external scsi OF boot questions
Hi, I'm new to linux and have just received the 2.2 CDs and have
successfully installed it on my rev a B&W G3. My goal is for a normal
boot to load Mac OS 9.0.4 which resides on my internal HD and
alternately be able to boot linux which is installed on my external SCSI
ORB drive attached to my Adaptec 2930U pci card by holding down
shift-command-option-delete.
I want to do this because my internal HD is only 6GB and I don't have
room to partition it and I don't want to buy a bigger HD yet if I can
keep from it. Also the rev a G3 doesn't have the ability to add a second
ide internal drive like the rev b does.
First of all I'd like confirmation that what I'm trying to do as
described above is possible.
I can boot linux fine when I boot into OF and use the command:
boot /pci@80000000/pci-bridge@d/ADPT,2930CU@4/@0:4,\\yaboot
However, when I try to get it to boot automatically by holding down
shift-command-option-delete I can see the access light flicker very
briefly every few seconds as if it's probing the ORB drive but nothing
ever happens. I just get the standard flashing folder "?" icon on the
Mac screen as if it's still looking for an eligible boot partition or
system folder.
It's getting quite tiring booting into OF and typing that long boot
command every time that I want to boot linux. Which brings me to my next
problem. I've been unsuccessful in my attempts to add an OF devalias.
Here what happens:
setenv use-nvramrc? true
nvalias sd /pci@80000000/pci-bridge@d/ADPT,2930CU@4/@0
nvstore
At which point if gives me the following error message:
nvramrc not valid
I've tried this at least a half dozen times and the results have been
the same each time. Anyone know what's going on here?
One other question. What's the difference between mkofboot and ybin?
They are the same program as far as I can tell but does it do something
different depending on whether it was invoked using ybin as opposed to
mkofboot? It's a little confusing because the install docs talk about
mkofboot in one paragraph then ybin shortly thereafter as if you need to
use both to prepare your bootstrap partition. Can someone set me
straight on that please?
Before I close just let me say a big that you to everyone that has
worked on the debian project and the powerpc port in particular. This
stuff looks great!
Michael W. Wheeler, mww@tntech.edu, OpenVMS, Windows NT, and Macintosh
Systems Support, News, & WWW Administrator, Tennessee Technological
University
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