[DuoList] Basic OS X questions (yes I searched archives!)

[Dave Schmenk]

>Hello all,
>
>I'm thinking about installing OS X on a Newer G3/240/512kb machine
>with 112mb RAM.  After scouring the archives, I still have a few
>unanswered questions:
>
>1. Is there any build that people have found to be the best balance
>between usability/speed and compatibility?
>
>2. Do PCMCIA cards work, or don't they?  Some reports claim they do,
>others claim they don't, yet others claim only Cardbus.  What's the
>real deal people?
>
>3. Can I set the display to use more than 8bit/256 colors?
>
>4. Is there a benchmark on bootup time?
>
>5. Has the sound only at maximum problem been fixed in XPF yet?
>
>6. What's the deal with using 802.11b in OS X?  Does it work
>decently/at all without major hassle?
>
>7. If I have an external and ancient 2x Apple SCSI CD-ROM, can I use
>the OS X install disc and still install it without removing the hard
>drive from my machine?
>
>8. Any other comments about this or heads up I should be aware of? 
>I'd honestly like to use this for everyday use and feel like if I get
>a USB Pc card and a wifi/ethernet card, I'd be essentially good to go
>for my purposes (word processing, minor web browsing/e-mail/instant
>messenging, MAYBE music(mp3s))
>
>Thanks a ton people, I GREATLY appreciate your wise experience!
>
>Morris
>
>
>  
>
Morris-
I also wanted to install OSX on my 2400c, but after looking into all the 
issues with graphics and power management, I decided against it (not to 
mention I only had a 180 MHz 603).  I opted for Linux, Debian in 
particular.  The testing version has very good support for the PPC and 
Powerbooks.  I understand that  Ubuntu Linux (www.ubuntulinux.org) is 
the current darling of Debian based distros that are easier to install.  
With the proper configuration I have fully accelerated X at 16 bpp, and 
power management (including sleep) works.  There are many options for 
WiFi, and Cardbus works if the hardware hack is enabled.  The only 
issues I currently have is that I need to eject my Cardbus USB card 
before sleeping, and the screen dimmer button causes the video to switch 
to a funky mode that can be easily fixed by switching to a virtual 
terminal and back.  My el-cheapo Prism2 based PCMCIA 802.11b card sleeps 
and wakes up fine.

In order to feel connected to OSX in some way, I run the WindowMaker 
window manager with its dock applets.  This gives the look and feel of 
NextStep, the precursor to OSX, and is light weight enough for such  
minmal hardware.

I run OS X on a 333 MHz Lombard w/ 384 MB and find that a little weak.  
Although my 2400c only has 80 MB, I find it can run Firefox and 
Thunderbird with a teminal stuck in there for good measure.  I haven't 
attempted any MP3s though.  I would think your G3 and 112 MB would 
handle Linux nicely.  Perhaps not quite as cool as OS X, but a lot more 
funtional.

Just another option,

    Dave...