I'm forwarding this to debian-powerpc, they are probably better able to comment on this and help you then I am. Wichert. Previously Stephan Schwerzmann wrote: > > Hi Debian-people, > > I'm about to resushitate (not sure whether this's a > correct English word :-) some not so new computers > of different CPU architecture and I thought it would > be worth giving it a try in loading Debian GNU/Linux > on them. (1xP100 + some 68k Macs) > > Doing so I stumbled (but not failed...) right on the > first steps. Let me tell you the details: > > My base equipment on which I do my everyday stuff is > a PowerMac7300 with MacOS. (Allthough I feel close to > home also on other HW - I earn my daily bread as a > SW-developer on air traffic control systems) > With this I browsed thru www.debian.org teaching me > the install steps and downloading the floppy image > files from ftp.debian.org (and mirrors). > > You Debian people are so kind to not only provide > the image files but also the rawrite2.exe tool to bring > them onto the floppy media. > > Exactly here comes the problem I had: for now I have > no platform ready to run either rawrite2.exe or to run dd onto. > > I cannot imagine that it's unavoidable to load ugly > DOS or WinXY onto a virgin target machine (or to explicitly > lend one for this pourpose) plus configure and fiddle with either > networking or serial com just to get the Debian install > floppies ready for the first steps! > (of course I could use some mini, single floppy Linux > distrib like Trinux or LRP, but that's a bit tricky for the > 'first time user') > > I have suggestions to facilitate 'greenhorns' coming from > MacLand that are curious about Debian Linux: > - the easiest way would be to post the floppy image files > not only as raw images but also as Apple Disk Copy files. > Every Mac user can take this utility from his MacOS install > CD, so there is not even a need to provide this tool > on the Debian ftp site. > - some smart guy (what are you looking at me?) could 'port' > rawrite2.exe or dd to the MacOS so it would run native > giving the possibility to use the same raw floppy image files. > Well, this possibility is not as cheap (in term of effort) > as the former. > - out on the net there exist some NFSd for the MacOS, this > would allow for net-installing Debian Linux onto the target > machine. You agree with me that this might be a bit tricky > too for the 'first time user'. > > I look forward that you agree with me that my first proposition > is the simplest one (it's no more than to convert and upload a > bunch of additional files) and gives easy potential to 'greenhorns' > from MacLand interested in Debian Linux. > > Finally I have to be frank, I nevertheless managed to get > the raw image files onto floppies. VirtualPC+DOS helped me to > do the rawrite2.exe trick; but I only have a hijacked versions > of them that I keep for such disgusting (load DOS) "dirty > emergency maneuvers" so don't tell around too loud :-) > > > Greetings > Stephan -- ============================================================================== This combination of bytes forms a message written to you by Wichert Akkerman. E-Mail: wichert@cs.leidenuniv.nl WWW: http://www.wi.leidenuniv.nl/~wichert/
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