[hempcamp]

I've successfully installed Linux on PCs literally thousands of times over the past 7 years, but I'm getting nowhere with my first installation of Linux on Mac. Argghhhh!

Here's the problem: I'm installing YDL 2.2 on a PM 4400, 500MB SCSI HD holds 8.6, 2 gig IDE drive for Linux. I am doing "Custom" install (although I've tried Default as well), as reccomended by YDL Installation Guide for dual-drive configurations.

I happily go through the installation prompts, and the installer begins installing packages (Development Workstation). At the very end of package installation, it craps out with an error message "Package installation failure." It must be the timezone package that doesn't install, because the installer skips the timezone step completely and goes on to network configuration, but hangs right after eth0 goes up with a timezone.py error.

I have tried just about everything, and I'm thinking of trashing YDL and trying Mandrake PPC (my favorite distribution for x86, but I thought for my PPC I'd try something new). Any ideas what the problem might be?

--Chris

[hempcamp]

Nevermind. I got it to install -- did a simpler configuration (Home/Office), then manually selected which other packages I wanted. It's up and running (although with a terrible video problem I haven't figured out yet).

Still, I have some serious gripes about my installation experience that would prevent me from shelling out any $$ to YDL (for free, I'll deal with the problems, but if I pay money for the CD, I expect more!):

1) Crapping out without specific errors names/numbers. Not enough disk space? Failed dependencies? Kernel panic? Just tell me, damnit! This is something mainstream PC distros have drastically improved over the years.

2) Dependency problems. I unchecked everything I could in manual package selection that had anything to do with that monster called KDE. Still, it decided to install KDE + many megs of KDE extras because somewhere I missed a file that depended upon KDE. It *should* have asked me about that dependency first, before installing hundreds of megs of crap I'll now have to manually uninstall.

3) The python installation interface is slow. Sometimes I had to wait a long time just for the interface to respond. A few times it totally paused for nearly 5 minutes, no mouse or nothin'!

4) Video acceleration for the onboard ATI Mach64 chip on the 4400 is broken. I would be more understanding in the PC world where there are zillions of chipmakers, but with ATI such a standard on Macs, this is frustrating. (Perhaps this isn't YDL's fault though.)

These are just a few things I'd like to see before I shell out any money to the guys at YDL. Anyone else have similar problems? When the next version of Mandrake PPC comes out (if ever?) I'll put it to the same test in the name of fairness.

--Chris

[fulmer]

christ, a 4400 mac? a mach64 chip? I'd try installing on a newer mac and see if it craps out like this one did.

[hempcamp]

Originally posted by fulmer:
<STRONG>christ, a 4400 mac? a mach64 chip? I'd try installing on a newer mac and see if it craps out like this one did.</STRONG>

Just because it's a road apple is no excuse. Linux is flexible, and if it works on millions of shabby PCs with crappy hardware then it should work on the 4400! On top of that, YDL officially supports the 4400 -- if the hardware is the problem, they should say so. Besides, the 4400 was free

Anyway, I got it up and running for about a day but abruptly now I get kernel panics every time I try to boot into Linux, followed by a Type 11 error when I try to boot to OS 8.6 from the reboot unless I shut down completely and give it a rest.

The Mandrake 8.0 PPC ISO is on its way down now. I'll see if it's any better.

--Chris

PM 7500/604e 200Mhz
4 gig/16MB
OS 8.5

PM 4400/603ev 200Mhz
2 gig/64MB
OS 8.6, Linux ??

[warpmoon]

ahem, nevermind

[ 04-25-2002: Message edited by: warpmoon ]

[hempcamp]

Well, looks as though my problem is much larger than which distribution I choose. The Mandrake 8.2 installer craps out too, but with even more dubious error messages, followed by a nice big kernel panic. I've narrowed the problem (I think) to the hard drive, cursed IDE! As soon as I get a larger SCSI drive for it I will give that a shot.

I realize I will probably never get X windows to work on the 4400's Mach64, but this is no issue. I just want framebuffer mode, terminal login, since it's only going to be a file server.

--Chris

PM 7500/604e 200Mhz
4 gig/256 ram
AppleDesign Powered Speakers II
OS 8.6
(Sweetest computer ever!)

PM 4400/603ev 200Mhz
2 gig IDE/500 meg SCSI/64 ram
OS 8.6, Linux (??)
(Road apple, but salvageable, I hope...)