[Novalug] Ubuntu on PPC

Mark A. Metz mametz@aol.com
Thu Dec 30 14:11:28 EST 2010


Yeah, sorry, I didn't make that very clear.

I think I understand the software installation part, but I'm not understanding how glxinfo is connected to video.  My machine seems to have effects, but doesn't have glxinfo.  My card is NVidia and, I think, loads the proprietary drivers (we're not at home right now to check).

Thanks for your patience.



On Dec 30, 2010, at 1:40 PM, Bonnie Dalzell <bdalzell@qis.net> wrote:

> On Thu, 30 Dec 2010, Mark A. Metz wrote:
> 
>> Tried the command on my ASUS gaming machine with Lucid and full desktop
>> effects (wobbly windows, desktop cube, gears, you name it.).
>> 
>> $ glxinfo | grep -i rend
>> The program 'glxinfo' is currently not installed.  You can install it by
>> typing: sudo apt-get install mesa-utils
>> 
>> I'm not sure what this means.
> 
> apt-get is a very useful command line program installation tool which fetches software from repositories and installs it.
> 
> SO:
> 
> to install glxinfo - IF the machine has access to the internet -
> 
> open a command line window
> 
> type:
> 
> sudo apt-get install mesa-utils
> 
> then type in your user password
> 
> then answer "y" to any questions about install
> 
> then wait for the install of glxinfo to be complete
> 
> if the computer does not have access to the internet you would have to download the program with a different machine - bring it to the machine in question and install it.
> 
> 
> Historically MACs discouraged users from learning about command lines. ("You are a user not a programmer")however if you and your step son wish to increase your control over your computers you can use Linux as an easy way to become familiar with command line tools.
> 
> 
> 
>> Mark
>> 
>> On Thu, 2010-12-30 at 09:26 -0500, American Dave Kline wrote:
>> 
>>> On Thu, Dec 30, 2010 at 09:00:03AM -0500, Joseph K Umstead wrote:
>>>> On Thursday 30 December 2010 08:43:04 am Mark A. Metz wrote:
>>>>> Hello Gang,
>>>>> 
>>>>> I have my 17 year old step-son, Nate, visiting for the holidays and we're
>>>>> trying to get him familiar with Linux.  The wife and I had an old G4
>>>>> PowerBook collecting dust so Nate and I decided to load a distro or two of
>>>>> Linux.
>>>>> 
>>>>> snip
>>>> 
>>>> This is why LINUX not making it on dest top, just two things make it a deal
>>>> breaker. If this group can not get it to work how will someone just coming to
>>>> LINUX ever get LINUX to work.
>>> 
>>> Linux has made it pretty big with my desktops.  I'm not clear why this
>>> example is make or break for Linux's future on the desktop, or if there
>>> was anything helpful said to the poster.
>>> 
>>> Linux on PPC is certainly possible and works quite well, but as you've
>>> seen there are some gotchas.  With regard to desktop effects, there seem
>>> to be other RV250 owners that couldn't get Ubuntu's desktop effects
>>> dialog working.  You'll want to confirm that 3D acceleration is working.
>>> Per my non-PPC machine:
>>> 
>>> $ glxinfo |grep -i rend
>>> direct rendering: Yes
>>> OpenGL renderer string: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset GEM
>>> 20100330 DEVELOPMENT
>>> 
>>> Next you can try to enable Compiz manually.  This used to be "compiz
>>> --replace".  It's been some years since I ran Compiz.
>>> 
>>> If I understand correctly, PowerBooks often had Broadcom drivers for
>>> wireless NICs.  These cards are always problematic and should usually be
>>> avoided if you have a choice.  A search shows many others with
>>> issues and some workarounds:
>>> 
>>>  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1594136
>>>  http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1286143
>>> 
>>> USB wireless adapters are pretty cheap and might be an option.  Yes it's
>>> lame to have to get a second adapter, but this is a problem with using
>>> proprietary hardware.  Linux is wonderful in that it breathes new life
>>> into older hardware, but there's less that can be done if vendors
>>> don't help.
>>> 
>>> Best regards,
>>> -A. Dave
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Novalug mailing list
>>> Novalug@calypso.tux.org
>>> http://calypso.tux.org/mailman/listinfo/novalug
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>                       Bonnie Dalzell, MA
> mail:5100 Hydes Rd PO Box 60, Hydes,MD,USA 21082-0060|EMAIL:bdalzell@qis.net
> Freelance anatomist, vertebrate paleontologist, writer, illustrator, dog
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