I can't install Ubuntu 12.04.1 on iMac G5

Posted by user89004 on Ask Ubuntu See other posts from Ask Ubuntu or by user89004
Published on 2012-09-11T20:58:38Z Indexed on 2012/09/11 21:49 UTC
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So, I have this iMac G5 that doesn't have iSight, only a small light sensor I think undernieth, machine model 8.2.

I tried burning a Ubuntu 12.04.1 PowerPC 64bit .iso to a cd but the computer just won't boot it, I don't know why.

Next I tried with a USB but it wouldn't let me boot that either, I created the usb on my dad's win7 laptop as the process was way easier than on freakin Mac or Ubuntu (no command typing AT ALL on windows)

I'm able to get into openfirmware and type boot usb and it does show some weird writing that scrolls so fast I can't see anything and then it just gives me this huge no sign like a stop sign and freezez. The sign is grey and the line in the middle is tilted towards the left.

An other issue I'm having with hdiutil is that I can't convert the stupid .iso I just downloaded into a .img because the file keeps on dissapearing right when it's done converting it. I used the syntax from Ubuntu support how to create a bootable usb drive under Mac OS X. I even didn't include the 2 stupid ~ that are shown in the syntax that are completly worthless, God only know why they put them there, and I even tried running the whole thing as root with sudo su before the command. The funny thing is that if I convert something smaller it works.

The command I was using is hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o /path/to/target.img /path/to/ubuntu.iso I even tried hdiutil convert /path/to/ubuntu.iso -format UDRW -o /path/to/target.img but the same thing happens, the dummy .img.dmg file dissapears when the conversion is done no matter where I set the output file to go. I have tried several different folders, the same thing happens with all of them.

I also tried burning a Ubuntu mini iso on a cd, can't remember if it was 11.10 or 12.10 but even thoguh holding c when the iMac boots up does show me the cd and I can boot from it, I get this weird error upon hitting install, it says something like invalid memory access, release keys and error strings I can't read.

I don't have any original DVDs from this iMac and can't run hardware diagnostics.

WHatever option I try at the command prompt from the mini ubuntu cd I get the same result, error code and openfirmware backdrop that's frozen.

I noticed that the pen drive I created on my dads Win7 laptop is formated with MS-DOS but I can still mount it no problem, so it shouldn't have a problem booting it, right? I used the advice on ubuntu.com to make it, from here.

Also, my partition is HFS+ so I can't use it as a hard drive and boot from it. I don' have 2 partitions either, just one HDD, one partition.

Please help!!!

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