RFC: [powerpc] fixing quik-installer

[Daniel Dickinson <alemc.2@bmts.com>]

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I plan on fixing quik-installer so that it actually works (apparently
it currently never works).  This would involve modifying the
openfirmware variables for the boot device, as well as the of variables
for console.  The reason I'm requesting comments, is that it would mean
using d-i could result in a system that won't boot *anything* until you
open the case and reset the nvram.  

For i386 people: OpenFirmware is like the BIOS, and the present
situation is like a BIOS that defaults to a serial console, and which
can be modified in userspace. There are two basic solutions:

1) Modify OF (the BIOS) in the quik-installer step
2) Ignore the OF console and use our own i/o routines

   1) For the input-device/output-device variables using fbcon would fix
      the lack of kernel and boot messages without touching of
      variables, but you still wouldn't be able see the quik 'boot:'
      prompt. (for i386 people, quik is like LILO,).  I'm not sure if
      quik is capable of using it's own fb-like console, or if it
      requires the use of the OF console.

   2) The boot-device is more problematic.  The default (using Apple's
       ROM to boot), doesn't check the master boot record, which is
       where quik lives.  That means either modifying yaboot to work
       with old world macs, or modifying the OF boot-device variable.
       This latter option can be tricky to get right, and if d-i get
       the boot-device wrong the mac will be unbootable (until you open
       the case, disconnect the ac and battery, hit cuda and power for
       10s each, wait at least 15min reconnect the battery, hit cuda
       again, connect ac, and you're back to factory defaults,
       including the clock)

I'm looking at working on the latter option (it's probably easier than
modifying yaboot, which I know little about), but because of it's
potential problems, I wanted to run it by you first.

Maybe it'd be okay with a big scary warning and a pointer the manual
section that I'd add with how to recover (basically the above not on
resetting nvram, only prettier and more verbose, and with pointers to
other web pages with cuda/nvram info)

Cheers,

Daniel

- -- 
And that's my crabbing done for the day.  Got it out of the way early, 
now I have the rest of the afternoon to sniff fragrant tea-roses or 
strangle cute bunnies or something.   -- Michael Devore

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