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General discussion (archive)Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server on Mac PPC Server?(8 posts)solved(8 posts)solved
(8 posts)solved
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 07, 2013
So today I discovered an old Mac Server hidden behind one of the server cabinets at work, and figured I'd use this to do some testing (I have very limited experience with Macs, so this seems the ideal opportunity to increase my learning here).

Anyway, it's a Power PC G4, which means Mac OS X Server 10.6 doesn't install on it (something to do with the PPC kernel not being present), so I wondered if it's possible to put a Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server installation on there?

I tried simply putting the DVD in and holding the Alt button (the Windows keyboard equivalent of the Mac option key), but the existing installation just boots and ejects the disc when you get to the login screen.

Anybody have any ideas?
This question / problem has been solved by Miaghstirimage
Posted January 07, 2013
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nmillar: something to do with the PPC kernel
Ubuntu dropped support for PPC (the CPU in old Apple hardware) a few years ago. Either compile a
PPC kernel or look for a PPC distribution.

So no - you won't be able to install this on your Mac thingy.

Also... really, you could have found this out in one Google search. Or a quick peruse of the Ubuntu wiki. Would have been much quicker than the 15 minutes it took for you to get an answer here.
Post edited January 07, 2013 by TheJoe
Posted January 07, 2013
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TheJoe: Also... really, you could have found this out in one Google search. Or a quick peruse
of the
Ubuntu wiki. Would have been much quicker than the 15 minutes it took for you to get an answer
here.
I did try a Google search, but I guess I was using the wrong keywords ...
I have found this:
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/precise/release/
Doesn't seem to be a server version of the Power PC release though, but I guess I could use the
desktop version and apply the server pack at a later point?
Post edited January 07, 2013 by nmillar
Posted January 07, 2013
If you want to run Mac OS X (and if you want to "increase your learning" about macs, that's what you should do - Gnu/Linux or BSD on a PPC box won't be all that different to the same system on an x86 box, and will all be quite different to OS X despite its Unix base), you should track down a copy of 10.5 (though it'll be different from the later versions, it's the closest you can get).

If all you're looking for is getting some use out of the machine, fetch Debian (the netinst image here should get you on your way). Though the installation is a bit more involved than Ubuntu's, you should feel quite at home afterwards (since Ubuntu was originally derived from Debian, and still shows many of the latter's mannerisms).
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nmillar: http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/precise/release/
Doesn't seem to be a server version of the Power PC release though, but I guess I could use the
desktop version and apply the server pack at a later point?
The various editions of Ubuntu all pull from the same repositories, and I'm quite sure there isn't a "server package", all you need to do is install the server applications you need (and remove all the completely-unneccesary-for-a-server GUI applications and the desktop environment).
Post edited January 07, 2013 by Miaghstir
Posted January 07, 2013
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Miaghstir: The various editions of Ubuntu all pull from the same repositories, and I'm quite sure there
isn't a "server package", all you need to do is install the server applications you need (and
remove all the completely-unneccesary-for-a-server GUI applications and the desktop
environment).
Ah, that sounds pretty close to what I actually want to do. If I can figure out how to get the .NET Framework and SQL working in Ubuntu, then I may be able to get our in-house systems working on a Ubuntu client / server environment.
Posted January 07, 2013
avatar
Miaghstir: The various editions of Ubuntu all pull from the same repositories, and I'm quite
sure there
isn't a "server package", all you need to do is install the server applications you need (and
remove all the completely-unneccesary-for-a-server GUI applications and the desktop
environment).
avatar
nmillar: Ah, that sounds pretty close to what I actually want to do. If I can figure out how to get the .NET
Framework and SQL working in Ubuntu, then I may be able to get our in-house systems working on a
Ubuntu client / server environment.
it depends what exactly you need from the .NET fw. Mono is a reimplementation of it but misses some stuff like winforms.
Posted January 07, 2013
avatar
nmillar: Ah, that sounds pretty close to what I actually want to do. If I can figure out how to get the .NET
Framework and SQL working in Ubuntu, then I may be able to get our in-house systems working on a
Ubuntu client / server environment.
avatar
silviucc: it depends what exactly you need from the .NET fw. Mono is a reimplementation of it but misses
some stuff like winforms.
Yeah, one of our developers mentioned Mono, so will give that a go and see how far I get.
Posted January 07, 2013
avatar
nmillar: Ah, that sounds pretty close to what I actually want to do. If I can figure out how to get
the .NET Framework and SQL working in Ubuntu, then I may be able to get our in-house systems
working on a Ubuntu client / server environment.
Mono should handle at least part or your .NET needs on non-Windows systems (but it's split up into a truckload of parts, which ones you need depends on your application, mono-apache-server will probably be your first stop if you're building web stuff - unless the package is named differently on Ubuntu, I'm on Debian here). As for SQL, you're likely looking at MySQL (or its derivative MariaDB) or PostgreSQL, unless you require MS SQL-specific functionality, in which case you're going to need a Windows server for that software.
Post edited January 07, 2013 by Miaghstir
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General discussion (archive)Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Server on Mac PPC Server?(8 posts)solved(8 posts)solved
(8 posts)solved