HELP!!!

[doordand]

I have a 12" iBook G4 and I am trying to install Fedora Core 5 onto an external hard drive (Lacie 160GB F A Porsche). I boot from the CD and it goes to the blue screen, tells me to check the install CD and I do and it passes. It then goes to load ask me which drivers I want to install and it gives me either GMAC or IEEE 1394. I have tried both and it still gives me the same messege after I select the timezone etc and it scans for Fedora Core Installations. It then says that it can not detect any drives and it restarts. Please, how can I install Fedora Core 5 onto that external drive?

P.S. How does AirPort extreme work with Fedora Core?

 

[bmouring]

On the boot prompt, try the command "linux expert" without the quotes. This will load some additional drivers needed to see external disks including USB and Firewire.

If this doesn't work, try download (sorry, I know they're large) the FC6 stuff, the supposedly upped the support for external storage.

As for the Airport card, check out this thread since the Aiport extreme uses this chipset. If the instructions here don't work, google around with words like "fedora" "airport extreme" "bcm43xx", etc.

 

[doordand]

Thank you but neither worked. Is there any otyher way?

 

[bmouring]

I have to admit I haven't tried to install to external Firewire disks before, so what I suggested what just what I turned up doing a quick search. The only thing I can think of is breaking out of the installer (if it allows it) to check exactly what the system is able to "see" in terms of disks.

Another option that you may want to try out is trying different distros that support the powerPC architecture like Yellowdog (not free as in beer) or the powerPC branch of Ubuntu, as well as others.

Basically, anytime you want to do something a little exotic (like installing to an external drive) you're going to likely have to play around with it a bit to get it working.

BTW, here is a guide for an older ubuntu install for just the kinda setup you are looking for, it may be outdated but it's worth a look if just a normal install doesn't work out.

 

[linux_0]

Great advice from bmouring as always :-D

Theoretically it's doable but I'm not sure the iBook BIOS would allow you to boot from an external FireWire HDD.

What you may be able to do is install the bootloader on your internal HDD and have the bootloader take it from there. Unfortunately you may still have problems.

You may be able to boot from a USB device if the BIOS supports it.

I suppose you could try to put your /boot partition on a USB device or the internal HDD and then mount / from the FireWire drive.

You could also use a custom bootable CD.

GL :-D