On Sunday 07 Aug 2005 21:26, Paul Wehr wrote: 9In response to my query about Linux on Starmax) > > Years ago, I installed Yellow Dog Linux on my StarMax, but since the > Max was my primary machine, I didn't explore it fully. Running dual > boot, it took some fancy modifications to the firmware to get it > working. > > I don't know what you were trying to install,
The latest version of Ubuntu.. apologies, I should have said.. > but you will find > extensive Linux information at <http://www.LinuxQuestions.org>. In a > general search for Yellow Dog, I turned up 277 topics. The single > reference I read was recent. One person wasn't happy with YDL on > their beige G3 and another suggested Ubuntu. There is a version of > Ubuntu that will run from a booted CD so you can check out the look > and feel as well as a few hardware options. Oh, I know what Ubuntu is like - I use Mandriva Linux (with KDE as the front-end) as my primary OS, and on my secondary PC, I experiment with other OS's, including other flavours of Linux. Just so's people understand that I'm not trolling or suchlike - my inital use of computers was Amigas, and they are staill a benchmark for stability and ease of use, for me, although Linux has started surpassing the old Amiga OS in some respects. Then I used a WinPC for some years, which wasn't fun at all. Knowing that Amiga OS was based on Unix, and that Linux was a form of Unix, I kept an eye on what was happening with Linux, until a year or so ago, I decided I was ready to switch to Linux. Never could afford a Mac, unfortunately. Wouldn't have the Starmax if a workmates husband hadnt been about to literally throw it out, for space reasons. Anyway, what has astounded me, given Apples reputation over the years, and the Macs in particular, is how awfully clunky OS9 on the Mac is. Aaaargh! Nicer than Windows, to be sure, but then that isn't hard. But IMHO it is one of the strangest OS's to use I;ve ever encountered, and I don't see it as being particularly easy to use at all! Case of what one is used to? Perhaps - but I have tried quiet a variety of OS's and front ends thereto over the last 25 years. Perhaps it just doesn't suit my "style" (shrugs) - whatever, it's a lovely piece of hardware, and I'd genuinely regret having to give it away, but unless I can get some sensible use out of it - which I can't so long as it runs OS9 - it WILL have to go. > > My Max still does OS 9.1 and serves my wife's purposes. I've got an > *old* PC running Fedora Core 3. I only use it as a server. The > software all seems to be written by Windoze Refugees(tm) so most of > it is just as clunky as stuff that comes out of Redmond. For any real > work, I do it on a Mac. (chuckle...) The Linux software scene has grown enormously over the last couple of years, and depending on the window manager one uses, it can be made to look and feel like just about any OS you like. I;ve had fun setting up test users on one of my PCs that look and feel more or less like various other OS's: Win2000, Amiga OS, Mac OSX. The only piece of Linux software I really can't stand so far is The Gimp, which IMO has a truly wretched user interface. > > I would spend some time on LinuxQuestions and follow links for Linux > on PPC. Join in the fray, ask questions, take notes. Sigh... damn, I was hoping you wouldn't say that, though I was half expecting it - more than half. Thing is, I've plenty of other calls on my time, and if getting the Starmax running something usable involves too much time and effort - out it goes. Here's a question you might be able to answer - why won;t the Starmax boot from CD, given that the CD I'm using IS a bootable one and does have a PPC operating system on it? Any ideas? > As in other > locations, most people don't have a clue what a StarMax is, you it > might be good to keep your references to the PowerMac 4400. > > Keep in touch with the list, I for one would be curious to hear your > successful results. Well, thanks for the advice and the kind thoughts - I'll give it a month to see if I can get some kind of result. Weirdest thing was I wrote to Linux format recently, and for some bizarre reason they picked it as letter of the month, and awarded me a T-shirt (strange, as they don't have my address!) and then published a rather useless response. Sigh... I hate seeing good hardware go to waste. And the Starmax is rather more aesthetically pleasing physically than the vast majority of computers I've seen. Still has to earn its keep, though... :-} Many thanks, Paul, aye, I'll let the list know how I get on. > -- > Paul Wehr > [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- StarMax is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... / Buy books, CDs, videos, and more from Amazon.com \ / <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/lowendmac> \ Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> StarMax list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/starmax.html> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/starmax%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
