# Install of FreeBSD 12 on Mac mini PowerPC



## JabbaNoLarky (May 20, 2019)

Hi all,

So I’m trying to bring some life back into my girlfriend’s old Mac. It’s a PowerPC G4. I was planning on installing lununtu but apparently Ubuntu and it’s flavours don’t support PowerPC anymore. Thankfully FreeBSD does!!
I managed to install FreeBSD with the PowerPC CD iso, but I don’t have an Ethernet connection...router is at the other side of the house relative to the office. 

So I’m trying to tether my iPhone to the Mac mini, but ifconfig doesn’t detect it, after I do the “ kldload if_ipheth “ command. But FreeBSD does show when the phone gets disconnected and connected to the computer:
“ugen3.2: Apple Inc. iPhone>at usbus3”

Not sure where to go from here. Should I just hook up my Linux netbook and try to share the connection? Maybe do an update then try again?

I was hoping tethering would work so that I can have a connection fairly easily when I come to update the computer. 

Thanks in advance.


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## johnblue (Jun 5, 2019)

JabbaNoLarky said:
			
		

> Not sure where to go from here.


Props to you for trying.  Sorry it did not work fully, but I would recommend that you donate the box to charity and go mow your grass.



Honestly, the thing is ancient.  Unless your cash flow is negative, you can get a reasonably priced used Dell Optiplex/Latitude (depending on your physical location on the planet, of course) off of craigslist that should give you zero problems.


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## SirDice (Jun 5, 2019)

JabbaNoLarky said:


> Thankfully FreeBSD does!!


Not entirely. PowerPC is a Tier 2 platform.


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## broozar (Jun 5, 2019)

Have you tried using one of those cheap USB to Ethernet adapters? whenever i am stuck with no internet on a machine, these little guys solve it most of the time.


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## Lamia (Jun 5, 2019)

broozar said:


> Have you tried using one of those cheap USB to Ethernet adapters? whenever i am stuck with no internet on a machine, these little guys solve it most of the time.


You're correct. They do great things and so are old wireless cards.


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