Mandrake PPC Installation Help File
By 3m00
Introduction
So you finally have your linux CD and your ready to install
your new OS on your Mac. You pop in your CD, and suddenly
it doesn't seem so easy. Booting? Partitions? Corrupted
partition table? Driver partitions? This guide will help you
get your Mandrake PPC installation up and running!
Booting
The first step is to eject whatever is in your CD drive.
Next, insert the Mandrake installation disk (disk #1). Now,
restartd your computer, while holding the c key all the way through
startup until you see the Mandrake install prompt.
Choosing a Graphics Card
If you can remember which video card you have, try
install-[video-card-moniker]. On
my 350-MHz iMac, I use install-aty128fb. Most off the shelf iMacs also have this, or
install-atyfb. Both of those options work on my iMac.
Choosing the Installation Method
For this Help File, it is assumed you have the installation CDs.
Thus, choose the CDROM installation method.
Installation
For your first Mandrake installation, choose basic install.
Agree to the license. Choose your language and keyboard type.
Other than the following, the rest of the options are presented to you in
an easy to understand form, thanks to DrakX, Mandrake's
install program.
Partitioning
Here's the hard part. You have to make a apple_bootstrap
partition with no mount point. Look under the partition type
option on the bottom left to make the current partition an
apple_bootstrap partition. This partition needs only less than
5 MB.
Other than that, just add an
ext2-type / partition by clicking on the white space, then
clicking Create. Use about three quarters of the available space. Use the rest
for a "swap" partition. This partition is needed to make
your RAM work well.
Choose Packages
Depending on what you are going to be doing, choose the
needed packages. For your basic first installation, choose a desktop
environment (I recommend KDE) then choose the optional
packages.
When you get more advanced, its actually easier to
just install the development package and nothing else. You
then mount your CDROM in your basic environment, urpmi the X
window system, then compile your favorite window manager.
Choose Bootloading Options
Make sure to choose Mandrake's defaults! DrakX has
properly configure it from what you said in your partitioning
scheming.
Booting
If your linux box does not boot, you must follow the
suggestion that DrakX gave you (boot into open
firmware [ctrl-o-f] then type setenv
bootdevice tbxi://hd? where ?
is the number of your apple_bootstrap partition). This makes
sure that you boot into yaboot, our favorite bootloader.
Sources of Error
These are my personal errors that I have encountered, which
may possibly be because cheapbytes.com sells you a cooker
cdrom, or my mac is just special. Must be cheapbytes.com
(but its sooo cheap!)
I can't even type out a login name! Its all jumbled
up! Backspace is like e and tab is r... and like....
While Mandrake is booting, it asks you if you want to
enter interactive startup. Press I to enter it. Now, go into
single user/maintenance mode.
echo "exec xf86cfg" > ~/.xinitrc
startx
Now, go to keyboard. Choose pc104 for the keyboard
layout. Go back, now exit. When if asks you to save, press
yes. Now
echo "exec startkde" > ~/.xinitrc
startx
to return to your loving KDE environment. Change startkde
to startgnome and "loving KDE environment" to "loving GNOME
environment" if you use GNOME. You can make similar changes for other
window managers.
Have an error you solved or want solved? Email
3m00@prodigy.net to submit to this Help File!
