graphics card for PowerPC G5 and debian-6.0.3-ppc

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 08:06:26PM +0100, wrote:

I have debian-6.0.3-ppc installed on a PowerMac G5.

The graphics card used is a ATI Radeon 9600 AP (AGP)
with one backward key(1.5V key).

The board has one AGP slot; and 3 PCI slots (length ~125 mm).

1. Is it possible to use a Radeon HD 5450 PCI card with
debian-6.0.3-ppc?

2. Is it possible to use a GeForce 6800GT AGP card with
debian-6.0.3-ppc? This card has one backward key(1.5V key)
like the ATI Radeon 9600.

3. Must I buy a completely other card?

My understanding is that you need a card with Mac compatible firmware
on it. A PC card will not work. There are people that have managed to
modify the firmware on PC cards to make them work in Macs, but I have
no idea where to get info on doing that.

Len Sorensen


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On Mit, 2012-02-15 at 14:18 -0500, Lennart Sorensen wrote:

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 08:06:26PM +0100, wrote:
> I have debian-6.0.3-ppc installed on a PowerMac G5.
>
> The graphics card used is a ATI Radeon 9600 AP (AGP)
> with one backward key(1.5V key).
>
> The board has one AGP slot; and 3 PCI slots (length ~125 mm).
>
> 1. Is it possible to use a Radeon HD 5450 PCI card with
> debian-6.0.3-ppc?
>
> [...]

My understanding is that you need a card with Mac compatible firmware
on it. A PC card will not work.

For Radeons, that's only true for older cards without ATOM BIOS,
basically anything older than Radeon X1xxx. So this shouldn't be a
problem for a Radeon HD 5450, but there might be other issues, e.g. the
drivers in the stable release might be too old to properly support that
card.


Earthling Michel Dànzer | http://www.amd.com
Libre software enthusiast | Debian, X and DRI developer


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On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 09:58:40AM +0100, Michel Dànzer wrote:

For Radeons, that's only true for older cards without ATOM BIOS,
basically anything older than Radeon X1xxx. So this shouldn't be a
problem for a Radeon HD 5450, but there might be other issues, e.g. the
drivers in the stable release might be too old to properly support that
card.

I wouldn't have thought they made AGP cards of anything that new.

I also don't see how a powermac would have a working startup screen and
boot loader and such if it didn't know how to initialize the video card,
hence the likely need for a mac specific version of the card.

Sure you might be able to get X running once booted, but its easier to
work on a system with working graphics during the entire boot (yes I
know you can probably use a serial console on a lot of the powermacs if
you had to).

Len Sorensen


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On Don, 2012-02-16 at 10:19 -0500, Lennart Sorensen wrote:

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 09:58:40AM +0100, Michel Dànzer wrote:
> For Radeons, that's only true for older cards without ATOM BIOS,
> basically anything older than Radeon X1xxx. So this shouldn't be a
> problem for a Radeon HD 5450, but there might be other issues, e.g. the
> drivers in the stable release might be too old to properly support that
> card.

I wouldn't have thought they made AGP cards of anything that new.

He was asking about a PCI card.

I also don't see how a powermac would have a working startup screen and
boot loader and such if it didn't know how to initialize the video card,
hence the likely need for a mac specific version of the card.

Sure you might be able to get X running once booted, but its easier to
work on a system with working graphics during the entire boot (yes I
know you can probably use a serial console on a lot of the powermacs if
you had to).

You're right, although with KMS, console will work as soon as the radeon
kernel module is loaded (which can happen very early, e.g. via initrd).
But that still won't help if ther display is needed before that.


Earthling Michel Dànzer | http://www.amd.com
Libre software enthusiast | Debian, X and DRI developer


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On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 05:09:14PM +0100, Michel Dànzer wrote:

He was asking about a PCI card.

PCI and AGP. But not PCIe. Not too many options for PCI and AGP anymore.

You're right, although with KMS, console will work as soon as the radeon
kernel module is loaded (which can happen very early, e.g. via initrd).
But that still won't help if ther display is needed before that.

It just might be. I wouldn't consider it fully working if it didn't.

Len Sorensen


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