Linux on Apfel hammer

TerminalDrome 0.7.3 released

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We released TerminalDrome 0.7.X with new features. Likes and Audiovisuals.

What’s new in 0.7.3

❤️ Like songs — press Shift+L while a song is playing to mark it as a favorite in Navidrome.
The current song gets a permanent heart (❤️) next to its title in the song list.
Visual feedback in the status bar confirms when a song is liked.
The heart stays visible when switching views or restarting the app.
Keyboard shortcut: Shift+L (L for Like) – easy to remember, doesn’t conflict with Shift+H for help.
With Shift+E you can start the audiovisual mode (like cava) and with ESC you can close while song is playing.

Version 0.6.0 of TerminalDrome released

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A terminal-based music client for Navidrome (and other Subsonic-compatible servers), written in Rust.

Features

What’s new in 0.6.0

🔀 Shuffle Mode — press Shift+S while in any song list (album, playlist, or Jukebox queue) to instantly shuffle and restart playback. The currently playing song panel and progress bar turn magenta so you always know shuffle is active.

What was new in 0.5.x

🎉 Party / Jukebox Mode (Shift+J) — streams your entire library in random order. Songs are fetched from the server in batches in the background, so even a library with tens of thousands of tracks works without loading everything into memory at once.

The new Jukebox Mode plays my entire library

TerminalDrome Features

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I’m happy to announce that TerminalDrome has been officially added to the crates.io repository. This means you can now install and use TerminalDrome on your system with a simple

cargo install terminaldrome

command. I’ve also added the ability to use playlists in TerminalDrome, which wasn’t available before. You can use the TAB key to switch the left pane to the playlists. In the middle, you’ll see information about the playlist, and on the right, the songs it contains. Otherwise, there were many bug fixes: one was a buffer overflow at the end of a song, which caused the runtime to be recalculated and resulted in a crash. Another was a large number of warnings, which I’ve resolved.

Game paused

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Because I just started to build a new x86-64 Linux Gaming/Coding-Rag, I stopped with Linux on the Powermac G5, for now. But not forever.

Strange behavior of my PowerMac G5 - it doesn't boot anymore

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Anyone who reads my blog from time to time is familiar with my PowerMac setup. I have two SSDs connected to the internal SATA ports: a 512 GB SATA SSD for Mac OS X 10.5 and a 128 GB SSD for Linux. I also have an NVMe SSD connected to the internal PCI Express x4 port.

The 128 GB SSD for Linux runs Debian 12 SID, and its primary function is to boot the actual Linux distribution from the NVMe SSD. The PowerMac, specifically the Open Firmware, doesn’t have drivers for NVMe, and neither does Mac OS X. Therefore, it boots Grub from the internal SSD to load the correct kernel and partition from the NVMe SSD.

New Firefox 145 and the 32 Bit Build

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Master hacker René Rebe, known to everyone for T2/SDE Linux, writes in a recent article about the media’s proclamation of the end of 32-bit Firefox—and verifies this claim on his own system.

Of course, the world isn’t black and white, and René describes how, although…

while Mozilla has ended official 32-bit Linux builds for the upstream binary release, but the underlying source code remains portable. Downstream projects such as T2 SDE Linux, which pride themselves on building Firefox natively for every architecture from i686 and PowerPC G5 to MIPS and RISC-V, already have fresh 32-bit builds running. In fact, the broader ecosystem of independent distributions continues to demonstrate that so-called “obsolete” architectures can live long, productive lives when supported by efficient cross-compilation frameworks.

Long time not seen...

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Dear friends of PowerPC Linux, Unix and especially the Powermac G5, I’ve not written since quite a time. The reason was my other Webproject [¹] which I managed to melt with another Website and beside that, move it into a Docker Container and run it and adopt everything and so on and on and on… you know - from stick to wood like someone says. :-)

But what I want to say is that I am using Arch POWER ppc64 Linux now for quite some time every day and while I am listening to Navidrome streamed MP3 [²] in my TerminalDrome Client or do some Webstuff with Firefox or sending Mails via Calws-Mail, I am absolutely happy and it never crashed or something like that. It works so well.

ArchPOWER Linux for PPC64(/32)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My bigfat Powermac G5 Workstation running ArchPOWER 64 while compiling Claws-Mail under XCFE and running TerminalDrome

Because of a friendly comment by Powerlinux user Matias, I am willing to try out ArchPOWER Linux for PPC (Link) again. ArchPOWER is an unofficial Port of ARCH Linux for the PowerPC Architecture: It supports: powerpc64le (>=POWER8), powerpc (>=604), powerpc64 (>=POWER4+/G5 & PS3) and espresso (WiiU SMP).

Speed of light - NVMe SSD in a Powermac G5

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I told you the other day that my PowermacG5 owns an NVMe-SSD-Adapter as a PCI-Express Card with a 1 TB NVME-SSD. That runs great, here is the Benchmark:

[arch@ARCHLINUX ~]$ sudo pacman -S hdparm
Abhängigkeiten werden aufgelöst …
Nach in Konflikt stehenden Paketen wird gesucht …

Pakete (1) hdparm-9.65-2

Gesamtgröße des Downloads:             0,10 MiB
Gesamtgröße der installierten Pakete:  0,24 MiB

:: Installation fortsetzen? [J/n]
:: Pakete werden empfangen …
hdparm-9.65-2-po...   101,0 KiB   394 KiB/s 00:00 [######################] 100%
(1/1) Schlüssel im Schlüsselbund werden geprüft    [######################] 100%
(1/1) Paket-Integrität wird überprüft              [######################] 100%
(1/1) Paket-Dateien werden geladen                 [######################] 100%
(1/1) Auf Dateikonflikte wird geprüft              [######################] 100%
(1/1) Verfügbarer Festplattenspeicher wird erm...  [######################] 100%
:: Paketänderungen werden verarbeitet …
(1/1) Installiert wird hdparm                      [######################] 100%
:: Post-transaction-Hooks werden gestartet …
(1/1) Arming ConditionNeedsUpdate...

[arch@ARCHLINUX ~]$ sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/nvme0n1

/dev/nvme0n1:
Timing cached reads:   2258 MB in  2.00 seconds = 1129.63 MB/sec
Timing buffered disk reads: 1384 MB in  3.00 seconds = 461.12 MB/sec

Yes, 1129 MB/Sec, bäm!, this is what PCIE 1.0 4.0 Slot can do. :-) Nicenstein, in a 2005 Computer.

Backslash, German iMac Keyboard and OpenFirmware

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I had problems typing the backslash “" and bar “|” on my iMac keyboard when in the OpenFirmware user interface.

A picture of my iMac G3 while in Open Firmware

The “" key on US iMac keyboards seems to produce keycode 57 (in X11). There is no key on the German keyboard that produces keycode 57. There is one with keycode 58, the “#” key.

Fienix Linux for PPC Computers

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The other day I stumbled across Fienix Linux. It is a Distribution maintained by one man, Casey Cullen. It is based on debian, but with focus on powerpc first. I just tried to install it on my Powermac G5. And it works great!

Fienix Linux 6.0.1 on my Powermac G5, on real Hardware.

My Setup in this machine as follows:

Fienix Linux seems to be dead

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I find it quite sad because I only recently got to know Fienix Linux, even though it has been around for a long time. And I think it’s absolutely great because it works better than any other Linux on the Powermac G5 that I’ve tried so far:

Graphics acceleration
modern web browser

But unfortunately the package sources are dead, this Linux is based on Debian SID and uses APT. The Fienix source server is unreachable and there is no alternative.

Firefox 128-ESR on PPC64 Powermac G5

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Since I own the Powermac G5 and play around with it, I want to install a modern Browser and therefor, I want to run Firefox on it. But it is not possible. I tried different Linux Distros like Debian 12 PPC64, T2/Linux by Rene Rebe and even some special builts of ARCH for PPC64 - but I had no luck. No one had luck and even the Debian Mailinglist said it is not possible to built Firefox for PPC64 at this time. I even wrote about that.

Hello ArchPOWER Linux for PPC64

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In a nice comment from Matias, he told me he is using ArchPOWER Linux, an unofficial Build of Arch Linux for PowerPC, PPC64, PPC and PPCle for the Power8 Architecture etc. pp.; If I remember correctly, I stumbled across this Linux Distro while I researched for the best Linux for my Powermac G5, but maybe because I was at the beginning of my Linux journey on these machines, I found it to heavy or something else told me not to try. I don’t know but it is not important anymore, because I installed ArchPOWER Linux current on my NVMe-SSD in the Powermac, multi-booting with T2 Linux, Debian 12 SID, Adelie Linux and Fienix Linux. :-)

How do I run update-grub from another Partition or a LiveCD?

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As you know my Setup, I will shortly explain again. In my Powermac G5 there is an SATA-SSD as a replacement for the old spinning Apple HDD. On this SSD I installed Mac OX 10.5 and also Debian SID for PPC, to get the Partition-Scheme and GRUB installed.

I also built in a NVMe-SSD with 1 TB because the Powermac11,2 has PCI-Express Slots like it is standard nowadays. The OpenFirmware in the Powermac doesn’t know what an NVMe-SSD is and therefore can’t recognize it or boot it. Also Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t see the device. The technic is too young and there are no drivers, that is the reason for that.

How To Boot Powermac from USB

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There are many different mentions in the web. Some say it is impossible to boot Powermacs from USB, others says: only PowermacG5 from 7,3 Revision are able to boot from USB and the third party says: every Powermac is bootable.

And because I own this late and great Powermac G5 11,2 and I don’t want to always burn a CD/DVD everytime I try a new Linux or something else out, I invesitagted a little bit further: the third statement is correct: every Powermac can boot from USB.

ISSO Comments with Bashblog

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Comments belongs to the website. So I newly established this weblog and I am a great fan of comments. Because were is the place to talk about a topic? Directly under the topic, right. I now publish with a simple Shell-Script (Bashblog) and there is no commenting system built in, the author helped out with integrating Disqus, which is known for being a wideley used commenting hoster.

And there is the point to talk: I think comments belong to the commenters and to the website were the comments are said, but definitely comments are no big data and therefore should not be outsourced to a third-party company like disqus is.

New Release Of T2/Linux

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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:

New Release of TerminalDrome on Github

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Since I recently discovered how relaxing programming can be, I’ve been tinkering with my Navidrome-compatible terminal client called TerminalDrome almost every day.

I’ve now integrated a new feature, which I’ve moved to Main:

A simple search function:

Press slash / and the search will open.
Enter the search term, press Enter, and you’ll see the search results in the right panel.
It’s neither alphabetically sorted nor otherwise organized.
Additionally, there’s a feature in the leftmost panel where you can jump directly to the beginning of the respective artist by pressing a letter of your choice. So if I press D, I’ll land on D.A.F., or Q on Queens Of The Stone Age—you get it?

My TerminalDrome CLient in Search Mode

Release: T2 Linux 25.4 'It Only Does Everything'

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

Status of Firefox on PPC64 Big Endian

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

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

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

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.

TerminalDrome 0.2.0 is available

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I am proud to announce the release of TerminalDrome 0.2.0 as a feature-rich stable version to the public. It is still alpha but it works on a daily basis here on my Powermac G5 or the Mac Mini M4.

TerminalDrome Splash Screen

There are compiled binaries available for arm64, ppc64 and armhf. But TerminalDrome will build on every Linux with Rust and Cargo.

TerminalDrome is evolving

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

My little Terminal Navidrome Project TerminalDrome is evolving and works a little bit better from day to day. So, what is working?

safes the state of the panes to come back later
in pane 4 it shows the elapsed time and a small bar is going to 100%
it plays the songs of an album from 1 to last

What does not work:

it won’t changes the now playing bar when a new song is playing

This is a screenshot of my real Powermac G5 running TerminalDrome in the wild.

TermNavi is renamed in TerminalDrome

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Because there’s already a Terminal Navidrome client called NaviTerm, and I don’t really like my name TermNavi, I decided to rename my software TerminalDrome. Of course, that sounds completely stupid, but at least it’s better than a copy.

I think my software will soon become famous.

Oh, and it doesn’t even work properly yet. :-)

Ressources

TerminalDrome Github Repo

TermNavi Terminal Navidrome Client ppc64

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

So the other day I tried to connect to my Navidrome MP3 Streaming Server, I call it “Spotify at Home”, via Webinterface to listen to some music, but there were no way to do this. The Webbrowsers available are too old. Sad.

So I decided to programm a really small Navidrome Terminal Client called TermNavi (yes I know… need better name) to listen to my MP3. And what shall I say? The first implementation is ready. I tested and successfully compiled on aarch64 (my MacMini M4) and the legendary Powermac G5 with ARCH Linux or Debian Sid ppc64.

Update to Fienix Linux

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As I wrote in a few articles before, I am a big fan of Fienix Linux because it works absolutely amazing on my Powermac G5, it can even render complex and modern Websites like my other Weblog (Ghost CMS) and all the big and modern new Websites.

However, as I continued to use Fienix, I found out that I couldn’t install any updates or other software packages. After some research, I discovered that the Fienix APT Repo was down. I asked at the corresponding youtube channel and even at the Website, but there was no answer.

New Version 0.2.2 of TerminalDrome

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I just finished the work on TerminalDrome 0.2.2 and I am really proud of it, because I don’t know nothing about Rust programming language but the Terminal NaviDrome Client is running very well :-)

TerminalDrome started, Cover Art, no artist or album chosen

Whats is new?

Implemented cover art: terminaldrome is downloading the cover art of the album if available and convert it to ASCII :-)
Album Scrolling: while in album pane, there were no scrolling implemented and when there were more than 5 albums, you would not see them.
fixed mute button
updated splash screen :-)
a lot of other improvements and fixes

What else?

Tested on: