[LUAU] Linux webserver on old Macs

[Angela Kahealani]

On Friday 2004-09-03 23:53, Nakashima wrote:
> Hi all,
> I received the following  inquiry from a colleague. Can anyone
> provide some guidance?
> --Peter
>
> Linux on old Macs? I did a bit of reading last night and both
> LinuxPPC and Yellow Dog Linux are known to support the 7200s. 
> Basically, I just would like to set up a decent webserver.
>
> _______________________________________________
> LUAU at lists.hosef.org mailing list
> http://lists.hosef.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/luau

No Problem...
I'm not familiar with LinuxPPC, however I'm running YellowDog on a 
BeigeG3PowerMacMiniTower (http://www.kahealani.net/linux/). The real 
challenge is to run Linux on the ancient NuBus PowerMacs, though it can 
be done. The first question is, is the 7200 an Old World ROM or a New 
World ROM, which can be discovered through the documentation on the 
Apple Web Site. If it's an Old World ROM like the Beige G3 is, then the 
way to boot it is with the BootX control panel... You have to have a 
minimal Macintosh OS system that is booted by the ROMs, and during that 
boot process, the MacOS boot is interrupted by the BootX control panel 
loading, which then loads up Linux and launches it. Then if you also 
want to run MacOS, you can have the Linux bootup launch MOL (Mac On 
Linux) which boots up MacOS so you can run MacOS software too, which it 
sounds like you won't be needing.  

The second question is, is this (most likely) an ADB machine? In OLD 
Linux kernels, there was support for ADB KeyCodes. Newer kernels all 
expect "Linux Keycodes" which means some minor problems using an old 
ADB keyboard on a newer (read: secure) Linux Kernel. Minor problems are 
things like only the Left Shift Key works, Right Shift Key is dead.

I'm running YellowDogLinux3 on my Beige G3 because it supports easily 
the UltraWideSCSI board that supports my UW SCSI disks. If you don't 
need that, then YDL4 is more modern. The next time I dig my server out 
of the pile of equipment its' burried in, I'm going to install a ATA 
disk and install YDL4 on it, keeping the UWSCSIs for data.

Just get YDL and follow the instructions... it makes a great server.

-- 
Copyright 2004 Angela Kahealani. All rights reserved without prejudice; 
UCC1-207. All information and transactions are non negotiable and are 
private between the parties. http://www.kahealani.com/