Installing Ubuntu 12 with CLI

[jobalisk]

I've got a pet project going trying to get Ubuntu installed on an old G4 2000 Power PC Powermac Pro.
It boots the live CD but cant recognise the graphics card and goes to low graphics mode, ie CLI.
I have formatted the hard drive for linux but cant work out how to install Ubuntu to the hard drive. Can someone please step me through installing Ubuntu to the hard drive alongside Grub with CLI only please?

 

[wizardfromoz]

I can't help you with the Apple Mac, but is that supposed to be Ubuntu 22.04?

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz

 

[KGIII]

I suspect they're using an old version of Ubuntu as that's the last one to support the PowerPC (did I format that right?) architecture. I'm guessing without actually investing any time looking.

I seem to recall that there are still a distro or two that release versions for that architecture and are appropriately lightweight. So, rather than using an ancient version of Ubuntu, look for those. Current Ubuntu will not work on that architecture.

Also, that computer will be pretty close to useless. If this is for educational/amusement, that's about all you'll get out of it. Even browsing the web will be a painful experience.

Find articles like this one:

10 Best PowerPC Linux Distros for 2022 with Installation Links!

We go through the 10 best PowerPC Linux Distributions, their latest working versions, and where to find them.

www.pcwdld.com

That'll let you find some distros that still support PPC. That particular article is junk, but I'm sure better ones exist. There's no PPC version of Lubuntu, for example.

 

[jobalisk]

The latest version to support PPC 32 bit was 16. I downloaded 12 and got it working on an emac no problem. I'm now using the same disk to install on an old Powermac. My question though isn't about the version, its about how to use CLI to install Ubuntu. Whats the installer program called? what command do I use to start it because I cant find out its name

 

[KGIII]

Hmm... Today, it'd be GUI ubiquity or calamares, with ubiquity being for Ubuntu proper.

What are you booted to, exactly? Like, there's no version 12. There's a 12.04/12.04.x and a 12.10 - with 12.04 being the most likely one that you'd pick as it's a LTS. Is this Ubuntu 12.04 *desktop*?

To use a CLI to install Ubuntu, you probably need (will find it easier) to start with the server version - as it's meant to be installed in a CLI. Regular 12.04 Ubuntu desktop should happily boot to a GUI and you should be able to install from within the live OS.

 

[f33dm3bits]

You shouldn't be using Ubuntu 12 because it is end of life, meaning it doesn't get anymore updates of any kind.

Releases - Ubuntu Wiki

 

[jobalisk]

Hmm... Today, it'd be GUI ubiquity or calamares, with ubiquity being for Ubuntu proper.

What are you booted to, exactly? Like, there's no version 12. There's a 12.04/12.04.x and a 12.10 - with 12.04 being the most likely one that you'd pick as it's a LTS. Is this Ubuntu 12.04 *desktop*?

To use a CLI to install Ubuntu, you probably need (will find it easier) to start with the server version - as it's meant to be installed in a CLI. Regular 12.04 Ubuntu desktop should happily boot to a GUI and you should be able to install from within the live OS.

I believe it is 12.04. desktop edition. It boots Ubuntu from CD at the moment, but because the operating system doesn't properly recognise the graphics card it then switches into a CLI reduced graphics mode. So the Live CD works fine. All I want to know is how I would then go about installing the operating system. I don't care that its an old version, or even that I could install 16 or something. I'm not using this as my main computer. All I started this thread to find out, as plain and simple as possible, is how I install ubuntu to the hard drive using CLI only.

 

[KGIII]

Hmm... Rather than duplicate work, look up how to add 'nomodeset' to the boot parameters - that will hopefully get you to a GUI where you can properly install. I don't know of a way to install with just the CLI on a live disk. I don't think there is a way?

I'd seriously consider trying another OS, as there are still a couple out there that appear to support PPC. 12.04 is ancient and full of vulnerabilities that have been patched for more than a decade.

 

[Deleted member 108694]

Fienix is designed for PowerPC

Download

The Fienix Installer DVD ISO is available for Apple PowerPC, Pegasos and other CHRP -compliant systems. The Fienix Live Image is available f...

fienixppc.blogspot.com

 

[jobalisk]

I geuss I can give it a try

 

[kc1di]

It's a difficult process to install via the CLI unless your using the server edition. You have to use something called debootstrap and you would have to modify the .iso image to do that before burning it to the CD/DVD.
Your best bet is to try to solve the video card problem and install the normal root. or download a server edition and go from there.
I would suggest that you would be better off using Debian or some other Distro than ubuntu for that older machine.
But it's your choice. Antx may work better for you. What is the video card in that machine? maybe we could help on that end.
unfortunately since ubuntu 12.x is no longer supported all of it's repositories are taken down so finding the correct driver for the video card may be next to impossible for that version. Good Luck.

 

[Tolkem]

All I started this thread to find out, as plain and simple as possible, is how I install ubuntu to the hard drive using CLI only.

And what do you see when in the CLI? Do you see a prompt? Any text? Anything at all? Or just a black screen with a blinking cursor? What happens once the Live CD boots? Do you get to a grub screen with some options? Like this:

If you elaborate a bit on what you're doing and how you're doing it, maybe, maybe ... there might a way ... there's always a way.