Installation on G3 iMac (ppc) (Opensuse)
Before you start...
Any installation can go wrong, so make sure that anything of value on the target machine has been backed-up! Partition (disc) re-sizing tools are particularly susceptible in this respect.
The best approach is to find a spare hard disc and use that. Anything from about 5G is useful for experimenting; for serious use consider 40G plus. If using a new disc, get hold of a Mac OS install CD (Mac OS v9 or later) and use the "Disc Utility" tool on it to configure the disc before starting to install Linux. If you don't do this you won't be able to boot the machine. Also, make a note of the partition structure that you choose for later use.
Dual boot with OS-X is perfectly feasible, if this is desired then use the "Disc Utility" to create (at least) two partitions - one for OS-X and the other for Linux. It's probably best to leave the second one as "Unused" and let the Linux installer configure it. If installing OS-X, do that before starting to install Linux.
If at all possible, get the maximum possible RAM installed - most G3s use PC-100 SDRAM, and can take 2 sticks of 256M. Performance (in any OS) is significantly enhanced with this in place.
Creating a Network Boot Disc
The iMac G3 only has a CD reader, so installation will need to be via a network connection. Before continuing, read the network installation information on the OpenSuSE web site. Download the network boot ISO (released versions are called "Start-CD-Image") - not forgetting that you need the "PPC" option. Alternatively, if you're feeling brave, try the latest development snapshot. In either case, if you have the facility to do so, check the md5sum of the image before continuing.
If you're using MS Windows to create the boot disc, note that Windows cannot itself burn ISO images to make a bootable CD - you need a utility such as NERO to do this. Mac and Linux machines have appropriate tools by default. Burn a CD-R and offer it to the iMac's CD slot (it won't fully load without the power on).
It is also theoretically possible to use this image file to make a bootable USB stick, though that is beyond the scope of this page.
Configuring a network share
It is perfectly possible to install over the internet, assuming that you have a reliable connection and that it is accessible to the iMac. However, a more practical solution, especially if the install DVDs are available, is to create a local share and use that.
If you have access to a Linux machine, sharing (by any of a number of protocols) is straightforward. Similar utilities are also available for MS Windows; though some configuration details will differ the principles are just the same. Assuming Linux, and the vsftp FTP server (strongly recommended!):
1. Create an ISO image of the DVD if you don't already have one - the easiest tool is K3B. Save the file somewhere convenient e.g. /home/user/files/OSL110-PPC.iso
2. Ensure that vsftp is installed and use the accompanying documentation to set it up. If you're lucky enough to be using openSuSE already, the configuration tool YaST provides a module ftp-server to do this (if you can't find it, check the module is installed). Don't forget to start the service!
3. By default the ftp data area is at /srv/ftp; (as root) create a sub-directory e.g. /srv/ftp/OSL-11.0-PPC
4. Again as root, loop mount the DVD image at this new directory:
# mount -o loop,ro /home/user/files/OSL110-PPC.iso /srv/ftp/OSL-11.0-PPC5. Test the FTP server (as ordinary user): $ ftp anonymous@localhost (password=anything) Check that e.g. cd OSL-11.0-PPC can be used to change to the OSL data, and ls shows some files.
6. Ensure any firewall isn't blocking external access to the new FTP server - again, YaST provides a module firewall to help. Avoid simply disabling the firewall!
Other protocols can also be used for sharing, notably http, nfs and smb / cifs (i.e. Windows). These should all work, assuming that they are set up correctly - though don't forget (a) firewall and (b) to test the share before using it.
Starting Installation
With the boot CD offered to the iMac's CD slot, apply power and feed the disc in. Immediately press and hold the ALT key (next to the spacebar). After a few seconds, a graphical boot selector should appear, showing bootable hard disc partitions (if any) and CDs, USB sticks etc. If the CD isn't shown, eject it (use a thin stick at the extreme RH end of the slot), clean it and re-insert, then use the refresh icon (circular) to try again. Once it is shown, select it with the mouse and click on the forward arrow to boot it.
After a short while, yaboot should display a welcome message and boot prompt. Type install and press Enter to load the installer. The loading process takes a few minutes, after which the rather cryptic message:
Make sure that CD number 1 is in your drive 1) OK
2) Back
Press 2 (followed by Enter) to back up to the main menu, then:
4 for Start installation or system
1 for Start installation or update
2 for Network (installation)
1 for FTP (source)
If you have a DHCP server, answer the next question with 1 for Yes - otherwise you will have to enter network configuration manually. Now enter the IP address of the FTP server followed by directory name - OSL-11.0-PPC in the example above. Note that these are case sensitive and must match what you used above when setting up the server.
Finally, use:
2 for No username / password
2 for Don't use HTTP proxy
Installation should start by loading 4 elements of the installation system before transferring execution to them to load a graphical interface.
Installation options
- It is wise to set the language and keyboard at the start, the latter can lead to serious confusion otherwise.
- A G3 iMac with 512M RAM has enough oomph for KDE4 desktop, but will undeniably be more responsive if XFCE4 is chosen from the "Other" menu. A second desktop choice can be installed later if desired.
- Check that the suggested partition usage and booting matches your notes from earlier. If e.g. Mac OS-X is installed but not listed as a "section"; click on "Booting" and "Add" (section) then "Other" - and name it appropriately.
- The suggested software choice is a good start, other packages can be added / deleted later.
Installation will take around 1 - 2 hours depending a little on the network and server speeds.
Have a lot of fun...
