QEMU PPC Command Line

Date: [17th Aug 2025]
Categories: [howto], [linux], [qemu]

These are short instructions to start a QEMU PPC PowerPC 32-Bit Emulation to install either Mac OS 9 or/til Mac OS 10.5. Maybe it is possible to emulate an iMac G3 to run Linux, e.g. Yellow Dog Linux or something newer like me before burning a CD-Rom.

Guest installation instructions

Mac OS 9.x to Mac OS X 10.4

Command-line options to install Mac OS:

./qemu-system-ppc -L pc-bios -boot d -M mac99 -m 512 -hda <hd image file> -cdrom <iso file of installation media>

Command-line options to run Mac OS:

./qemu-system-ppc -L pc-bios -boot c -M mac99 -m 512 -hda <hd image file>

Mac OS X 10.5

Command-line options to install Mac OS X 10.5:

 ./qemu-system-ppc -L pc-bios -boot d -M mac99,via=pmu -m 512 -hda <hd image file> -cdrom <iso file of installation media>

Command-line options to run Mac OS X 10.5:

 ./qemu-system-ppc -L pc-bios -boot c -M mac99,via=pmu -m 512 -hda <hd image file>

Hope this helps and see ya soon.

(via)