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This howto describes how I installed Linux on my iBook G4.
a) Install gentoo
Follow the instructions available on Gentoo's site.
They're quite clear and straight forward.
b) get latest kernel.
The most recent the kernel is, the less problems you have.
I'm currently using 2.6.7.
c) Patch the kernel
This is now useless under 2.6.
d) Compile the kernel
My .config is available, you might want it:
wget /geek/powerbook/files/.config
make oldconfig
If you want to do everything by yourself, you can use
make config
Then go on with the normal compilation:
make && sudo make modules_install
cp vmlinux /boot/vmlinux-2.6
e) Update yaboot
You must add your new kernel to yaboot's config file, so it can be used.
vi /etc/yaboot.conf
ybin -v
Here is the relevant part (don't forget to set root accordingly to your setup):
image=/boot/vmlinux-2.6
label=Linux
root=/dev/hda12
read-only
f) Configure X
You can use either XFree86 4.4.0 or Xorg. The differences are really
thin.
g) Make DRI work
Here is my XF86Config-4 file, you can give it a look to see what options you need, or simply
copy it to /etc/X11/XF86Config-4.
If you used Xorg, get xorg.conf instead.
You also need DRM support in the kernel, which is provided by agpgart, uninorth-agp and radeon modules.
h) Useful modules
I edited /etc/modules.autoload to load automatically some modules which are useful to me:
ohci_hcd #usb 1
ehci_hcd #usb 2
ohci1394 #firewire
usb-storage #mp3 mplayer and Sony digital camera
snd-powermac #for sound
snd-pcm-oss #for sound
cdc-acm #for GPRS using my motorola phone
usb-serial #for GPRS using my sony ericsson phone
ftdi_sio #for GPRS using my sony ericsson phone
usblp #USB HP deskjet
apm_emu #emulate APM (power management)
therm_adt7467 #fan control (I use fan_speed=128)
uinput #for mouseemu
uninorth-agp #for DRI (agpgart will come with it)
i) Pbbuttonsd
I use Pbbuttonsd to control sound, brightness etc.
On gentoo you can
emerge pbbuttonsd
else you can get it from their website.
Edit /etc/pbbuttonsd.conf to use the iBook's correct keycodes:
volumeupkey = 115
volumedownkey = 114
mutekey = 113
ejectcdkey = 88
Here's my pbbuttonsd.conf, in case you're lazy ;-).
j) To burn CDs I use gnome-toaster.
Everything works fine. I just put "/dev/hdc" in the "SCSI Id" ;-)
k) To watch DVDs, I use mplayer.
I emerged it with some USE flags to have the GUI and the encoder:
USE="encode gtk" emerge mplayer
Everything works fine here too.
l) You may now reboot
In order to use your new kernel etc...
m) Problems
As of now, some stuff doesn't work:
- Sleep doesn't work (kernel issue)
- Video mirroring doesn't work well (X issue ?), the external display is garbled.
- I didn't try Firewire yet. It should work with ieee1394.
n) Other useful details
