[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: debian on the 7200



erbenson@alaska.net said:
> 1) you can use ResEdit instead of a hex editor to change the config
> (though 
> this admittedly negates the usefullness of not just using bootX). Are
> there 

> that is what i mean, i don't consider editing it from MacOS an
> acceptable option for a GNU/Linux bootloader.  

true :-) but at least it would leave my linux bootability not at the mercy of 
my mac bootability (I break MacOS a little too often for that :-) even if I'm 
not totally mac-free.

> no idea, Dan says its not that hard. but modifying miboot to parse a
> text .conf is a more useful way to spend time IMO. (or writing a
> totally different oldworld bootloader, for which i have some ideas but
> no time nor programming skills required) 

true, how true. the question is what all is available to miBoot to use in the 
way of lib functions - I guess it must have file access though or it couldn't 
open the kernel :-)

> 2) I hear you can dual-boot using the old delete-option-command-shift
> or 'c' 

> command-option-shift-delete means bypass the internal DISK not just
> partitions. 

right - but if gnu/linux has it's own disk that makes it possible to 
dual-boot. Only sorta, but worth the mentioning.

> c means boot from the CDROM.  those are not very useful options. 

true, though I think it will boot from the disk connected where the CD used to 
be if you juggle connections (again, only would work for disks, not partitions)

> combos that cause macos to skip it's default boot partition and look
> for 
> others - in this case, it skips the miBoot one and goes on to search 
> (hopefully finding your real macos one). Never tried this.

> this will almost certainly not work.. see above

I have read it does if you have seperate disks (forgot to mention that 
requirement). Never tried though.

> interesting, BootX was just as unreliable (actually worse) on my
> newworld, i am quite glad that yaboot works and is supported.  

> i had to disable all extentions to get up to your 9 time out of 10
> crash.  otherwise it was 100 times out of 100 crash ;-)

I think it dislikes my Belkin PCI USB card... at least, that's the timeframe 
when it quit working (after I installed that card, it started breaking I think 
- not sure because I've always OF-booted unless I needed BootX to load a 
ramdisk or something). Never experimented too much more, as I got through the 
Debian install - pre-bootfloppies-working - and didn't need to load ramdisks 
anymore.

> I'm just been searching mailing lists for discussion of miBoot, so I
> thought 
> I'd toss out all that I've found...

> given macos' very predatory behaviour regarding `fake' systems miboot
> is not that great for dual boot situations (that and its inability to
> chain load)  

well, again, in my place, MacOS will tolerate miBoot if you give it a real 
'Finder' file. It lets you make linux and macos sepetate independent boots, at 
least, although it doesn't remove the requirement to own macos. fwiw, if one 
doesn't have a copy of macos to grab a 'Finder' file from why do one care 
about macos's 'predatory' handling of fake systems, and where did you get your 
mac rom for miBoot from? :-)

Actually, since I tried out System Disk (an apple util from Darwin to patch 
and configure OF, likely opensource though I haven't yet looked) my OF-boot 
(w/ quik) got lots more solid, so maybe I'll just leave it be :-)



Reply to: