[Under Construction]
A project to extend use & life of older Apple Macintosh hardware using a different operating System than Apple-OS / OSX
These preceded the Intel Switch away from the PowerPC Architecture (G3, G4, G5) that happened around 2007. Therefore, these machines are over ten years old, Few modern Apple OS
applications are now updated nor released.
Latest possible is Apple OS 10.5.x whereas we are no up to at leaset 10.12.x +
Attempts to have BOTH Linux & Apple OS launch are abortive.
These instructions will totally replace the Apple OS,
or OSX, with Linux
These instructions seem to work for:
PPC: iMacs, PowerBooks (Laptops) and iBooks with the G5 CPU, things are less certain with the older G4 & G3.
Use this Link to figure out what your MAC is!
Better to Load some appropriate version of Linux onto these machines. Many excellent free packages replace what you were used to, but the machine will no longer be Apple Compatible:
No iTunes, Safari, calendar etc, as you know it.
But you will have Libre Office, a free replacement for Pages or Microsoft Office, Etc., also ThunderBird Email & Firefox and possibly Chrome if you have the last of the G5s, so called 64Bit PPC
That’s jsut the start– an enormous array of specialist software is available, usually free, and easy to install.
Networking is ‘transparent’ (your machine will be a part of any network you are on) and is relaible and secure.
Steps:
– If you Can: Blow Out Vent Slots With Compressed Air!
– Perform hardware checks. Problems? Fix or Discard!
– Back up whatever might be useful from your old MAC.
– In addition PLEASE save one critical deeply buried file listed in the top paragraph of this linked page.:
This is used as a driver for your iSight Camera to be used later and though small it is NOT permitted by Copyright & other laws that it be given away anywhere on the Internet!
USB Flash Drives are likely the easiest.
– Be sure machine’s CD drive works- These older units cannot boot from any USB devices.
– At least 1GB of RAM (Memory) is best, upgrades are cheap from eBay, used.
– You may be able to Boot from a Firewire Device if the CD/DVD is Faulty. an External Firewire DVD/CD player will do.
– An external FireWire Boot hard Drive WILL work but takes more complex fiddling to make it so.
– Use only use a wired, not wireless Keyboard and Mouse for now.
a PC styled one is fine.
Here is an ISO image of the CD you need to Boot from.
This is “Lubuntu 16.04 Long Term Support ( LTS)” that is based on Ubuntu, that I found to work well, derived from the popular Debian distribution You can burn this on any reasonable machine,
Check this Link Here for how to do this..
Do not simply burn it as a data file…!
If you have a Choice, turn on Data Verification that may take twice as long to read back and check the job done.
SOME TRICKS
– MAC must be ON to insert a CD or DVD– motor will draw it in.
– If there is a CD or DVD Stuck in the slot drive, avoid trying to pulling it out or mechanical messing. Power the MAC down
Then HOLD the Main (or Left) Mouse Button as you power up, this is supposed to send an Eject signal to the Drive. Listen to the motor running when you do so– It MAY take up to 30 seconds.
– Here is an Apple srticle on how to try mechanically ejecting a disk:
“Take a large paperclip and grasp it with one hand so that about three quarters of an inch, or 18 millimeters, extends beyond your fingers. Insert the paperclip into the CD/DVD slot about 1.5 inches, or 36 millimeters, from the left edge of the slot.”
-Power-up, even until the original MAC desktop comes up. Pay attention to any Error Messages about hardware!
– Even of the MAC OS is Faulty and will not start,
insert the disk anyway. Wait. Nothign happens? HOLD the Pwoer Button for 10 seconds to Shut Down,
-Restart the MAC,
as it begins to Power-Up, be sure you are holding the letter “C” key on your Keyboard. This is supposed to force the MAC to start from that Disk.
-BE PATIENT– Usually nothing happens for several minutes and the screen may be black. Wait. Listen. You may hear the characteristic squeaking noises of the Disk being read.