Re: Why yaboot is NOT for oldworld macs, Oldworld owners please read! (was Re: StarMax and yaboot...)
Ethan Benson wrote:
> On Tue, Jun 06, 2000 at 10:08:56AM -0400, Adam C Powell IV wrote:
> > Ethan Benson wrote:
> >
> > > 2) why you don't WANT to use yaboot on oldworld hardware:
> > > [snip] first let us go over the main complaints about quik:
> > >
> > > [snip]
> > > b) oldworld macs (with very few exceptions) lack the ability to
> > > interface with OF from the console, instead you must use a serial
> > > terminal:
> >
> > This is wrong. You just need to set the input device to the keyboard and
> > output device to the screen- in fact, this works on my StarMax 3000.
> > This
>
> most apple machines lack a video driver for OpenFirmware, so setting
> the screen variable does nothing, the 7200 - 8500 machines do not
> appear to support OF video (according to tests done by an aquaintence
> of mine) oldworld G3s i think do have a driver.
Wow, didn't realize how lucky I am. :-) In any case, this is relevant to the
original poster, who has a StarMax too.
> > can be done using the "Boot Variables" MacOS utility (which I got with
> > LinuxPPC R4 :-); is there a tool shipping with Debian that can set anything
> > besides the boot device?
>
> nvsetenv will change any variable.
>
> Usage: nvsetenv variable value
Cool. I'll try this a bit later, and contribute to the docs on this if I get a
chance. Maybe even an ncurses front-end matching Boot Variables' functions, or
debconf for quik? Other ideas? (To make it user-friendly.)
> > Also, if the installer knows the root partition, why can't it figure out the
> > boot-device parameter and set it automatically, as part of the "Make Linux
> > bootable" step? I know, "well then, write the patch," okay, someday. Just a
> > wishlist/suggestion, from someone who hasn't actually tried the boot
> > floppies, just heard that this step is necessary. :-)
>
> because there is no way to find out that
> /dev/hda3 == /yucky/openfirmware/device/path/ata/@0:0
>
> this would require kernel modifications becuase the kernel does not
> know either, and there is no reliable way to figure it out. every
> hardware is a bit different.
What about /proc/device-tree, which is copied from OF on boot? (I think that's the
name, I'm not at my home machine now.)
Zeen,
-Adam P.
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