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Installing Linux on an iBook G4 laptop Which version of Linux would be the best option?

#1 User is offline   possumbarnes 

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 09:33 PM

Just throwing this question out there to see what responses I might find. I have a college student that brought me her iBook G4 to repair because it wouldn't boot up. It looks like a corrupt operating system because it boots thru a gray screen to a blue screen. I tried about a hundred different things to resolve this, but none of them worked. She does not have any type of recovery media for it. I pulled all of her important files off the drive by removing the drive and hooking it up as an external. So, I told her I could put probably put a version of Linux on it to get it up and running again. Just something she could get online with, get email, documents, etc.

I've dabbled with Ubuntu a few times and that is my experience with a Linux OS. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what version of Linux would work best for a 2nd year college student with limited computer skills? I'm not sure what version of the G4 this is and don't really feel like fighting my way thru taking the stupid thing apart again either. I assume it has 256mb of ram and it has a 30 gig drive.

This post has been edited by possumbarnes: 13 July 2009 - 09:38 PM

What's more irrational--a guy who believes in a God he cannot see or a guy who is offended by a God he doesn't believe in?

#2 User is offline   Romeo29 

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 10:12 PM

Ubuntu would work great on it. Apple G4 is 32bit processor, so you should download 32bit version of Ubuntu ISO.
[url="http://www.avast.com/"]avast! free antivirus[/url]

#3 User is offline   MadDawg 

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Posted 13 July 2009 - 10:13 PM

Xubuntu, so far, is the only OS that I can think of that would run comfortably on 256MB of RAM and be user-friendly enough to do schoolwork.

This post has been edited by MadDawg: 13 July 2009 - 10:14 PM

A penguin broke my windows with a half-eaten apple!

#4 User is offline   possumbarnes 

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Posted 16 July 2009 - 10:14 PM

I've posted this question in the Mac forum but no one has replied. Never had a question on BC that went 3 days with no replies.
Anyway, I've got an Ubuntu CD and was trying to boot to it but I can't figure out how to get this iBook to boot to a CD. Hopefully someone will read this and check out my other topic:
Booting an iBook G4 from a CD

This is obviously not a rush job, but I prefer Bleeping Computer help because this site has never failed me. If I can't get help here, I'll have to fight my way thru a Mac forum somewhere else.

Thanks in advance
What's more irrational--a guy who believes in a God he cannot see or a guy who is offended by a God he doesn't believe in?

#5 User is offline   starcraftmaster 

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Posted 17 July 2009 - 10:44 PM

got no idea
and i dont think any one else will to
better look that one on the mac forums

but i found these
http://www.lifespy.com/2007/how-to-boot-from-a-cd-on-a-mac/

http://kb.iu.edu/data/ages.html

http://forums.appleinsider.com/archive/ind...hp/t-28453.html

ibook smilar to Mac yer ?

This post has been edited by starcraftmaster: 17 July 2009 - 10:44 PM

#6 User is offline   caperdog 

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 06:57 PM

hold down the "c" key will booting

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