@str8bs: Thanks for the thoughts, fresh ideas are always welcome--that suggestion of using "rescue" has not been mentioned before . . . it's also beyond my skillset knowledge . . . . It does seem that obviously the internet is working during the install process, so using an install disc could be a work around. But, in terms of command line knowledge of how to find out where the ethernet is broken, fix, it, etc . . . don't know if it is do-able unless someone posted the exact instructions??? or it's super simple. Certainly, the xorg.conf stuff could be easy enough, so if I could figure out what "rescue" is I could probably find a little time to play around more easily than I could find 3 or 4 hours or even more time for learning the background knowledge for what to do about trouble shooting internet connectivity in a Terminal window . . . . Anyway, thanks for a fresh view . . . .

e.e.p.

Back to topic. And a success story (do not count the number of attempts before I got this far).
Details:iMac G4 with iOS 10.4 (outdated) installed. So how can I revive this old apple computer without being too outdated? Install mintppc.

So the succesfull attempt was: put mini.iso on USB stick initialized on iOS 10.4. (actually I downloaded the netinstall image [20120225-00:06] and dd'd it from OpenSuse).
Boot from stick, as installation instructions. But first two separate remarks.

The 85% stop problem is most probably caused by the way the "bootup file" initrd.img is put together. This is caused, I tend to assume, by the fact that the file is created in the default installation procedure with "all drivers available". To work around this problem, go for the "manual" installation.

There is one more problem on my machine, that is the keyboard and mouse were irresponsive after "succesful" installation. So I had to be able to reach the machine on command-line interface to repair this issue manually (if no other machine at hand, it can also be repaired afterwards using the "boot> rescue url=mintppc.org" method).

So having said this: first boot in \\yaboot but then at the boot> prompt enter:Follow instructions, work your way down the installation menu. In the step "Download debconf preconfiguration file" the mintppc.org installation automation is loaded. Select the "wheezy - testing" version. In the "Installer components" I added "Network console / Openssh-client-udeb / Rescue-mode". Then I was able to login to the installation using ssh. Completed the basic installation and Package selection (which is automated in the mintppc file).

After reboot the mouse and keyboard were "locked", even the mouse red light was off. Via ssh logged on as root (you have to allow this in the installation), and added the last three lines to the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.local.conf file.Maybe these problems can be fixed in the installation procedure, but I succeeded to install.

@Omeluuk: Thanks very kindly for sharing your successful installation instructions. I'm still hoping that maybe I can repair the internet connection on my present installation, before trying a full install again. But, you have provided some options to try, if and when I or others in the iMac category struggling to install 11 need to do it again. I have yet to try the USB method . . . or the "expert" installation since I can't call myself an expert. For me, the next step would be to try to troubleshoot the internet connection, JD posted a couple of commands to run, but they didn't seem to provide anything that was commented on here . . . . No major rush, but I'd like to get 11 going as an option, so far 10.4 is just fine as long as the browsers support it, it "does projected tasks adequately" . . . . But, 11 opens up the whole new world of Linux and that is something new . . . just wish it was a tad less time consuming. : - )))

Thanks again--this approach looks to be relatively simple, mostly using the installer--which is good for me, to have less complicated command line manipulations, etc.
e.e.p.

The next problem I faced was the low resolution, solved as described in this thread

Now about your Internet connection: what is wrong? I mean, could this be solved by hints on the forum? I do have a small network with one PC sharing its internet connection to my MintPPC. The mintPPC got a manual IP address that connected to my wired hub linked to my other PC with wireless and wired lan (passing wired lan to wireless WLAN). On the MintPPC: IP address in the 10.0.0.0 range, but netmask 255.255.255.255 (instead of the default 255.0.0.0) and as gateway the IP of the other PC in the same LAN. DNS given as the gateway + the (Google) 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 nameservers.

This network layout can be set in the net-install, (do not choose DHCP for max flexibility, like when you know how things work and you want to have a topology as above). You have to do some setup on the other PC though. Maybe if that is an iOS apple MAC it might even be doable for a layman . Crusial on that PC is "Share internet connection"...

Expert, I consider myself as a semi-expert, but I like to know what is happening. Default installations offer one fixed path, with few choices to influence. In this case read expert as "Offering more flexibility with more choices to make, at the risk of puzzling noobs too much". Yet the default choices are always presented and often right enough. So Expert, even you. Have faith.

BTW, how to find out what happened in the 85% hangup?
With the slider hanging on 85% press Ctrl-Alt-F4, there you read a tail of the system log-file (so more or less a logfile of the installation). I am not sure on what it said, something about configuring kernel I vaguely remember. There was also a hint on what program was running, (once installed succesful I tend to forget these failures quickly, but I want to document them here to help resolve this thread.). I think I read something like initrd or the process that creates the initrd file (see man initrd or wikipedia/google).
Then I pressed Ctrl-Alt-F2 to have a terminal window (command line interface). There I did to see the program handling this file and its options. There i learned the file was located in /boot/initrd*. I went into that directory and saw this file being 0 bytes and never growing/closing.
Then when in the Expert installation mode you approach the initrd creation there is a choice offered. Create a ramdisk image file with all available drivers or targeted (meaning only with drivers needed for this particular system). The first option (all drivers) fails like the standard installation does. The tageted option installs a initrd file in /boot. Installation continues.

Do not ask me why it fails with all drivers, but it does. (create a bug and have it fixed.) I offer a work around.

@Omeluuk: Quick reply, just to say thanks for posting any data that may eventually help get the job done--now I need a few hours to read through all the various posts. But, when I said "85% successful" I wasn't exactly talking about the install process, the installer declared the installation "successful" . . . but, when it came to try to update/upgrade it would not work, and when I tried to wget the xorg file that would not work, and then eventually the GUI desktop went away . . . never to be seen again . . . and I tried a few things and now it's just a green, the same tone as the MintPPC green . . . screen with a few lines in it. At this point I can't remember if I can get to a TTY command line, or not--I'd have to read through my thread to remember. : - ))))) Anyway, no rush, either Debian will get its act together on the mini.iso, or as I can begin to read through all the various threads on how to get MintPPC going on an iMac, I'll begin to try stuff . . . . As I recall at this point I have to try the "rescue install" process . . . whatever that is, I think I need it, or I need to try it before I trash this present installation . . . . Just too busy trying to get a couple coins in my pocket to get those 3 or 4 hours . . . . Thanks though, the information will be there for a long time and I can go over it as many times as I need.

e.e.p.

Hmm, of what you tell me, I would opt for a "retry install" process. Once I figured out where the bottlenecks were, I started all over and carefully avoided or repaired any flaws. This made it possible to stick as close as it is to the original MintPPC installation. Once installed I treated it as any Linux installation, customized it where needed.

As far as I know there is no such option as rescue my installation by fixing the things that are wrong automatically. [I saw this option in OpenSuse, but missed it in the (Debian-style) MintPPC installation procedure.]

So what is the rescue option?

Nothing more than being able to boot the system using the installer boot process and offering a command-shell in stage "pre-installation" (disks can be mounted under /target, but cannot be relied upon) or "post-installation" (filesystems may be ok, so mount from original / root and mount other partitions manually). In "post-installation" mode you basically avoid the basic primary bootstrap phase (which fails) from your own installation.

Based upon a manual "trail and error" process with forum suggestions or google results combined with a "as good as possible" own effort in analysis of the loggings in /var/log and in dmesg (where "grep" is a good filter to get the right details) you can apply solutions: install components, change settings, reboot and solve problems...

@JD: I went through the sticky and posted the results from running the various options there and posted back with the results below, but never got any specific reply to that info. I'd like to break through the issues that seem to be interfering with the installation, but they seem to feed back onto each other--I can't install the xorg file because I don't have an internet connection apparently, and from a TTY environment I can't seem to fix the internet . . . . Is this a problem with the installer that debian needs to fix? Or would this problem with the internet be fixed using str8bs's solution to fixing all the problems with "dvi" or nouveau? There just seems to be quite a few problems, way more than showed up in the iBook installation . . . how to get a handle on it in a step by step process?

e.e.p.

@eep

Just to clarify my previous post:
1. As I read through the entire thread, the current state was you needed to download an xorg.conf. You could not connect to the internet. linuxopjema had mentioned a reinstall should not be required.
MintPPC does not offer full iso download which means the mini iso obtained network connectivity. If you boot to an iso, and can get to the internet (ping mentioned earlier in thread), this will verify your network issue is configuration and not hardware related. You could also mount the file system and download/edit config files. *Look to others on this forum for specific instructions on which iso and commands to run.
2. The "DVI nouveau" thread is specific to video. You don't have internet connectivity. I would recommend addressing one issue at a time.

Having said all that, I am not sure anyone is really clear on what the state of your system is. I am in no position to contradict linuxopjemac, but have to agree with OmeLuuk. Reinstall. At least everyone could make a clear assumption about the state of your system and then advise without unknown variables.

Good luck.
str8bs

@str8bs: Thanks for the reply homes . . . and thanks also to Omeluuk for his insights as well, the iMac is now again the Linux project at the top of the list. It would indeed be good to know if there is a specific iso that works on iMac or some specific Yaboot commands to run that would do the job correctly on the first run. But I've already done two full installs that were declared "successful" by the installer, meaning that indeed there is internet connectivity during the install, but somehow after that there isn't. And, as far as JD's last post to this forum thread the "iwconfig" ?? file looked just as he had posted it should be. . . . And, along with the two full installs, the first in December, and then it was posted that the November iso was the last good iso, but that was gone; and then at the end of January it was posted that the iso was again trustable . . . I did the second install and still the problems . . . . And yet "there isn't a bug or an issue with the installer"??? With LMDE on the wintel Mac again the Debian based installer had a problem installing, but a question was posted on the forum and it took a couple of months but finally got a post that offered a simple solution--make a bios_grub flagged partitiion-- and boom, it was done. Or, then on LMDE the wireless wasn't set up, posted a question to the forum and after a few posts someone posted a link to the broadcom-sta wheezy instruction page--I ran the 6 terminal commands--boom, it was done.
Back here at the ranch, it ain't done. Is this a "personal problem" or operator error problem??? it could be, but what is the error?? using the installer and letting it make most of the decisions sort of removes the operator error part and points to the installer, no? Or if we knew, oh, if you go to this page you can read all about fixing broken internet connections for Debian--that direction would be helpful, etc. In the meanwhile I've read through your posts and Omeluuk's posts and links and figure that when there is a spare three/four hours I'll again do a reinstall using the "expert url=mintppc.org" command and see what kind of magic that will produce--perhaps the third time might be a charm. If I could combine that with "install video=ofonly" which is supposed to provide "maximum compatibility" that would be great. UNfortunately I don't have enough knowledge to know what is good/helpful instruction and what isn't . . . as on any forum the posts are not always answering the question. As Omeluuk posted, I would like to have the installer install the packages--the easy way, and then be done with it. Thanks for the "good luck" wishes . . . I guess that's why we are here . . . ???

e.e.p.