Installing Yellow Dog Linux on a 1999 iMac G3

In this video, we're installing 20 year old Yellow Dog Linux 2.0 on our $15 original iMac G3 from 1999. But a Linux install on an iMac G3 PowerPC ain't easy. Watch me struggle to figure out video settings because I did almost no research ahead of time.

It's the ultimate obscure 1990's Linux party.

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 #vintagelinux #imacG3 #retro #linux

[adamsfusion]

This video popped up in my recommended and I thought "Oh that's cool, early video from that Action Retro guy. I like watching him." Then was surprised I left a comment on the video shortly after it came out. I guess I rediscovered Action Retro :P

[adamsfusion]

The virtual statement creates a virtual display of a given size. XFree86 would use the additional framebuffer area of your video card and render the desktop larger than your physical screen. From there, you could move your mouse to the edge of the screen and XF86 would update the render frame in the framebuffer to the area you were at.

We don't do that anymore because future.

[brokenelectronics]

Very cool! The first linux I ever tried was Red Hat. I got it in a boxed set at a Staples. I think I paid $20, or something like that.

[carlosandregomes_online]

Your always cursed mac based experiences trying to make those old machines function are some of the greatest YouTube moments at all. These videos always reminds me of my personal experience, working in Desktop Publishing on a 1990's i386 SX machines running Ventura for GEM, even before Windows 3.0 start to destroy our lives forever... Thanks a lot.

[ngeldus]

I love these old mac but the more I see CRT's the more I miss having them. I wish I had never gotten rid of the ones I had if only for the purpose of plugging them into newer machines and enjoying content on them

[tsalikaki]

His soothing voice helps me sleep at night. Just subbed and it was long time due. ❤️

[FreeScience]

I assume those hideous blurry messes of a wallpaper are supposed to be used tiled. Then I'm sure they'll look beautiful ;)

[HandFromCoffin]

Oh buddy put that mic closer to the computer so we can hear that hard drive during boot up! That sound of ball bearing rolling around in a tin can.. chefs kiss.. There's nothing like that sound of an old iMac booting up. Hard to believe I got into OSX using free bondi blue iMac I got from work. It sat on my computer desk and I'd use it in between deaths in video games I was playing on my PC.

[spooforbrains]

You're about a decade too early for Xrandr. No such niceties back in the early 00s. Also anything that early is running XFree86 - Xorg hadn't been created yet, which is why the config files you were looking for weren't where you expected them.

[rust]

watching you hunt around the KDE menus is still so relatable 3 major releases later

[orestes]

I remember installing this when it was new. It has a surprisingly modern interface, as to the screen becoming garbled, thats just X Windows loading.

[corygraves]

The cd drive sounds like it is sawing wood 🤣🤣

[JessicaFEREM]

I saw an imac g3 once in my life at a thrft shop as a kid, didn't know what it was but it had everything(box and peripherals) . i wish i knew what it was and bought it. i just hope who bought it shows it the love it deserves

[JessicaFEREM]

I didn't notice until now that XRandR meant "X Resolution and Refresh"

[paulwilliams]

@Action Retro I just discovered that you have a good size backlog of videos! Gonna start digging through them. Linux on a G3 iMac! Cool!

[FreedomForAll]

I had this on PS3, we ran an emulator and installed a cut down version of windows XP on it that took over 5mins to boot and load lol

[johncate]

I remember installing YDL 3 on a PowerBook 3400c around 2003. Went off without a hitch, although if you were going to run some *nix onto a 3400, it was more fun to hack an early version of OS X on it. I liked seeing people do a double-take seeing Jaguar run on a 3400.

[mattelder]

In the screen resolution, "virtual" is what causes the scrolling when you get to the edge of the screen. It gives you the option to have a larger "virtual screen" than what your hardware is capable of.

[paulstubbs]

MMM, I've got one of these iMac's, your tour of Yellow Dog was enough for me, I'll just leave mine stock.
It reminds me of many fruitless hours getting silly old ver Linux bugs sorted, simple stuff like screen res.
I was surprised you didn't get the CF card up, missing an adapter?, surprised you didn't have one in your junk box.

[edcdad]

Ive been binge watching your videos i love them 🎉❤