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G5 Fans blow like crazy (but not with live CD) - solved
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exuberantmonkey
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PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 10:49 pm    Post subject: G5 Fans blow like crazy (but not with live CD) - solved Reply with quote

I installed linux on a PowerMac G5 this week, but shortly after booting, the fans slowly ramp up and start blowing like crazy. The fans do not do this when I boot the live CD. Kernel version is 6.1.19.

To build the kernel, after a false start trying to use genkernel per the installation manual, I ran "make g5_defconfig" and then built the kernel manually. Now I have a bootable kernel, fantastic. Except, those fans blowing full on even when the system is essentially idle.

Are there any suggestions for how to resolve this? Clearly linux 6.1 can run on powermac G5 without the fans going nuts, since the live CD session does so.


Last edited by exuberantmonkey on Fri May 19, 2023 10:07 pm; edited 1 time in total
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alamahant
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 9:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why dont you use the binary kernel
gentoo-kernel-bin
?
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exuberantmonkey
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Why dont you use the binary kernel
gentoo-kernel-bin


There is no distribution kernel for ppc64. That section of instructions is removed from the ppc64 handbook. I’m pretty sure I tried regardless and found the packages to be masked.
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rab0171610
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One thing to check, run lsmod on both livecd and your system and then check output for differences. If a module is loaded on the livecd but not on the system, research it and see if it is related to the issue. Modify your kernel to include it and recompile.
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NeddySeagoon
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

exuberantmonkey,

I know that it's a kernel option as I briefly had remote root access to a G5 and made exactly that error with my first kernel.
I don't recall the option name though.
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Zucca
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

alamahant wrote:
Why dont you use the binary kernel
gentoo-kernel-bin
?
There's, no -bin for PPC, but OP could certainly at least _try_ to install gentoo-kernel. Just unmask it if it is masked on PPC64?
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exuberantmonkey
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 6:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
There's, no -bin for PPC, but OP could certainly at least _try_ to install gentoo-kernel. Just unmask it if it is masked on PPC64?


Ah. I did not realize this was an option. I'm new to linux and gentoo in particular.

Thanks, I figured out how to unmask and install the 6.1.27 binary distribution of the kernel and initramfs into /boot, and updated grub.cfg. This kernel does not boot - it triggers an access violation early (no message about "can't boot kdump kernel" so it is not that).

Next I will snatch the config file from /proc when running the live cd, and rebuild a kernel with that.
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exuberantmonkey
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 7:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Per Neddy's suggestion, first I ran make menuconfig, went into mac driver options, and found that not all the powermac windfarm options are enabled, whereas they are in the livecd config file. One option was for "powermac g5" and another for "xserve g5" whereas subsequent "powermac #,#" options were all enabled.

I will make clean and rebuild with those enabled before resorting to the live cd config which is very very different from g5_defconfig.
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Zucca
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

exuberantmonkey wrote:
Thanks, I figured out how to unmask and install the 6.1.27 binary distribution of the kernel and initramfs into /boot, and updated grub.cfg. This kernel does not boot - it triggers an access violation early (no message about "can't boot kdump kernel" so it is not that).
What I meant was to install sys-kernel/gentoo-kernel. Without the -bin -extension. ;) It's pretty much the same, but compiles an "all-around" kernel.
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exuberantmonkey
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2023 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK solved.

The windfarm options missing from the .config file generated by "make g5_defconfig" were the issue. These show up as CONFIG_WINDFARM_* in the .config file. With "make menuconfig", they are under Device Drivers ---> Macintosh device drivers, under New PowerMac thermal control infrastructure. Six thermal management options show up, and for some reason only 4 of the six are enabled by g5_defconfig (all six are enabled on the live CD). The enabled ones are iMac and four PowerMac #,# models, disabled are PowerMac G5 (AGP) and XServe G5.

I guess I have the PowerMac G5 (AGP) configuration. Rebuilt kernel with all those options enabled and now it runs quiet, with warm air still blowing out the back, being a G5.

It has been quite the adventure getting it right, but now this old klunker boots into a modern OS, and has Java 17. Sweet. Thank you for the various suggestions.
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