tlug: Revised MkLinux Article for Linux forum

[Tom Gewecke <tom@example.com> (by way of drg@example.com)]

For all of you who have a Macintosh, and want to use  LINUX...



Running Linux on Your Mac
-------------------------
  by Tom Gewecke <tom@example.com>


  Most computer users have had some contact with Unix,
  long the dominant operating system for universities, research
  labs, and the Internet. However, hardware requirements and software
  costs usually put this OS beyond the reach of home users. In the early
  1990's, Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki in Finland and a
  group of volunteers developed a freeware Unix clone called Linux.
  Linux has since become widely available to PC owners, with several
  thick book/CD-ROM packages on the shelves of most computer book
  stores. In 1997, similar versions of Linux were released for
  PowerPC-based Macs; this article discusses my non-expert
  experience installing and using one of them: MkLinux.


**Why Bother?**--Why would you want to run Unix on a Mac? You
  can't use Mac applications, and the complicated command-line
  interface seems like the antithesis of the Mac OS. The reason I
  installed MkLinux was to educate myself about an important OS, and to
  learn how a true multi-user system with preemptive multitasking
  and protected memory works.

  Folks with deeper technical knowledge may find other aspects
  attractive. For example, Linux can be used to run an Internet
  server, with all the usual services and some functions the Mac OS
  can't yet provide, like true multihoming. Programmers - many of
  whom used Unix in school - will appreciate that powerful
  compilers, editors, and other tools are readily available for
  Linux, plus the source code for the whole system (and many
  applications) is available so you can experiment and customize.
  Someone who uses Unix at the office can use Linux to do the same
  on a Mac at home.

  Finally, let's not forget that Rhapsody, Apple's
  forthcoming operating system based on NeXT technology, includes a
  full Unix implementation, although it'll be hidden unless users
  specifically access it.


**Choices** -- There are two easily accessible versions of Linux
  for the Macintosh Power PC. MkLinux, sponsored by Apple, is a port
  of Linux running on top of a Mach microkernel. A CD-ROM/book
  combination with Developer Release 2.1 (DR2.1) is sold by Prime
  Time Freeware (PTF) for $50. MkLinux generally runs on PowerPC 601-based
  NuBus Macs and PowerPC 604-based PCI machines, but not (yet) on
  603 boxes or (reportedly) on Apple's new G3 systems. You need at
  least 500 MB of disk space (preferably on a separate drive
  from the Mac OS startup disk) and a bare minimum of 8 MB of RAM.

<http://www.mklinux.apple.com/>
<http://www.ptf.com/>

  Since DR2.1 was issued early in 1997, six updates have been
  produced, available only by downloading from the Internet.
  These are several dozen MB in size, and for this article
  I've stuck with version 2.1. The most recent updates appear to have
  fixed two significant problems with the basic release, namely lack
  of support for printing over the serial port and failure of PPP to
  work on PCI machines.

  The second option is Linux for PowerPC (linux-pmac), a
  conventional, non-Mach port produced by a group of volunteers led
  by Paul Mackerras at Australian National University. A $32 CD-ROM
  recently became available for this system, which is supposed to
  work on all Macs that use Open Firmware. This basically excludes
  NuBus machines.

<http://www.linuxppc.org/>

  I have a 601 NuBUS Mac so I haven't tried linux-pmac.

  Linux for 68K Macs is currently under development.

<http://maclinux.ml.org/>

  There are two versions of UNIX itself, NetBSD and OpenBSD, which work on
  a variety of 68K Mac's and are available on CDROMS for $35 and $30
  respectively.  Further information is at the sites

<http://www.netbsd.org/>
<http://www.openbsd.org/>

  Also, if you'd like to consider a commercial alternative, check out the
  highly-regarded MachTen from Tenon Intersystems, a Unix which works on both
  68K and PPC Mac's ($695):

<http://www.tenon.com/>

  All the non-commercial ports are sensitive to the type and model of machine
  they are installed on, so double-check with FAQs, mailing lists,
  and vendors to make sure your particular Mac or clone will work
  with a particular Unix offering. The rest of this article refers
  to MkLinux DR2.1, which works fine on my Performa 6116.


**Installation** -- Installing MkLinux DR2.1 was easy and
  straightforward using the CD-ROMs and book from Prime Time
  Freeware (PTF). The most difficult part was formatting my hard
  disk. I have an external 1 GB hard disk from APS, and the accompanying
  software didn't seem to set up the partitions right. Using ResEdit to
  modify Apple's HD SC Setup program (as described in the PTF book) did
  the trick, however. I also had a little trouble setting up networking;
  MkLinux includes a command called setnet to facilitate setting up PPP
  and LAN connections, but I had to manually edit the default chat script
  to make MkLinux dial my modem and connect to my ISP.

  After installing DR2.1, I found a new control panel in the Mac OS,
  which can be set so that when the computer starts you get a dialog
  box enabling you to start MkLinux. Virtual Memory/RAM Doubler
  must be disabled for it to work (although this has been remedied
  in recent updates).

  If you need help, you can count on a sympathetic attitude from
  lots of other folks running MkLinux on a wide variety of machines.
  At least ten mailing lists covering MkLinux topics are hosted by
  Apple, and traffic is substantial on most of them. There are also
  a number of FAQs and help pages on the Web, including the Linux on
  the PowerPC FAQ-O-Matic.

<http://www.dartmouth.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/jonh/lppc/faq.pl>


**Learning the Ropes** -- If you don't know or remember much about
  Unix commands, there will be some learning required before you can
  do anything. The PTF book is of only modest assistance; the best
  approach is to borrow or buy one of the several tomes available on
  Linux for PCs. I used a copy of Linux Unleashed which I found on
  sale.

<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/Subject=Linux/8072-3554564-8710>

  Most important to master are the procedures for booting up and
  shutting down; setting up user accounts; moving around the file
  system; copying, moving, and renaming files; modifying file
  permissions; accessing the hard disk; reading and editing text
  files using the program vi (not easy to get used to!); downloading
  via FTP (although you can use FTP in the Mac OS if you want); and
  decompressing, building, and installing new programs.

  These tasks are non-intuitive and seem daunting at first, though
  they turned out to be easier than I expected. Neat graphical
  programs are available that enable you to bypass much of the
  command maze, but you are unlikely to install and run them
  correctly unless you can deal with the basics.


**Running X Window** -- Unix is not a completely text-based
  world. MkLinux duplicates X Window, a graphical interface which
  you start by typing the command X11. In its most basic form, X
  provides you with independent windows within which you can execute
  the usual commands. The system can, however, be made more
  elaborate through the use of window managers that allow you to
  customize the desktop.

  MkLinux DR2.1 comes with two free window managers, the bare-bones
  Tab Window Manager (twm) plus the Free Virtual Window Manager (fvwm2).
  The latter has nice 3-D borders and enables the user to create
  scrolling windows, multiple "pages" or desktops, and all sorts of
  buttons for initiating action without typing commands.

<http://www.hpc.uh.edu/fvwm/>

  Other freeware window managers include LessTif (modeled on Motif),
  AfterStep (like NextStep), and Fvwm95 (Win95). The latest word in this
  area seems to be the K Desktop Environment (kde), which recently
  became available for Linux.

<http://www.kde.org/>

  X Window has plenty of applications, many of which are free and
  look and work like their analogues for the Mac or Windows. On my
  MkLinux setup I was able to install attractive graphical programs
  to manage files (TkDesk), edit text (Nedit), read news (Knews),
  get email (Xfmail), transfer files (Xftp) and browse the Web
  (Mosaic) without excessive difficulty. Several games are also available,
  including one called XBill,where you try to stop a familiar-looking man
  from installing Windows on a bunch of computers. One basic source for
  MkLinux applications is the MkArchive.

<ftp://ftp.dodds.net/pub/linux/mkarchive/>

  Java (JDK 1.1.4) and Netscape (4.04) have only recently become available,
  at the following sites, respectively

<http://business.tyler.wm.edu/mklinux/index.html>

<ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/communicator/4.04/development/english/unix/mklinux/>


**Conclusion** -- Working in X Window brings you full circle,
  recreating the sort of interface for which you purchased your Mac
  in the first place, although it is quite different in look, feel,
  and capabilities. Building, improving, and maintaining an MkLinux
  system is guaranteed to keep boredom at bay for some time. It's
  also nice knowing that there's more power with which to
  experiment, especially as Rhapsody nears completion. A major
  update, MkLinux DR3, is expected before the end of 1997, which
  promises better performance and more possibilities.


**Vendor Info**

MkLinux

     Prime Time Freeware
     370 Altair Way #150
     Sunnyvale, CA 94086
     408-433-9662
     info@example.com

Linux-PMac

     Linux for PPC Project
     P.O. Box 885
     Madison, WI 53701
     608-271-2526
     orders@example.com

NetBSD/mac68K

     InfoMagic
     11950 N. Highway 89
     Flagstaff, AZ 86004
     520-526-9565
     orders@example.com

OpenBSD/mac68k

     The Computer Shop
     Attn:  OpenBSD CD Orders
     3515 18th St., SW
     Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 4T9
     403-605-8166

MachTen

     Tenon Intersystems
     805-963-6983
     info@example.com


---------------------------------------------------------------
TLUG Meeting Dec. 13, 12:30 at Tokyo station Yaesu Chuo ticket gate
13:30 Starbuck's coffee.  13:45 HSBC | info: joem@example.com
At least 3 functional Sparc IPC machines will be raffled out
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