

[@alimehdiyev1]

0:03 nothing could gone wrong

[@iceowl]

this is reminding me of a class i took in trade school, for Windows NT 4.0 administration, where, for some reason, we needed to have four installations of NT on the same hard drive and not have any one clobber any of the others (damn near impossible!!). i'm surprised this went as well as it did, but then i suppose you've edited out the most hair-tearing parts.

[@DerekWitt]

I think we need some Tums for that TAM!

[@andresbravo2003]

Now you've done it!

[@JayJay-88]

Great video and love the machine! Shouldn't your root partition on the bootloader be hda7, not hda3? Or did I misunderstand where it was installed?

[@nalinux]

Linux partition use a magic trick ... When you play with partitions, it rename 1/2/3../7 not in a human understanble scheme. Mainly if you play with them , as I suppose he did here. The numbers can be made "humanly" readible with fdisk options. So if you read partitions numbers fron another OS, it may seems strange ...

[@TheSaltyExplorer]

Love the shirt!

[@tadpoleslamp]

So awesome!!!

[@gnarlin4964]

Aren't there any more modern version of Linux that are compatible with this powerpc mac? Maybe Debian?

[@Geologem]

im using that exact hp keyboard to type this!

[@iannicolson]

Do you think Windows NT PPC on a Mac would be feasible?

[@DanielTheRat]

Yes a new video

[@troyBORG]

@16:54 You clicked KDE. I wonder if that the KDE Desktop? You already have Gnome selected. Wonder if that caused issues?

[@zh84]

Was that the spine-chilling giant electric penguin?

[@wilymcgee]

what was the G4 power adapter for @5:30?

[@jobalisk6649]

This reminds me too much of my linux hell I had last week trying to get ubuntu working on an emac, a g5 imac and a g3 imac

[@jensputzlocher8345]

Where can i get the linuxppc-iso? The original page ist down.

[@memsom]

There’s a buggy unreleased version of BeOS that has the Dano (BeOS 5.1) UI.

[@Ironpants57]

You know it's been a bad time when the beard gets thicker by the end of the video. I'm super glad that linux got easier to dual boot, lol.

[@ncot_tech]

I am now trying to wonder who was waving Tux around. Whiteboard guy?

[@magmaxt]

You can try install Windows NT 3.X or 4.0? I remember there exists powerpc version of both windows

[@linuxization4205]

Not possible, little endian only. PPC Macintoshes are big endian

[@lain328]

I'm assuming one day you end up doing a iMac G3 running a G4 processor on Mac OS 10.5.9 (10.5.8 mod)

[@agamemnon8163]

I like how me action retro wobbles like a jelly. He is so cute

[@UpLateGeek]

Did they ever make a version of TempleOS for Mac?

[@nalinux]

I don't know anything about Mac. I tried Darwin in 1999 ... We needed an Ati Mach 64 to have display. I love my MacMini 2012 :) Needed a SSD and ram .. Usual upgrade. Of course it runs Debian, as a daily. But the Mac OS is quite funny and works great.

[@aa-au]

11:30 Was that Junior's voice saying "It's not my fault"...

[@colddripgaming]

Year of the linux desktop?

[@danaeckel5523]

I saw on last week's segment you said you have Linux running now. I have been fighting with this on my G3 and what I notice, #1 copy the BootX from an older YDL distribution or copy it from the web, next pick a distro of your choice and copy the ramdisk image and kernel from the CD/DVD run the BootX installer and install Linux. Now what you should do, somehow copy the kernel and ramdisk image from your installed linux to your HDD, configure those files with BootX and set the command to root= sorry, I don't have the rest at this moment.

[@hanro50]

Technically, there was a version of Windows NT for PowerPC. Although, to date, I have never heard of anyone getting it working on a ppc Mac

[@officialunderfire]

0:04 - Arch user jumpscare

[@CircuitDen]

I think what you did wrong is you made the linux partitions, but you didn't select them to install to, on the X Linux Installer, there is a button that says "Select Partitions" and I think you would have to open that and select the partition to use for the install.

[@organiccold]

The Tam is bot happy lol

[@TuxPeng]

How about MorphOS/AmigAOS

[@RaduDutzan]

What about NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP or Rhapsody? You did say “all” the OSes…

[@devidvitale443]

hello has all, my TAM does not turn on, you hear the startup sound but the screen does not turn on as it does not turn on the green light at the bottom left someone can help me. Grazie

[@jamesdecross1035]

Hey, everyone may be asking for MacOSX, but really, just how far backwards can you go??

[@jayminer]

What about MorphOS, is that possible to boot on this machine? :D

[@memsom]

No. MorphOS requires later hardware. It would boot on a MacMini.

[@pacmania1982]

Let Mac OS put the files in the correct folders in the System folder by just dragging them to the System Folder. If you have extensions and control panels in a selection, Mac OS will put them in the right folder for you.

[@yorgle]

Can it boot MorphOS / AmigaOS? :D

[@jonathanalveriodegarcia1219]

Yellow dawg getting mad nyc vibes 🗽

[@yetzt]

but why not netbsd?

[@jarms40]

If course it's fine.

[@RetroReviewYT]

Mac OS X 10.2 next @Action Retro?

[@jensputzlocher8345]

This TAM has the same motherboard as my Powermac6500 once had. The 6500 could only boot MacOS10.1, but not 10.2. I suspect the same is true for the TAM.

[@maxpoulin64]

According to the partitioning step, it was hda7

[@markschwartz9905]

you should have made a video focusing on BeOS

[@SYNERGiST]

Why dont you try to install some linux that is still available like debian for ppc?

[@convolutedcomputing]

Why YDL and not Debian’s 68k port?

[@dennisud]

You and Linux... Oy! All of them?!?!?!? Oh My!

[@therandomblokeUK]

Please repair that TAM's built in disc drive its funny seung the daisy changed ones but would be great to see that TAM 100% working

[@kronos2611]

it's a bit of a stretch - but would AIX install on the TAM?

[@joeturner7959]

No, not a Apple server 500/700 Nor a CHiRP machine... but... that is not to say it could not be hacked to sh**. AIX required both 604 and a specific video card, not new, not old, but just right.

[@rager1969]

I'm sure you can't run OS X, but can you run FreeBSD? Oh, the end seems to indicate you may be able to install OS X. If so, maybe also see if you can install FreeBSD. Hmm, didn't MS make a PowerPC version of Windows NT?

[@keyboard_g]

You might be able to get MorphOS on there.

[@minty_Joe]

At 2:30 through 2:36, let me guess...that was Steve (Mac84) operating the penguin.

[@joe--cool]

Installer: F12 for next screen. - smashes every key except F12

[@CRYPTiCEXiLE]

NetBSD ?

[@slashlightning8488]

you could always install linux to a usb stick and be all good

[@MSmith-Photography]

Screw it! At this point, add CP-M to it next! 🤣

[@selzzaW]

All of the operating systems? How about PPC Windows NT???

[@linuxization4205]

Not possible, little endian only. PPC Macintoshes are big endian

[@tangentspace]

I hope I could be forgiven for thinking of TempleOS when you said there's one OS that everyone's been asking for but thankfully that is not architecturally possible so my guess must be AmigaOS 4.x

[@another3997]

As I recall, you can't run Amiga OS4 natively on any PPC Mac. MorphOS can run on some Macs, although I suspect this Mac won't be one of them.😁

[@machrider2333]

Linux ain't easy, but it's necessary.

[@machrider2333]

We choose Linux on the TAM not because it is easy but because it is hard.

[@joeturner7959]

Its not just hard, its very very hard. When I talked to the yellow dog people, at MacWorld, they said a few machines will never run it, all 603s, all 601. 601 was for MkLinux, ( I never got it running on my 7100 ), and the 603e based PowerBook 5300-Hindenbook. ( which the TAM is based on. ). They later on, told me it was worthless because of the slowness and size of the cache. When the G3s came out, they had to get the G3 port working, which was a die shink 603e++ ++ +++. It made for the AIO Performa 200s able to run yellow dog, but i never heard of them getting it to run on the 5300/TAM. I stand corrected. Wow. Achievement unlocked!

[@breestandard1318]

More Tim Tams

[@SullySadface]

This reminds me of the time I used only a keyboard to install DSL and Puppy Linux on an old P3 WinME box I kept in the closet Yo dawg, I heard you like booting so you can boot into your OS to boot into an OS. Iirc I had GRUB set up to boot into my win7/fedora/osx86 triboot setup, but I don't remember anything about it besides agony and a 50/50 chance to watch the mach kernel have an aneurysm as a result of attempting to boot on AMD hardware.

[@MichaelEilers]

Blink blonk??