installing debian on an: Apple PowerBook G4 550 (Gigabit - Ti)

[sergio sevillano-2]

i have tried many live cd distros un-successfuly

i gess im having trouble with the graphic card:
(ATI Mobility Radeon (4X AGP) graphics with 16 MB of DDR SDRAM;  screen
size is 1152x768 )
so all previous installations where ok but after final reboot
i could not visualize the desktop.

finally i have installed debian502 but with no desktop.
plain console that looks ok to me.

can someone give me a hint of what should be next step?

i gess is finding a driver for the card,
then installing KDE?

thanks
sergio



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[Peter Rooney]

sergio,

you minght not have installed any Xserver or desktop environment packages -
you can try running
  apt-get install kde
which installs everything needed.  can you post the contents of file
  /etc/X11/xorg.conf
please?

peter


sergio sevillano wrote:

> i have tried many live cd distros un-successfuly
>
> i gess im having trouble with the graphic card:
> (ATI Mobility Radeon (4X AGP) graphics with 16 MB of DDR SDRAM;  screen
> size is 1152x768 )
> so all previous installations where ok but after final reboot
> i could not visualize the desktop.
>
> finally i have installed debian502 but with no desktop.
> plain console that looks ok to me.
>
> can someone give me a hint of what should be next step?
>
> i gess is finding a driver for the card,
> then installing KDE?
>
> thanks
> sergio
>
>
>

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[sergio sevillano-2]

sergio,


you minght not have installed any Xserver or desktop environment
packages - you can try running

 apt-get install kde
which installs everything needed.  can you post the contents of file
 /etc/X11/xorg.conf
please?

peter





i have finally installed xorg with "apt-get install xorg"
and then kde "apt-get install kde"

seems to install it ok

then i have run "startx"
and ... blank page

now i can not get back to the console
i have shut down the machine
but now allways starts directly to the blank page after yaboot

sorry now i dont know how to take a look at
/etc/X11/xorg.conf

besides the blank page
i have to tell you ive been using linux
for a couple of days so im not familiar with any syntax (commands)

sergio




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[sergio sevillano-2]

>
> sergio sevillano wrote:
>> i have tried many live cd distros un-successfuly
>>
>> i gess im having trouble with the graphic card:
>> (ATI Mobility Radeon (4X AGP) graphics with 16 MB of DDR SDRAM;  
>> screen size is 1152x768 )
>> so all previous installations where ok but after final reboot
>> i could not visualize the desktop.
>>
>> finally i have installed debian502 but with no desktop.
>> plain console that looks ok to me.
>>
>> can someone give me a hint of what should be next step?
>>
>> i gess is finding a driver for the card,
>> then installing KDE?
>>
>> thanks
>> sergio
>>
>>
>>

Peter Rooney escribió:

> sergio,
>
> you minght not have installed any Xserver or desktop environment
> packages - you can try running
>  apt-get install kde
> which installs everything needed.  can you post the contents of file
>  /etc/X11/xorg.conf
> please?
>
> peter

i have finally installed xorg with "apt-get install xorg"
and then kde "apt-get install kde"

seems to install it ok

then i have run "startx" and ... blank page

now i can not get back to the console
i have shut down the machine
but now allways starts directly to the blank page after yaboot

sorry now i dont know how to take a look at
/etc/X11/xorg.conf

besides the blank page i have to tell you ive been using linux for a
couple of days so im not familiar with any syntax (commands)

sergio


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[Gunther Furtado-4]

Hi,

2009/9/1 sergio sevillano <sergiosevillano.mail@...>:

>
>>
>> sergio sevillano wrote:
>>>
>>> i have tried many live cd distros un-successfuly
>>>
>>> i gess im having trouble with the graphic card:
>>> (ATI Mobility Radeon (4X AGP) graphics with 16 MB of DDR SDRAM;  screen
>>> size is 1152x768 )
>>> so all previous installations where ok but after final reboot
>>> i could not visualize the desktop.
>>>
>>> finally i have installed debian502 but with no desktop.
>>> plain console that looks ok to me.
>>>
>>> can someone give me a hint of what should be next step?
>>>
>>> i gess is finding a driver for the card,
>>> then installing KDE?
>>>
>>> thanks
>>> sergio
>>>
>>>
>>>
> Peter Rooney escribió:
>>
>> sergio,
>>
>> you minght not have installed any Xserver or desktop environment packages
>> - you can try running
>>  apt-get install kde
>> which installs everything needed.  can you post the contents of file
>>  /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>> please?
>>
>> peter
>
> i have finally installed xorg with "apt-get install xorg"
> and then kde "apt-get install kde"
>
> seems to install it ok
>
> then i have run "startx" and ... blank page
>
> now i can not get back to the console
> i have shut down the machine
> but now allways starts directly to the blank page after yaboot

You can test the the graphics with the X (capital X) command to get
back to the console type Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.

>
> sorry now i dont know how to take a look at
> /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>

in the console you could run

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

But I think it would result blank. The ugly way to solve this is to
find a LiveCD to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from or if someone
on the list has a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf for your machine.

An old ubuntu live cd should work

> besides the blank page i have to tell you ive been using linux for a couple
> of days so im not familiar with any syntax (commands)
>
> sergio
>
>
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>
>

cheers,


--
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Curitiba - Paraná - Brasil
gunfurtado@...

"...agora, só nos sobrou o futuro...", visto em www.manuchao.net


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[Gunther Furtado-4]

terça, 01 de setembro de 2009,
Gunther Furtado <gunfurtado@...> escreveu:

[...]

>
>But I think it would result blank. The ugly way to solve this is to
>find a LiveCD to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from or if someone
>on the list has a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf for your machine.

Check this [1] out. There is a supposingly working xorg.con there.

[1] http://theapt.org/openbsd/tibook.html

cheers,


--
Gunther Furtado
gunfurtado@...


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[the grv]

Hi everybody. Sorry for my bad english.
Oh yes, finally i do it. I setting up my debian-box into my powerbook. I'm free.

Now, i must to view flash websites. Gnash (please forgive) is horrible.

You have a suggestion?

GRV












--- On Tue, 1/9/09, Gunther Furtado <gunfurtado@...> wrote:

> From: Gunther Furtado <gunfurtado@...>
> Subject: Re: installing debian on an: Apple PowerBook G4 550 (Gigabit - Ti)
> To: debian-powerpc@...
> Date: Tuesday, 1 September, 2009, 11:39 PM
> terça, 01 de setembro de 2009,
> Gunther Furtado <gunfurtado@...>
> escreveu:
>
> [...]
>
> >
> >But I think it would result blank. The ugly way to
> solve this is to
> >find a LiveCD to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from
> or if someone
> >on the list has a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf for your
> machine.
>
> Check this [1] out. There is a supposingly working xorg.con
> there.
>
> [1] http://theapt.org/openbsd/tibook.html
>
> cheers,
>
>
> --
> Gunther Furtado
> gunfurtado@...
>
>
> --
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-powerpc-REQUEST@...
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@...
>
>

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[sergio sevillano-2]

Gunther Furtado escribió:

t now allways starts directly to the blank page after yaboot
    

You can test the the graphics with the X (capital X) command to get
back to the console type Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.

  

no luck
i have es-ES (spanish) keyboard so not all keys get to the the place they seem

Can i get to the console from yaboot?

sorry now i dont know how to take a look at
/etc/X11/xorg.conf

    

in the console you could run

$ cat /etc/X11/xorg.conf

But I think it would result blank. The ugly way to solve this is to
find a LiveCD to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from or if someone
on the list has a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf for your machine.

An old ubuntu live cd should work

  

ill try that

>
>But I think it would result blank. The ugly way to solve this is to
>find a LiveCD to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from or if someone
>on the list has a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf for your machine.
    

Check this [1] out. There is a supposingly working xorg.con there. [1] http://theapt.org/openbsd/tibook.html cheers,

ill take a look to that page
thanks

sergio

[Gunther Furtado-4]

quarta, 02 de setembro de 2009,
sergio sevillano <sergiosevillano.mail@...> escreveu:

>Gunther Furtado escribió:
>>> t now allways starts directly to the blank page after yaboot
>>>    
>>
>> You can test the the graphics with the X (capital X) command to get
>> back to the console type Ctrl+Alt+Backspace.
>>
>>  
>no luck
>i have es-ES (spanish) keyboard so not all keys get to the the place
>they seem
>
>Can i get to the console from yaboot?

After the blank screen you should be able to switch to console with Ctrl+Alt+F1. I am not sure about what is the correct combination of Control Option and Apple (command) keys you shoud use when you are using an Apple keyboard. You'll have to try...


[...]

cheers,


--
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gunfurtado@...


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[Rogério Brito]

Hi, All.

On Sep 02 2009, Gunther Furtado wrote:
> quarta, 02 de setembro de 2009,
> sergio sevillano <sergiosevillano.mail@...> escreveu:
> >Can i get to the console from yaboot?
>
> After the blank screen you should be able to switch to console with
> Ctrl+Alt+F1.

Yes, this would usually work. I'm too lazy to check the documentation on
how to use magic SysRq on an Apple keyboard, though.

> I am not sure about what is the correct combination of Control Option
> and Apple (command) keys you shoud use when you are using an Apple
> keyboard. You'll have to try...

Perhaps that should be Control + Option + Fn + F1 (with the Fn part
depending on wheter you have selected the function keys to work as
hotkeys or not).


Regards, Rogério Brito.

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[Andrzej Mendel-3]

the grv pisze:
> Hi everybody. Sorry for my bad english.
> Oh yes, finally i do it. I setting up my debian-box into my powerbook. I'm free.
>
> Now, i must to view flash websites. Gnash (please forgive) is horrible.
>
> You have a suggestion?
>
> GRV
>  
Either Gnash or Swfdec. Try to compile latest svn/git snapshots of both
and see which one works better.
I've heard of some attempts to run Adobe Flash plugin through Qemu
through nspluginwrapper
(http://gwenole.beauchesne.info//en/projects/nspluginwrapper), but I
haven't tried it myself.

--
Cheers!
Andrzej Mendel


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[sergio sevillano-2]

Rogério Brito escribió:

Can i get to the console from yaboot?
      

After the blank screen you should be able to switch to console with
Ctrl+Alt+F1.
    

Yes, this would usually work. I'm too lazy to check the documentation on
how to use magic SysRq on an Apple keyboard, though.

  

http://www.answers.com/topic/ctrl-alt-del

i have tried all combinations of keys you guys have told me,
with ctrl-alt-del seems to change in brightnes a lot.

so my feeling still is that all works fine, but i just can not see it.
so i would have to type blind all commands to change settings,
wich looks quite hard to achieve.

i think i need to restart form the begining, if theres no better idea

if  i have a clean debian again with no desktop at all as i had,
then i can configure it from the console before installing any desktop.

what do you think?

thanks for the help so far to all,
sergio

[Gunther Furtado-4]

2009/9/2 sergio sevillano <sergiosevillano.mail@...>:

> Rogério Brito escribió:
>
> Can i get to the console from yaboot?
>
>
> After the blank screen you should be able to switch to console with
> Ctrl+Alt+F1.
>
>
> Yes, this would usually work. I'm too lazy to check the documentation on
> how to use magic SysRq on an Apple keyboard, though.
>
>
>
> http://www.answers.com/topic/ctrl-alt-del
>
> i have tried all combinations of keys you guys have told me,
> with ctrl-alt-del seems to change in brightnes a lot.
>
> so my feeling still is that all works fine, but i just can not see it.
> so i would have to type blind all commands to change settings,
> wich looks quite hard to achieve.
>
> i think i need to restart form the begining, if theres no better idea
>
> if  i have a clean debian again with no desktop at all as i had,
> then i can configure it from the console before installing any desktop.
>
> what do you think?

Before beginning from scratch, you could type something like Linux
single which would take you to a single user (no graphics) session.
Then you could try to copy a working /etc/X11/xorg.conf from a
pendrive ordownloading it using

# wget http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf

for instance then

# X

then if all goes OK

Ctrl+Opt+Backspace

>
> thanks for the help so far to all,
> sergio
>
>
>
>

cheers,

--
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Curitiba - Paraná - Brasil
gunfurtado@...

"...agora, só nos sobrou o futuro...", visto em www.manuchao.net


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[Rogério Brito]

On Sep 02 2009, sergio sevillano wrote:
> Rogério Brito escribió:
> >Yes, this would usually work. I'm too lazy to check the documentation on
> >how to use magic SysRq on an Apple keyboard, though.
> >
> http://www.answers.com/topic/ctrl-alt-del

I meant SysRq, not Ctrl+Alt+Del or Ctrl+Alt+Backspace or Ctrl+Alt+Fn.

> i have tried all combinations of keys you guys have told me,
> with ctrl-alt-del seems to change in brightnes a lot.

Did you try to start with just the X server? (See the manpage of X).

Also, the logs of the X server should contain precious information (see
/var/log/Xorg.0.log or files named similarly).

> so my feeling still is that all works fine, but i just can not see it.
> so i would have to type blind all commands to change settings,
> wich looks quite hard to achieve.

Well, blindly typing things is not that hard, if you do it with
attention.  Also, if you have another computer, you could try to log
into it to see if there was a kernel panic or something similar.

> i think i need to restart form the begining, if theres no better idea

A reinstallation from start is usually not necessary.


Regards, Rogério Brito.

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[Stefan Monnier]

> Can i get to the console from yaboot?

Normally, you can do that by specifying the runlevel from the
yaboot prompt.  Basically if you normally type "linux" to boot your
kernel, try "linux 1" or "linux single".


        Stefan


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[sergio sevillano-2]

Stefan Monnier escribió:

Can i get to the console from yaboot?
    

Normally, you can do that by specifying the runlevel from the
yaboot prompt.  Basically if you normally type "linux" to boot your
kernel, try "linux 1" or "linux single".


  

That did the trick!
typing "Linux 1" at boot:
forced the machine to start at the console bypassing the desktop,
or better said, stoping before loading the desktop.
so now i can see what im doing.

now im goign to try all the ideas you said to change config...
thanks

sergio

        Stefan


  

[sergio sevillano-2]

Stefan Monnier escribió:

Can i get to the console from yaboot?
    

Normally, you can do that by specifying the runlevel from the
yaboot prompt.  Basically if you normally type "linux" to boot your
kernel, try "linux 1" or "linux single".


        Stefan

  

ok im back to the console
now i should configure, right?

i have xorg installed

apt-get xorg-video-raedon   or
apt-get xerver-xorg-video-raedon
gives me a:  cant find package answer

i have /etc/X11/xorg.conf  empty.
someone said to copy it from
http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf

how is this done without typing everything?
i just know nano to edit it
can i make the file in other machine win,  name it xorg.conf
and then with a pendrive put it in the debian machine?

cp [source] /etc/X11/xorg.conf

what is the source path [source] for a  pendrive?

sergio

[Gunther Furtado-4]

2009/9/3 sergio sevillano <sergiosevillano.mail@...>:

> Stefan Monnier escribió:
>
> Can i get to the console from yaboot?
>
>
> Normally, you can do that by specifying the runlevel from the
> yaboot prompt.  Basically if you normally type "linux" to boot your
> kernel, try "linux 1" or "linux single".
>
>
>         Stefan
>
>
>
> ok im back to the console
> now i should configure, right?
>
> i have xorg installed
>
> apt-get xorg-video-raedon   or
> apt-get xerver-xorg-video-raedon
> gives me a:  cant find package answer

you typed it wrongly, it is *radeon*, take a look at:

http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=radeon

>
> i have /etc/X11/xorg.conf  empty.
> someone said to copy it from
> http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf
>
> how is this done without typing everything?

# cd /tmp

# wget http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf

# cp /tmp/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Just to be clear, it is a possibility, I didn't test it!

> i just know nano to edit it
> can i make the file in other machine win,  name it xorg.conf
> and then with a pendrive put it in the debian machine?
>
> cp [source] /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>
> what is the source path [source] for a  pendrive?

if you stick the pendrive and then

# dmesg | tail

you will see the "name" the system gave your pendrive's partition,
usually /dev/sdb1.

to gain access to that partition you have to do something like:

# mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /mnt/pendrive (this directory must be
created with # mkdir /mnt/pendrive)

>
> sergio

cheers,

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gunfurtado@...

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[Rogério Brito]

On Sep 03 2009, sergio sevillano wrote:
> i have xorg installed
>
> apt-get xorg-video-raedon   or
> apt-get xerver-xorg-video-raedon
> gives me a:  cant find package answer

(Check the spelling above. You are typing things incorrectly).

If you have xorg, then you probably already have the necessary drivers.

It would be helpful if you sent the output of /var/log/Xorg.0.log to the
list (perhaps put it at http://paste.debian.net/ and send the resulting
URL here).

Anyway, if you are not experienced with the command line, you may want
to use aptitude instead of apt-get. Just install it (if it is not
already) and type:

aptitude

without any parameters.

> i have /etc/X11/xorg.conf  empty.
> someone said to copy it from
> http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf
>
> how is this done without typing everything?

cd /etc/X11 && wget <URL>

But I guess that, given your background, you may not be able to fix your
problems if you start with a given configuration.

Just post the details of your machine (hint: use lshw) and post it here
and other people may be able to send you a file that work for them.

Or just Google a little bit. There were (are?) many people running
Debian on TiBooks.

> cp [source] /etc/X11/xorg.conf
>
> what is the source path [source] for a  pendrive?

That depends on what you are using. If you already have some programs
installed, the pendrive may be already mounted.

mount and dmesg are your friends.

Perhaps you should try to see if anybody in debian-user can help you
with non-powerpc specific parts (like, say, invoking apt-get correctly
or seeing how to grab something from the web).


Regards, Rogério Brito.

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[sergio sevillano-2]

> cd /etc/X11 && wget http://theapt.org/openbsd/xorg.conf
did the trick
im into KDE now

does normal apt-get install xerver-xorg-video-raedon
modify anything else than xorg.conf ?

sergio


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