Re: A little trick to install Pre05 on PowerPC

[Finn-Arne Johansen <faj@bzz.no>]

Peter Voigt wrote:
> Pre05 does not boot on powerpc. A little workaround helps. 
> 
> All you need is a (standard) debian installation-cd.

When I finnaly got my hands on a mac-mini, I found the same. I've asked
for help on how to make the cd bootable for mac's, and I got some
pointers. I hope to test the new image withing a couple of days.

> Workaround
> ----------
> 
>   (tested on mac mini)
>  
>   First boot the (standard) debian installation-cd (holding the 
>   key 'c' on power-on, until the boot starts).
> 
>   On the first screen type 'expert video=ofonly', then 'enter'.

Why is this necesarry ? I was able to boot a testing cd with no problem
on the mac-mini. Is this an issue for the sarge-install cd ?

>   Go on with normal (expert-mode) installation, until you finished 
>   "detect and mount cdrom".
> 
>   Go to the second console (with Strg-Alt-F2). 
> 
>   Type 'umount cdrom', then 'Enter'. 
> 
>   Type 'eject', then 'Enter'. 
> 
>   Put the debian-cd out.
> 
>   Put the pre05 in.
> 
>   Go back to the first console (with 'Strg-Alt-F1').
> 
>   Repeat the point 'detect an mount cdrom'.
> 
>   Continue the installation in the expert-mode. 
> 
> Thats all.
> 
> 
> Bugreport
> ---------
> 
> The bios of the powerpc cannot see the yaboot-installer. Check, what
> the (so called) open firmware sees:
> 
>   Put the pre05 in
> 
>   Start openfirmware (holding the four keys 'Apple' 'Alt' 'O' 'F' 
>   simultanously on power-on and wait, until you see the open firmware
>   welcome text)
> 
>   Type 'dir cd:\INSTALL\', then 'ENTER'
> 
> ....
> YABOOT.;1 RR NM PX TF
> YABOOT.CON;1 RR NM PX TF
> ....
> 
> Compare this with the (standard) debian installation-cd:
> 
>   Type 'eject cd', then 'Enter'
> 
>   Put the pre05 out
> 
>   Put the (standard) debian installation-cd in
> 
>   Type 'dir cd:\install\', then 'Enter'
> 
> ....
> 194740  11/26/2004  04:20:33  Boot UNIX  yaboot
>   2602  06/08/2005  00:12:15  conf UNIX  yaboot.conf
> ....
> 
> It is not possible to manually start yaboot. For example
> 
>   Type 'boot cd:\INSTALL\YABOOT.;1', then 'Enter'
> 
> and yaboot starts, but will not find it's conffile. 
> Yaboots looks for 'yaboot.conf', but there is only 'YABOOT.CON;1'.
> 
> On this way you will reach the yaboot-prompt, but you will not
> have preconfigured defaults. You cannot boot the kernel. 
> If you try
> 
>   Type 'cd:0,\INSTALL\POWERPC\VMLINUX', then 'Enter'
> 
> you will get the message '.... :not a valid ELF image'. It doesn't 
> matter to add the spezification of the initrd.
> 
> Hope, it helps you to find the bug. Could be, the parameters for
> mkisofs were wrong. 

-- 
Finn-Arne Johansen
faj@bzz.no http://bzz.no/
Debian-edu Developer