developerWorks: Mad Mac Mini Multimedia Machine, Part 1: Load Linux on the Mac Mini

“This short series of articles shows you how to take a
conveniently inexpensive, high-end PowerPC platform (specifically,
an Apple Mac mini) and build it into a home multimedia appliance
using Linux. At the end of the series, you’ll have a stand-alone
device that can play slide shows of images, audio, and movies, and
that is controlled and administered from another machine using a
standard Web browser.

“The PowerPC platform is very well-suited to this type of
multimedia application, and the G4 with AltiVec used in the Mac
mini is an exceptionally powerful and flexible choice. This first
article introduces you to the hardware’s capabilities and walks you
through installing and configuring Yellow Dog Linux so you can
delve into some application code in the next article…”

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