Does anyone know how I can cross-compile software for a 1999 iMac G3 with a PowerPC processor? Are there resources on how to develop for this CPU and is there any community around it?
this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2026
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I’ve been dabbling in C development for classic Mac OS when I’ve had some spare time over the past year. I’ve been doing it directly on my old Macs, a PowerMac G4 when I’m at my desk or a PowerBook G3 Lombard when I’m in the living room.
I’ve been using CodeWarrior as a compiler/IDE. For documentation I have a copy of Inside Macintosh in HTML format from an old Apple Developer CD, a copy of “A Hobbyist's Guide to Programming the Mac OS in C” in PDF format, and a program called “Toolbox Assistant” for quick reference. Occasionally using MacsBug as a debugger when I’m outside of the IDE. All of this can be found on Macintosh Garden or just Google.
edit: My focus has been more on utility-type applications but if you're more into games or something there are a bunch of books here with different focuses https://vintageapple.org/macprogramming/
That's an amazing library, thanks!