Newbie with Power Mac G5.

[Brian Durant]

On 5. feb 2006, at 18.43, Brian D. Carlstrom wrote:

> Brian Durant writes:
>> On 5. feb 2006, at 0.57, Brian D. Carlstrom wrote:
>>
>>> does "uname -r" report kernel version 2.6.15-1.1830_FC4? this is the
>>> latest "updates" kernel.
>>
>> The thermal and fan control seem to be working.
> as expected in 2.6.15, although this is a major hurdle to be across in
> my opinion.
>
>> No problems with working in X as long as the sound is off,
>
> again, video is another major hurdle. YDL 4.1 says it doesn't work  
> for them:
>     http://www.terrasoftsolutions.com/support/hardware/breakdown/ 
> index.php?hw_cat_id=5
> I still have some G5 PowerMac's that won't work with their Apple
> monitors.

I am using a Samsung SyncMaster 930 BF.

Resolution:	1280 x 1024 @ 75 Hz
   Depth:	16-bit Color
   Core Image:	Supported
   Main Display:	Yes
   Mirror:	Off
   Online:	Yes
   Quartz Extreme:	Supported

GeForce FX 5200:

   Chipset Model:	GeForce FX 5200
   Type:	Display
   Bus:	AGP
   Slot:	AGP
   VRAM (Total):	64 MB
   Vendor:	nVIDIA (0x10de)
   Device ID:	0x0321
   Revision ID:	0x00b1
   ROM Revision:	2060


> As far as sound goes, you did say you had an updated ALSA package, no
> luck with that?

I haven't tried yet since I am still experiencing freezes, I wasn't  
sure what the cause was.

>> but as soon as I try to log out, the system freezes. I have also
>> noticed that if I am working in the command line before running
>> "startx", I have to be very careful when using the backspace key. If
>> I go too far, I get the "ata1: command 0x35 timeout, stat 0x50
>> host_stal 0x4 hda lost interrupt mpic_enable_irq timeout" problem.
>
> well, this seems to be the major remaining hurdle. some people were
> saying that the sound was the problem, saying to disable artsd and  
> esd:
>
>     http://www.suseforums.net/index.php?showtopic=19034
>     http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-89712.html
>
> that seems to be a little suspect to be but who am I to say.
>
>> The /etc/yaboot.conf seems to have been updated for the new linux
>> kernels that were installed. I added a line "default=2.6.15-1.1830_F"
>> in yaboot.conf,n
>
> I don't think that is necessary. In my experience, confirmed in the
> yaboot.conf man page, the first one in the file is the default, and  
> that
> is where updates place new kernels.

OK, I'll try to change it back.

>> but at the OpenFirmware
>> prompt at startup I can't just type in "runlevel 3" to make sure that
>> the default kernel doesn't boot into X automatically as the system
>> freezes when I get a normal graphic login.
>
> you can change the default runlevel in /etc/inittab from
>      id:5:initdefault:
> to
>      id:3:initdefault:

Sounds good, at least for now.

> also, you might want to try using something like the "yumex" GUI  
> instead
> of the "yum" command line since the problem seems terminal related
> somehow. of course, you'd have to use yum to install it. I would do  
> "yum
> -y install yumex", perhaps from some "run command" GUI to avoid the
> terminal that seems to be plaguing you. I think up2date is going in  
> FC5
> if its not gone already.

yum works as long as I use it at runlevel 3 before I run "startx". It  
was just that it didn't seem to be updating properly. Is there  some  
way to clear the yum cache and get it to reanalyze what the system  
needs??

Cheers,

Brian