This Is Apfelhammer! — Posts tagged "t2linux"

This Is Apfelhammer!

A Weblog about my PowermacG5 in 2025

T2/Linux compiling errors

October 18, 2025 — Jan Montag

Hello and good morning, I'm back at my Powermac G5, playing around a bit with T2/Linux (all articles).

I recently reported that a current version of Firefox is capable of running on PPC64, making this distro the only one that allows this. Everyone else is having major problems with Firefox right now. Although I assume René, the maintainer of T2, is sending his patches upstream. He does a lot for the community.

Anyway, I'd like to install mousepad, an editor for Xfce4. Unfortunately, I can't compile it. I'm getting an error with the gtksourceview4 package, which is required to build mousepad. And I can't fix it.

[…]
[83/251] Compiling C object tests/test-completion.p/test-completion.c.o
[84/251] Generating symbol file gtksourceview/libgtksourceview-4.so.0.0.0.p/libgtksourceview-4.so.0.0.0.symbols
[85/251] Generating gtksourceview/GtkSource-4.gir with a custom command (wrapped by meson to set env)
FAILED: [code=1] gtksourceview/GtkSource-4.gir
env PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/meson-uninstalled:/lib64/pkgconfig:/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/share/pkgconfig:/usr/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/X11/share/pkgconfig:/usr/X11R7/share/pkgconfig:/usr/X11/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/X11R7/lib64/pkgconfig:/usr/X11/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/X11R7/lib/pkgconfig:/opt/gnome/share/pkgconfig:/opt/gnome/lib64/pkgconfig:/opt/xfce4/lib64/pkgconfig PKG_CONFIG=/usr/bin/pkg-config CC=gcc CFLAGS= /opt/gnome/bin/g-ir-scanner --quiet --no-libtool --namespace=GtkSource --nsversion=4 --warn-all --output gtksourceview/GtkSource-4.gir --c-include=gtksourceview/gtksource.h --warn-all -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/gtksourceview -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/gtksourceview -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/. -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/. --filelist=/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/gtksourceview/libgtksourceview-4.so.0.0.0.p/GtkSource_4_gir_filelist -L/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/gtksourceview -L/opt/gnome/lib64 --extra-library=gtksourceview-4 --include=Gdk-3.0 --include=Gtk-3.0 --symbol-prefix=gtk_source --identifier-prefix=GtkSource --pkg-export=gtksourceview-4 --cflags-begin -DG_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_PIXBUF_DISABLE_DEPRECATED -DGDK_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=GDK_VERSION_3_24 -DGDK_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED=GDK_VERSION_3_24 -DGLIB_VERSION_MIN_REQUIRED=GLIB_VERSION_2_48 -DGLIB_VERSION_MAX_ALLOWED=GLIB_VERSION_2_48 -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/. -I/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/. -I/usr/include/fribidi -I/opt/gnome/include/glib-2.0 -I/opt/gnome/lib64/glib-2.0/include -I/opt/gnome/include -I/usr/include/libmount -I/usr/include/blkid -I/usr/include/dbus-1.0 -I/usr/lib64/dbus-1.0/include -I/usr/include/harfbuzz -I/usr/include/cairo -I/usr/include/freetype2 -I/usr/include/libpng16 -I/usr/X11R7/include -I/usr/X11R7/include/pixman-1 -I/opt/gnome/include/gtk-3.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/at-spi2-atk/2.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/at-spi-2.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/gio-unix-2.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/pango-1.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/atk-1.0 -I/opt/gnome/include/gdk-pixbuf-2.0 -I/usr/include/libxml2 -I/opt/gnome/include/gobject-introspection-1.0 --cflags-end --add-include-path=/opt/gnome/share/gir-1.0 -L/usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/gtksourceview --library gtksourceview-4 -L/opt/gnome/lib64 --extra-library=m --extra-library=fribidi -L/opt/gnome/lib64 --extra-library=glib-2.0 --extra-library=gobject-2.0 --extra-library=gio-2.0 --extra-library=gtk-3 --extra-library=gdk-3 --extra-library=pangocairo-1.0 --extra-library=pango-1.0 --extra-library=harfbuzz --extra-library=atk-1.0 --extra-library=cairo-gobject --extra-library=cairo --extra-library=gdk_pixbuf-2.0 --extra-library=xml2 --extra-library=girepository-1.0 --sources-top-dirs /usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/ --sources-top-dirs /usr/src/t2-src/src.gtksourceview4.251018.101622.11937/gtksourceview-4.8.4/objs/
Couldn't find include 'Gdk-3.0.gir' (search path: '['/opt/gnome/share/gir-1.0', '/root/.local/share/gir-1.0', '/usr/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/gnome/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/java/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/libreoffice/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/mozilla/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/openldap/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/rust/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/wasi/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/xfce4/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/gnome/share/gir-1.0', '/opt/gnome/share/gir-1.0', '/usr/share/gir-1.0']')

[86/251] Compiling C object tests/test-int2str.p/test-int2str.c.o
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
Due to previous errors, no 9-gtksourceview4.log file!
(Try enabling xtrace in the config to track an error inside the build system.)
--- BUILD ERROR ---
Creating file list and doing final adaptions ...
Searching for orphaned files ...
Found 6 files for this package.
Found 1 orphaned files for this package.
Calculating package dependencies ...
Deleting dependencies, pattern:  -e ".*: t2-src$" -e ".*: glibc$" -e ".*: gcc$" ...
Adding dependencies, glib
Marking optional dependencies, glib
Creating md5sum files ...
Creating package description ...
Making post-install adaptions.

If I look at it more closely, it means something like that the error encounters during the GtkSourceView4 build on T2 Linux is due to a missing GObject Introspection (.gir) file, which is a common issue when build dependencies aren't fully met.

Rene is writing on his website, that if you plan to compile or cross compile, you need to reinstall some packages and I reinstalled t2 install -f gobject-introspection and it worked. So I have no glued what to do here. I always stuck with those failures I can't handle by myself and the Powermac G5 is a slow machine, I do it on bare metal becouse crosscompiling for ppc64 on my mac mini m4 is even more pointless.

There are other packages wich also not build, e.g. appstream-glib:

[64/114] Compiling C object client/appstream-compose.p/as-compose.c.o
[65/114] Linking target libappstream-glib/as-self-test
[66/114] Generating libappstream-glib/AppStreamGlib-1.0.typelib with a custom command
[67/114] Generating data/appstream-util-man with a custom command
FAILED: [code=4] data/appstream-util.1
/usr/bin/xsltproc --nonet --stringparam man.output.quietly 1 --stringparam 
funcsynopsis.style ansi --stringparam man.th.extra1.suppress 1 --stringparam 
man.authors.section.enabled 0 --stringparam man.copyright.section.enabled 0 
-o data/appstream-util.1 http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/xsl
/current/manpages/docbook.xsl ../data/appstream-util.xml
I/O error : failed to load "http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/
xsl/current/manpages/docbook.xsl": Attempt to load network entity
warning: failed to load external entity "http://docbook.sourceforge.net
/release/xsl/current/manpages/docbook.xsl"
cannot parse http://docbook.sourceforge.net/release/xsl/current/manpages/docbook.xsl
[68/114] Compiling C object client/appstream-util.p/as-util.c.o
In file included from ../client/as-util.c:21:
In function 'as_util_mirror_screenshots_app_url',
    inlined from 'as_util_mirror_screenshots_app' at ../client/as-util.c:3520:8,
    inlined from 'as_util_mirror_screenshots' at ../client/as-util.c:3636:8:
../client/as-util.c:3450:23: warning: call to '_curl_easy_setopt_err_long' declared with attribute warning: curl_easy_setopt expects a long argument [-Wattribute-warning]
3450 |                 (void)curl_easy_setopt(priv->curl, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, 1);
    |                       ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ninja: build stopped: subcommand failed.
Due to previous errors, no 9-appstream-glib.log file!
(Try enabling xtrace in the config to track an error inside the build system.)
--- BUILD ERROR ---
Creating file list and doing final adaptions ...
Searching for orphaned files ...
Found 6 files for this package.
Found 1 orphaned files for this package.
Calculating package dependencies ...
Deleting dependencies, pattern:  -e ".*: t2-src$" -e ".*: glibc$" -e ".*: gcc$" ...

webmention

Tags: t2linux, compiling, crosscompiling


T2 Linux is fucking amazing

October 10, 2025 — Jan Montag

So yesterday I found out that with the PPC64 Version Firefox is working and this is a dealbreaker, a gamechanger. Because of a modern Browser, you can use this old computer nearly productive. I can webmail (even Googlemail), I can spotify, I can Youtube. I can do a lot of modern things only because the browser is working.

My Powermac G5 Desktop with XFCE 4 and some Terminal Windows.

On the other side I configure the system to my need. I installed my TerminalDrome Navidrome Client, I compile a lot of software and try to figure things out. I am looking for a lightwight Texteditor like Mousepad, but I can't get it to work.

Meanwhile I try to crosscompile on my MacMini M4 for PPC64 but this also doesn't work like expected. A lot of high hangig fruits.

So long, Jan

Tags: t2linux, ppc64, firefox


T2/Linux 25.10 "Never Obsolete" is there - It runs Firefox 143.0.1 on PowerPC

October 09, 2025 — Jan Montag

Master-Hacker René Rebe has published his newest version of T2/Linux, an SDE Linux with the most CPU Architechture support in the world. It is also the most active and most actual Linux Distro as you can see on distro watch and other sites.

I installed this new version on my Powermac G5 Workstation and it works like charme.

Here you can find the direct download for ppc, ppc64 or ppc64/32*

I installed the 64/32 Bit Variante, because it is optimized for the 970 Processor which works in the Powermac G5.

*64-bit OS kernel, 32-bit user-space

[Update]. I just installed the 64-Bit Version of the PPC64 variant and what shall I say? Firefox works, so I created a screenshot directly under my Powermac to show what crazy René has done for the comunity of PPC Enthusiast. Unbelievable. And I just played this Video of Townes on my other Weblog in the Browser on my PowermacG5.

My Powermac G5 with real Firefox 143.0.1 (ppc64)

This is freaking fantastic guys! DAMN!

Ressources

Tags: powermacg5, ppc, ppc64, t2linux, linux, download, firefox


Hello T2/Linux 25.04 - I switched back to 12.24

April 21, 2025 — Jan Montag

Man, I am a little bit frustrated right now. Everytime a new release of T2/Linux is going online, I am really happy to try it out on my Powermac G5. I download it and dd it to a USB Stick (here I explain how to boot a PPC Mac from USB) and than boot the Powermac via OpenFirmware from that USB Stick and everything works like charme. Like I exspect it.

The Install Process is straight forward and easy, thanks to STONE, the Installer of T2. But with Version 25.04 there is a problem, the FANs turn to MAX rotation like there is a kernel module not loaded or something like that and you think the G5 will soon fly away. The next thing: X seems to be broken, I can't startx anymore.

In 24.12 these things were okay, X works and even 3D-Acceleration works so I could use it in a quite usual way. But now - all of this is gone. Everytime I try, there is another problem. Something other broken. And I am not smart enough to fix it. I do not understand enough and there is not enough documentation to get this done. Sure, René is a One-Man-Show with his T2 Linux Project and he is fixing a lot of older drivers and software packages and he earns nothing and I say thank you man. Great Job. But even in his documentation, I am unable to find the right solution e.g. to crosscompile not the whole target, just a package and all of it's depencies.

I never got Palemoon or ArcticFox compiled or crosscompiled, because there are errors I canot solve. I installed T2/ARM64 on my Mac Mini M4 because this small machine is really powerful so it is a great crosscompoling solution for the me at home for my PPC64 Powermac. But it starts while compiling gcc. I am unable to compile GCC. And without GCC there is no way to compile anything further.

Read more...


Release: T2 Linux 25.4 "It Only Does Everything"

April 14, 2025 — Jan Montag

A lot of crazy things happen right now. A few minutes ago I reported about the living sign of Fienix Linux after the APT Repo down and now I see there is a new version of latest and greatest T2 Linux (ver. 25.4) from Rene Rebe.

With a total of 17 pre-compiled base install ISOs for various Glibc, Musl and uClibc combinations are available for 12 CPU ISAs: Alpha, ARM(64), HPPA64, IA64, MIPS64, PowerPC(64), RISCV64, SPARC64, i586, x86-64. On most architectures the release still boots with as little as 512MB of RAM or even less, and ISO downloads are less than 2GB for base Wayland desktop with Firefox.

T2 runs well on my Powermac G5, as I stated here for detail.

Ressources

Tags: t2linux, powermacg5, linux, ppc64


Status of Firefox on PPC64 Big Endian

December 20, 2024 — Jan Montag

So yesterday was the release ouf 24.12 T2/Linux and the maintainer, creator and mastermind behind, René Rebe, were at a lifestream on youtube and twitch. So I played around with T2 on my Powermac G5 and listened to the stream and had a small chat with him. The most important part is an actual browser on that machine so I asked for the actual status of firefox.

René replied that the problems with big endian still exist and occours so there is no Firefox for Big Endian Machines at the moment. Firefox builts well on all little endian processors, but not on the big ones. There is no better answer at this time, but I hope he can do something when he have the time. Because to make that clear: there is not a big audience who is working on big endian ppc64 processors like my 970MP is in the world and I believe he get's not enough feedback and attention for his work for the open source community. But this is another part.

Debian also faces the problem of not building firefox for ppc/64, but they have other important things to do than to fix that.

I know there were patches from oracle for big endian firefox but I cant find the repository anymore. Maybe these patches and the Void Patches could do some important thing? [UPDATE] I found the patches for firefox.

I bet biggest problem are the people at firefox who doesnt care about big endian firefox builts for ppc64 because it is not important.

Ressources

Tags: t2linux, powermacg5, linux, firefox


New Release Of T2/Linux

December 19, 2024 — Jan Montag

T2/Linux 24.12 with XFCE Desktop on Powermac G5 T2/Linux 24.12 with XFCE Desktop on Powermac G5

As you know, this weblog is about my 2005 Powermac G5 and how to use it in 2024 soon 2025 as a normal computing device. I installed different Linux Distros on an 1 TB NVMe Device while computing with 12 GB-Ram.

And today reached me the information that famous René Rebe did released T2/Linux 12.2024 [1]. They are pleased to announce T2 24.12 as a major update with a total of 37 pre-compiled base install ISOs for various Glibc, Musl and uClibc combinations are available for 25 CPU ISAs:

Read more...


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