The following are brief notes from the installation of Ubuntu Linux 4.10 (Warty) with the 2.6.8.1-5-powerpc kernel on a dual-USB white iBook G3 (2002).
Installer: No problems; hardware detected, straightforward instructions
Booting: No problems; dual booting works; bootloader config file is /etc/yaboot.conf
Security: No problems; default install seems secure enough, though I removed nfs; root disabled by default, use sudo instead, add other sudo users with sudo visudo; run apt-get update && apt-get upgrade after install to get security fixes; apt-get install iptables installed iptables (firewall) with no problems, but why isn't this (and a GUI frontend) in the default install?
Graphics/X: No problems; default resolution mode of 1024x768 and depth of 24 in X; GNOME display manager
Keyboard: No problems; brightness and volume controls work (pbbuttonsd); switch out of X with ctrl-option-fn-F1, between consoles with option-leftarrow and option-right-arrow, and back to X with option-F7
Mouse: No problems; mouse device is /dev/input/mice; remapped 2nd/3rd mouse buttons from F11 and F12 to F10 and F11 by specifying codes 68 and 87 in /etc/sysctl.conf; mouse support worked in console after apt-get install gpm; turn on/off trackpadd tapping with trackpad [no]tap
Ethernet: No problems; functional DHCP config by default (config file is /etc/network/interfaces)
Battery: No problems; handy battery monitor disable; not as much battery life as in OS X, but not that much worse
Suspend/Sleep: Fixed problems; failed to wake from sleep, fixed by following instructions at http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-2368.html
Temperature: Minor problems; hard drive runs hotter than I would like, apt-get install hddtemp to monitor temperature, tweaked /etc/hdparm.conf
AirPort (not Extreme): Minor problems; worked fine on my non-WEP wireless network; failed to associate with a WEP network when specifying key via iwconfig (problem not ubuntu-specific)
VPN: No problems; apt-get install vpnc to install, vpnc-connect to connect, vpnc-disconnect to disconnect
Modem: Unresolved problems; tried hcfsubmodem module (not in standard kernel), built module with some work, but system crashed when module loaded, gave up
Printing: No problems; cups is installed by default, configure via Computer -> System Configuration -> Printing or /etc/cups/printers.conf.
USB Camera: No problems; plugged in the camera, opened gThumb, and imported photos
Sound: No problems; volume controls on keyboard work
CD-ROM: No problems; eject tray with eject; mount with mount /dev/cdrom /cdrom
CD Burning: Not tested; cdrecord installed by default though
DVD: Not tested
Mac-on-Linux: Minor problems; installed with no problems following instructions at http://www.ubuntulinux.org/wiki/MacOnLinuxHowto, can access OS X files and run OS X apps, but AirPort in Mac-on-Linux doesn't work
Samba (filesharing) client: Not tested; smbclient and GUI equivalent in default install, should work
(Last modified March 6, 2005)