Issues Installing Debian on PowerMac G5 Quad

wooty

Hello Power People! I have spent several days trying to get the latest Debian Sid installed onto my PowerMac G5 Quad. After watching several videos and reading through a few guides (including the one listed here!) I have found that either the install process for the PCIe-based Quad is broken or something has recently broken in general with the ppc64 installer for G5 hardware.

Running the normal Debian 11 NETINSTALL .iso always fails at partitioning, and so I am mostly using the Debian 10 NETINSTALL .iso provided by a forum post here. I have ran through the expert installer several times, however it always fails trying to install the discover package. If I bypass partitioning issues in Debian 11 I recieve the same issues with discover package, and this fails right after installing the libc-bin package.

Tried the Debian 8.11 DVD .iso but it locks up and is completely unresposive to input at the Select a language screen.

Below is a summary trying to install Debian to my G5, LOG is Alt+f4 while CMD is alt+f2

NOTE: Run through Debian sid installer in Expert mode
GUI: Select and install software [Expert Menu]
GUI: Installed discover (ppc64) [Frozen @ 11%]
LOG: in-target: Setting up discover (2.1.2-8)
LOG: in-target: Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.29-3)
LOG: pkgsel: dpkg-divert: warning: diverting file '/sbin/start-stop-daemon' from an Essential package with rename is dangerous, use --no-rename
NOTE: Reboot into Debian Installer
CMD: sudo debootstrap --arch ppc64 --components=main --resolve-deps --include=debian-ports-archive-keyring,debian-ports-archive-keyring --no-check-gpg sid /target http://deb.debian.org/debian-ports/
CMD: chroot /target
CMD: mount -t sysfs none /sys
CMD: wget https://repo.powerprogress.org/debian/install/grubfix.sh
ERR: /bin/sh: 2: wget: not found
CMD: apt install wget
ERR: apt: package wget not found
CMD: nano /etc/apt/sources.list
TXT: deb [trusted=yes] http://ftp.ports.debian.org/debian-ports/ unstable main
TXT: deb [trusted=yes] http://incoming.ports.debian.org/buildd/ unstable main
TXT: deb [arch=all trusted=yes] http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ unstable contrib non-free
NOTE: If I don't set sources as trusted, will fail with NO_PUBKEY, and gnupg
NOTE: Regardless, running 'apt install wget' fails and then when running an upgrade and trying again
NOTE: Gets stuck in an unfixable dependency loop where libcrypt1 is needed but cant be installed because a package requiring it is broken
NOTE: Partitioning under Debian 11 installer allows me to map bootstrap to /boot/grub, under Debian 10 it doesn't allow me to set a mount point. May be moot note.

Debian 7.11 DVD .iso worked, but is a pretty old release. Upgrading to sid is not recommended nor possible.

Can anyone assist me with the issues above? Or is there any info to manually debootstrap, chroot and build? Or does anyone have a modern FULL iso of 10 or 11 Sid put together? Really anything to help me learn what is happening and get modern Debian on this thing. Thanks!

Hardware Configuration:
2GBx2 DDR2 667MHz
128GB SATA SSD
GeForce 6600GS
Radeon HD5450
PCIe to USB3 Hub
PCIe to nVME 128GB

EDIT: I ran through installer again and noticed when I tried to set up mirror with 'deb.debian.org' and '/debian-ports/' it says it failed, and I click continue. May be part of why discover package fails.

EDIT 2: Tried the NETINST-2 .iso just to try, even through it's installing powerpc (32bit) applications. Hangs at 'Installed discover (powerpc)...

wooty

Debian is undergoing a UsrMerge which started on September 17th, 2022. Info Here

Steps below may be incorrect after UsrMerge is complete, and there may be easier ways to get around this than my methods below:

Burn Debian 11 Sid ISO to a disk and insert into your PowerMac G5. [Hold F12 during boot to eject drive]
Boot the installed disk. [Hold C on boot until display activates]
Select "Expert Mode" from the install menu, then let installer load.
Run through the first several steps of the installer, and partition your disk with "Guided - Full Disk".
Then select Base Install, once finished, and before you run "Package Selection, exit to a console. [Alt+F2]
Run "chroot /target". Then "nano /etc/apt/sources.list". Add the following source verbatim:
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian-ports/ sid main contrib non-free
Now run "apt update". Then run "apt install perl-base && apt install libcrypt1 && apt install libc6-powerpc"
Now you can run "apt upgrade" to pull in the latest system packages.
I then ran "wget https://repo.powerprogress.org/debian/install/grubfix.sh", then "chmod 777 grubfix.sh".
Run "./grubfix.sh /dev/sdX2", where 'X' is the disk your new Debian system was installed.
Run and follow onscreen prompts, saying yes to all options. Asks if you want LXDE, and my recommendation is yes.
You should be able to boot into your new install, however I ended up having to use the Grub bootloader from a separate Void Linux install in order to access the system.

Matt-W

wooty

Hello Sir,

I’ve made it to step 12 (above)… the system is not booting, I have the latest void-Linux startup disk available on CD. <— how can I use the Void-Linux CD / grub to get booted into the new Debian 11 install ( now installed on the internal SSD ) on my dual 2.0 G5 PowerMac?

Please advise, thank you so much for your time and assistance.

Matthew

foete

Installing Debian on a PowerMac G5 Quad can be a bit challenging, but there are a few things you can try to resolve issues you may be experiencing during the installation process. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can take:

Check the Debian release version: Make sure you are using the latest Debian release that is compatible with your PowerMac G5 Quad. You can find the latest version of Debian for PowerPC architecture on the Debian website.

Check your installation media: Make sure that the DVD or CD that you are using to install Debian is not damaged and that it is compatible with your PowerMac G5 Quad. It is also recommended that you verify the checksum of the ISO file you downloaded.

Check the boot settings: Make sure that the boot settings are correct and that the installation media is being properly detected. To do this, you may need to access the Open Firmware settings by holding down the Option+Command+O+F keys during startup.

Use the expert mode: If you are encountering errors during the installation process, try using the expert mode. This mode allows you to customize the installation options and may help you resolve some issues.

Install additional firmware: Some hardware components may require additional firmware to work with Debian. Make sure you have the firmware files and follow the instructions on the Debian website to install them.
Source: Editorsmodapk.com

Try a different installation method: If you are still encountering issues, you may want to try a different installation method, such as using a network-based installation or installing from a USB drive.

If you continue to experience issues with installing Debian on your PowerMac G5 Quad, you may want to seek assistance from the Debian community or from a professional with experience in installing Debian on PowerPC architecture.