Help With iMac G3 233Mhz Tray-loader Rev. A

Sir Games-A-Lot · Post by **Sir Games-A-Lot** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:03 pm

Well remember that iMac I mentioned earlier? Well here's the story: I love the form factor it fit's right where I wanted to have it for daily use. Thing is I'm fairly underwhelmed with OS 9.1, so I was hoping to see if Unbuntu would work at any kind of an acceptable speed with the live/install desktop distro.

Now the ISO is burned (and not using the windows drag and drop) but much to my chagrin I have been unable to figure out how to make the iMac boot from a cd

.

I have tried holding down "c" (sans quotes) at various times before the OS loads but I always get OS 9.1

.

So how can I make this work (if Unbuntu will even run on such abysmal specs at all)?

As I said it is the original Bondi Blue 233Mhz model with the tray cd drive and 96Mb RAM, and it's Rev. A since it has the distinctive black plastic panel on the left hand speaker for the IR port.

If Unbuntu won't work at all please tell me, and if you can suggest an alternate distro please do so. Thanks in advance!

Post by **bicostp** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:27 pm

Did you make sure to get the PPC version of Ubuntu? The x86 version won't work with a G3.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:27 pm

I kinda doubt that it will work, unless you got a mac version. And thats exactly like mine except it only has 32 mb of ram.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:24 pm

To my knowledge it's command (that mac verson of the windows key) and "c". If that doesn't work I'm fairly sure that "s" might work, I can't remember 100%.

Also the other version of linux you can install is Debian, or Fedora. Though I'd have to say try Fedora first, it's better for newbies or novices to linux. Debian really more for admins or power-users.

Good luck.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:46 pm

Sparkfist wrote:try Fedora first, it's better for newbies or novices to linux.

Do I have to download 5 cds worth of stuff? Will it run on a 233mhz imac with 32mb ram?

The Earl of Sandwich · Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:21 pm

if you have an original imac, you can't boot off of the cd normally. you have to use a program called bootx, which runs from os 9. it's a fairly complicated process to explain through a forum, but there's probably a tutorial somewhere online. also, i wouldn't recommend using ubuntu, rather yellow dog linux 3.0. it's the only distro that i've gotten to work on my wallstreet g3 powerbook (also 233 mhz)

Indigno · Post by **Indigno** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:37 pm

good luck. But if you really want a pc in an imac case, I know a guy who gutted his out and put a pc in there.

vskid · Post by **vskid** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:05 pm

Indigno wrote:good luck. But if you really want a pc in an imac case, I know a guy who gutted his out and put a pc in there.

I was thinking of doing that, I just can't afford a LCD and small motherboard.

EDIT: 900 posts, w00t!

Sir Games-A-Lot · Post by **Sir Games-A-Lot** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:24 pm

bicostp wrote:Did you make sure to get the PPC version of Ubuntu? The x86 version won't work with a G3.

Wait, whoops so there is a separate distro for PPC, dang

. I didn't see one so I was forced to assume that somehow they bundled it into one distro. Well I'll download the Power PC version and see what happens. If that don't work I'll see about yellow dog and the special method Earl of Sandwich mentioned. Thanks for speedy replies. And vskid I feel your pain about the ram, as it is OS 9.1 uses more than half of mine

.

Thanks for the speedy replies everyone.

EDIT. Unbuntu uses to much ram on install

dangit. I'll look for different distro later to sleepy now *snoring*

Indigno · Post by **Indigno** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:04 pm

I know it's unlikely, but did you check if there's any way to upgrade the ram? I don't know much about macs at all, so You'll have to look for yourself.

paul4990 · Post by **paul4990** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 4:11 am

on rev a imacs its sodimms. (upgradable to 128)

Indigno · Post by **Indigno** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:00 am

paul4990 wrote:on rev a imacs its sodimms. (upgradable to 128)

oh well. Man, I would have given anything a couple years ago to have had one of those imacs. And I would still want one (for the case), those things are just neat, and I usually hate mac with a passion.