I have a Quad Core G5 (2005). I'd not turned it on in several years. I figured I'd see if I could do a more recent install. First thing I noticed was that it stopped chiming at boot though it still started up into openfirmware. I could boot the existing SLE install. I could run the latest ppc64 install (from USB) but it locked up during kernel boot (somewhere in networking). I came back to it today and now I'm running into lockups inside open firmware. I can be typing "set-defaults" or "boot cd:" .... and the machine will lockup after a couple of characters. After a short while the fans kick on at full speed which is usually sign of a lockup. I've tried opt-cmd-p-r, I hear it reset but it's 50/50 if it chimes again vs needing to power cycle. I swapped the 3v battery with a new one. I can still boot the installed SLE (on the SATA) but openfirmware is still totally unstable and randomly locks up mid command. No way I can do a reinstall. I've tried "reset-nvram" "set-defaults" "reset-all" and about 50% of the time the machine locks up either during the command or when trying to enter a subsequent command. "setenv auto-boot? false" either locks up or doesn't (based on subsequent boot and printenv) actually change the variable but if I boot into SLE and run the Linux "nvram" command I can change auto-boot and the machine does now reboot auto into openfirmware but oddly if I then run printenv I now have two columns of values, in first column auto-boot? is false and in the other true. Anyone seen similar? I'm not sure if it's possible to reflash low level firmware without a MacOS install? -- Tony Jones SUSE Kernel Performance Team