PPC help

[kaplan]

Hello - long time no post. My last activity was around kernel 2.2.x

Anyhow, I have acquired a PowerPC Mac and I'm looking to setup some services in one of the local public safety departments (great PR by the way!) with kernel level ax.25 and mesh networks. I am having difficulty with patching compat-wireless drivers and simply getting a stable kernel built on the machine.

I'm using a Lubuntu base. It's a G5 (970FX 2x 2.5 gihz I believe) tower with plenty of disk space and otherwise seems to be functioning just fine.

My question is, do we have anyone with specific PPC experience who might be willing to be paid in coffee or pizza (sorry no beer in my home) to come over and give me a refresher and some tips? This thing is way too big & bulky to take via bus or bicycle to a meeting. Any helpful hints and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

James Kaplan KG7FU

(PS if we are going to suggest the PU be scrapped in favor of Intel/AMD hardware, please be prepared to trade. This is for a ham radio group serving the public benefit and as such I'm depending on donated hardware, hence the 8 yer old tower)

Here is the everymac listing:

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/powermac_g5/specs/powermac_g5_2.5_dp.html

[Michael Miller]

James,

What version of Lubuntu are you using?  You shouldn't have to patch the kernel for ax.25 that should already be built into the kernel.  You might have to install the user land tools to configure ax.25 and your TNC.  Which wireless mesh network protocol are you trying to get working?  

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[kaplan]

The latest lubuntu..13.04.

I understand the generic kernel level module support is built-in. I would like to not only re-familiarize myself with a top-down installation, but also a stripped down kernel as well. I'm not sure yet on the mesh system particulars as I'm just trying to get all the 'normal' systems functioning first: power management, x sever with more than one resolution, as well as being able to build or support those modules at the local level.

I watched a presentation on a Dallas, Texas area mesh system courtesy of another EUGLUG old timer Jim KI7AYwith some features discussed for our proposed implementation. It's a very cool idea indeed. I'm experimenting with a linksys e900 dd-wrt, but I think standardizing on wr54 compatible hardware is the way to go as all the units in the network must be the same rf chipset. Unfortunately, as this comes together it will be dependent upon donated materials and this is what we have today. For the time being I'm going to use the sound system for TNC possibly adding a pci card.

I don't have any issues kernel/modules in Intel/AMD just here with PPC

[kaplan]

Is there really no activity here and no one willing to post? Or is it just me? I can't imagine the wobblie flap even being in anyone's recollection all these year late. :)

So, I got the wireless driver up finally. I think it will do and I rethought the security issues and if I need injection at that point I can find a card online with drivers already built.

Still on my list:

#1 X-server/radeonfb doesn't like any static configuration and I can only bring it up at boot time with either video=radeonfb:1280x1024-32@75 or video=ofonly maybe it's this monitor then? Either way, I only get the one mode.

#2 I still would like to build a more efficient kernel. My last attempt yielded a 3.8.13.8 with broken, missing, or unload-able modules for sound, bluetooth, and wireless (rtl8187b). errors from make-dpkg were various. I've tried two separate ubuntu ppc forum kernel howto's plus the PowerPC faq flavour and still not getting it.

#3 There are a few other small irritations, such as coming back from shutdown the unit will hang on various boot processes, sometimes, and not on others. Is this an EXT4 fs feature?

I'd like to find someone who is familiar with ppc hardware, preferably Mac G4/G5 non-notebook so I can pick their brain about platform specific issues like Windfarm and power management, do I want to blacklist the shpchp module, should I remove the apparently deaf non-airport bluetooth sub-board, and seeing as soundmodem is now out of the kernel and in luserland do I want to try that or cobble up something using a tv stick and sdr tools (no serial control other than usb means tx using vox?).

Other than these, life is grand and in two months I celebrate 5 years of sobriety :)

kaplan

[Mr O]

Didn't the late PPC line suffer from bad caps? I can imagine that causing all sorts of stability issues. Worth a look inside for any bulging or popped caps. Not sure if there are any active PPC users on the current 'list'. May be worth some general Google searching for a PPC specific LUG since EUGLUG doesn't have the answers.

[JS Kaplan]

I know some PowerBooks had board issues. Not sure specifically, but this
one came out of service from OSU and Jim tells me their IT guy is a
detail man. I don't want to believe that OSX Leopard or Tiger whatever
10.4.11 was is more fault tolerant that these kernels either. In other
words, the former os is rock steady (of course not having the install
disks and using a Linux recovery is what got me here in the first place!)

The issues I'm seeing are part my big thumbs and weakness with the
current Linux as I seem to be marking them off the list at a fair clip.
I'm looking at the PPC boards and seeing some help and some of what I've
already figured that 99.8% of 'nix-like OS users are AMD/Intel, so I'm
not surprised our local has perhaps one, me.

It just rubs me raw thinking about scrapping the logic and gutting the
case to make a PC-esque Hackintosh rather than utilizing it for the project!

[kaplan]

Thanks to persistence and a few well placed hints I think I've got the issues mostly contained.

Seems that USB slash Bluetooth is quite irritable with this box if not G5 powerpc. I was using an MS notebook v2.0 wireless mouse that I had assumed was non 2.4gHz Part 15 which was wreaking havoc. So, not only does MS produce buggy software but hardware too. Big surprise. I even unplugged the internal Bluetooth card and tried several dongles all with the same results. When setup for a2dp the modules burp about 60% of the time. SSH in from outside and system lock up but good.

Still having issues with xorg.conf no modes seem to work though fallback to radeonfb:1280x1024 etc at boot works albeit with the one mode.

Making a local kernel is a mixed bag. I've got a stable one but one without sound and wireless. Debian says build in, Ubuntu says build modules :-s Curiously, so far all except kernel and wireless drivers make with no errors.

I remember using DigiKam for kde as a beta and really enjoy using it and GiMP. I own a copy of Photoshop, but except for some oddball perspective puppet warping, I can do everything my photography requires using open source. If anyone is interested in joining me, I'd like to present open source for photography/digital arts to ESAP and perhaps offer talks as an alternative expensive LCC classes maybe through Willamalane..

Not sure if any here know or are interested, for mesh networking having an Amateur Radio license frees one from the limitations of fixed antennas (you did not know modifying your router was technically illegal?) and low power. The only catch is no encryption. This doesn't mean you cannot have mesh objects that are encrypted, just none utilizing ax.25. For a cool look at Broadband-Hamnet go here  http://www.hsmm-mesh.org/ Plus you can get a cool block of the "other" addresses like 44.26.252.0

Cheers!

kg7fu