Hi, Just installed MintPPC 11 on my iMac G4 1.2 GHz w/1.2GB Ram. I am really impressed with it! It really runs fast and I love the ability to fine tune the appearance and functionality. Awhile back, I put Ubuntu 12.04 on an old iBook G4 1.0 and it runs pretty good, but not nearly as fast as this.

Anyway, I have a few problems: One major and a couple of minor ones:

1. This is probably an old question, but I can't get any sound. This is my biggest problem.
2. Second, what do I do about getting codecs for cd's and DVDs? Ubuntu used restricted packages and the Medibuntu repository. What about Mint?
3. After bootup, the default MintPPC background wallpaper is cut in half, just below the wording, "fast and slick..." The top is fine, the bottom half of the screen is just black. Running programs are fine and show up full screen. I got a couple of .jpgs to work from linux mint collection included, but .png files don't seem to work properly. Some .jpg files don't either. For the time being this is OK, but it seems to also affect half the screen at other times. Sometimes the bottom half of the screen will not refresh. Probably in the driver for the nvidia card (GeForce FX Go5200).
4. How do I get my keyboard to emulate an apple keyboard better (i.e., sound, brightness etc.)? I have the white pro keyboard.
5. The cd / dvd tray will not eject when a cd is in the computer. I have to eject it from 'file manager.' But the keyboard eject button works fine until the system detects a cd / dvd is present.

I know I will have to take these one at a time. But you may have some ideas for a quick fix on some of them. But, like I said, sound is the most important for now. After that, it would be codecs and getting the hardware to play music / videos.

I've used linux for a while, but am stil a newb when it comes to knowing what makes it tick. Can you help or point me in the right direction? I'm not afraid of working on this myself, it's just that since Wheezy is so new, it's hard to know good advice from bad.

Thanks for your consideration,
sdgalbo

Movie DVD's simply won't work for me either (my system details in my sig). When I insert a DVD and attempt to play it from within VLC, the DVD disc actually spins (I can hear it).... but the program abruptly quits without giving an error message.

And I just did a fresh re-install of MintPPC11. You know... just to make sure that this problem wasn't due to anything else I've installed through Synaptic.

So, I'm guessing that at least this problem is just one of those things about Wheezy that still needs to be resolved.

Hey rkmugen,

Did you install extra codecs? I know that even my 12.04 Unity 2D iBook wouldn't play music or videos until I added restricted repositories and installed extra codecs. Even VLC and mplayer wouldn't work until that happened. After installing the codecs, they were fine. However, now, the music players don't seem to spin up the cd. Also, gnome alsa settings seem to be missing. I don't know if that's normal or not. I am puzzled by the repositories in Mintppc too. I notice the whole first page of Debian repositories is unchecked. Are you familiar with any of these things?

With regards to codecs, no, I just stuck with whatever the base Debian (mini.iso) and MintPPC (auto url:mintppc.org) gave me by default. And no, I'm not too familiar with repositories or any of that... i just stick with whatever shows up in Synaptic by default.

Open alsamixer and verify not muted. Check blacklist.local.conf UbuntuFAQ has some info may help.

Sounds like this.

might be this.

Video: Just speculation, but if it worked in 12.04 I would speculate as I think you are. Something in the "non-free" territory like codecs. Maybe firmware?

Thanks str8bs,

I'll take a hard look at your suggestions and tell you what I come up with.

sdgalbo

Hi str8bs,

alsa is not muted. Running @ 100%. "gnome alsa" is not checked in startup preferences though. I checked it, logged out and back in. No change in sound. The window for "Programs" -> sound and video -> gnome alsa mixer is completely blank. Pulse audio IS check in the startup preferences. Is that normal? Im running pulse audio.

From Terminal, lsmod lists:
snd_powermac 56355 0

snd powermac is supposed to be correct for my G4 iMac sound

There doesn't seem to be any listing snd-aoa for newer macs listed, which is good.

Not sure where to go from here on the sound.

sdgalbo

Hi again, str8bs

I checked the advice on blacklisting /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.local.conf.

all the required snd-aoa entries are present (5 of them)

Still stuck, but willing to keep at it.

I was wrong at the tail end of my last post. With media inserted, vlc begins to track the music (but no sound of course). The disck does spin up and track with the song.

I even tried playing music from a usb flash drive, but, same as above.

Any more ideas?

I don't have a G4 to compare, but my G5 required me to "Un-" blacklist the other modules.

IIRC, the iMac G4's have the high power USB bus to power audio? That might add to the complexity. I would just be guessing at this point.

str8bs,

Could you be a little more specific as to the implications of having a "high power USB bus to power audio?" If that were the case, what direction would you recommend that I take? I am a relative newb and don't understand the nuances very well : )

Oh, and thanks much for the help you gave me above on the sound links. Much appreciated! There are still a few things there I want to try.