Hi

I'm trying to install Linux onto an G3 iBook but I'm having a few issues.

The main problem that I've been experiencing is that once I "successfully" install the OS, when the machine reboots, it comes up with a blue folder with a smiley face that seems to indicate that there is no bootable partition.

I've had this problem with both Fedora Core 4 and Yellow Dog 4.0.1. I've also tried Ubuntu, which works perfectly fine but it's not the distribution that I want to use.

I've looked on the Internet with very little success. I've tried resetting PRAM (command-option-p-r) which according to one person resolves the issue but unfortunately no luck with me.

If anyone out there knows what to do or can point me to a site that deals with this issue, your help would be very welcome.

Hello!

Have you tried gentoo? It well documented, has step-by-step installation guide. You may learn more about linux by gentoo-way (like I did )

definately !

Gentoo on Macs works perfectly and you should be able to install it by following the Gentoo PPC handbook step by step. Your problem comes from the boot loader that linux distros use with Macs, called Yaboot. Installing gentoo you'll learn how to set up yaboot and boot on linux.

Thanks for the feedback

I'm actually looking for a Red Hat based distro. Not necessarily cause I want to but I need to for work.

From what I understand, Gentoo is based on BSD. Though it'd help out a bit with the general Linux stuff that I have to do, I'd need to be able to build and test specs for compiling rpm packages (or at least learn how to to begin with). From my understanding, Gentoo will not allow me to do so.

I'll have a look at the Gentoo guide to see if it'll help any with the booting issue. I'm just surprised that with a new distro like FC4 or one as well established as Yellow Dog, that I'd need to manually mess around with boot configs with what pretty much amounts to a vanilla install.

Thanks again.

Gentoo is based on Gentoo. The init scripts and ports system is BSD-inspired though.
You don't need to manually mess around with boot configs any more than you would on ANY other distribution on ANY other hardware platform; the thing is to install your system (Yellow Dog have an OEM ISO on their site for you to leech if you want Yellow Dog), and then set the boot environment in firmware to pick the right drive and pass the right arguments.

LILO and GRUB on RedHat on PC does not do this automatically or automagically for you. You have to sit and type extra if you want it the way you want it (dual-booting Windows, perhaps).

Fedora Core support is coming along for Pegasos, we donated machines to developers there. If you can be patient it will be as automated and fully supporting as the distriution gets. Yellow Dog should match at roughly the same time, they are selling Pegasos-based machines so it is in their best interest of course. I know that doesn't help you with an iBook, but the principle (OpenFirmware-based PowerPC hardware) is the same.

Neko

I can appreciate that if that were the case. Though I will be working towards an OSX/Linux dual boot, for now my issues are with just a single Linux install. It's for this reason, along with the fact that I'm using relatively old hardware, that I'm surprised that I'm having as much trouble as I am.

I presume my biggest problem here is my lack of understanding of the whole install/boot process for PPC since I've never had to deal with these sort of boot issues on an ix86 system.

I'll keep working at it until I sort it out or this Pegasos support comes along.

Thanks for your comments Neko. Really appreciate it.

I've sorted out my issue with FC4 install i.e. I've got it working now.

I was right about the whole understanding the install/boot process thing. Just took some time to understand what I needed to get the thing running properly.

Thanks for the help peeps