[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Debian [Sid] on Apple Powerbook G4 1.33Ghz 12" model M9183



Dear All,

Do you have any hints about running Debian/Sid on an Apple PowerBook
G4 12" 1.33Ghz laptop? The apple part number should be M9183F/A (for a
model with a french keyboard at least) - I bought a 512Mb RAM, so I
have 784Mb RAM in total, and 60Gb disk (and combo CDwriter).

I do run debian/sid using a kernel-image-2.4.25-powerpc-pmac kernel,
whose /proc/version is Linux version 2.4.25-powerpc (root@pegasos2)
(version gcc 3.3.3 (Debian 20040401)) #1 mer avr 14 15:38:38 CEST 2004
lspci gives

0000:00:0b.0 Host bridge: Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth 2 AGP
0000:00:10.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation NV34M [GeForce FX Go5200] (rev a1)
0000:10:0b.0 Host bridge: Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth 2 PCI
0000:10:12.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM94306 802.11g (rev 03)
0000:10:17.0 Class ff00: Apple Computer Inc. KeyLargo/Intrepid Mac I/O
0000:10:18.0 USB Controller: Apple Computer Inc. KeyLargo/Intrepid USB
0000:10:19.0 USB Controller: Apple Computer Inc. KeyLargo/Intrepid USB
0000:10:1a.0 USB Controller: Apple Computer Inc. KeyLargo/Intrepid USB
0000:10:1b.0 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB (rev 43)
0000:10:1b.1 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB (rev 43)
0000:10:1b.2 USB Controller: NEC Corporation USB 2.0 (rev 04)
0000:20:0b.0 Host bridge: Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth 2 Internal PCI
0000:20:0d.0 Class ff00: Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth/Intrepid ATA/100
0000:20:0e.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth 2 FireWire (rev 81)
0000:20:0f.0 Ethernet controller: Apple Computer Inc. UniNorth 2 GMAC (Sun GEM) (rev 80)

I did not succeed in running Xfreee from Debian. However, I did got
the latest snapshot XFree86-4.4.99.5.tar.bz2 from xfree86.org (yes, I
know there is a license issue w.r.t Xfree.4.4; this is not relevant
here for me) and compiled it, and the resulting Xserver runs like a
charm (with the touchpad builtin the Mac - I did not tried yet an
external Usb mouse with wheel).

An annoying bug with my kernel: running ifconfig eth0 mtu 1200 (or
setting the MTU to 1200 in /etc/network/interfaces) crashes the whole
system (kernel appears blocked).

I was not able to compile&run a recent kernel. I tried to compile the
vanilla 2.6.6. kernel from kernel.org, but I probably misconfigured it
(the screen remains black). Any hints for doing this? I would like to
compile it. Shoudld the framebuffer be enabled? Should I use the
vanilla kernels from kernel.org or should I seek patches, and where?

Is the yaboot loader LILO like (writing the boot blocks on the disk)
or GRUB like (knowing the /boot filesystem)? Apparently, documentation
of yaboot suggest a knowledge of the /boot filesystem like GRUB, but I
have to run a ybin command (like under LILO). I'm not able to
configure (thru /etc/yaboot.conf) an entry for a kernel with an
initrc, as the 2.6 debian kernels seems to require.

Is there any hope of running the Wifi with broadcom under
Linux. Rumors tell that someone is reverseengineering the chip but I
got no details yet.

IF any french users with an AZERTY keyboard reads me, could he tell me
the good keyboard map (under console) for it. Some keys (notably the
minus key on top right of keyboard, at right of the right-parenthesis
key) don't behave as expected.

Any hints are welcome.

Regards.
-- 
Basile STARYNKEVITCH         http://starynkevitch.net/Basile/ 
email: basile<at>starynkevitch<dot>net 
aliases: basile<at>tunes<dot>org = bstarynk<at>nerim<dot>net
8, rue de la Faïencerie, 92340 Bourg La Reine, France



Reply to: