My install on a G4 400 from internet Howto

[micha@kovoks.nl]

Short howto to install Debian on a G4 400 from the internet without floppy.
With much help from the pages from Adam Sjogren 
(http://www.koldfront.dk/staff/asjo/text/debian-ibook.html)

I'll tel how I did install Debian potato on a G4 400.

1. partition the harddisk. I made 4 partitions.
   1 - 32 MB for bootstrap (apple disktool couldn't create smaller) (hd:9)
   2 - 6 GB for MacOs (hd:10)
   3 - 1.5 GB for Data (hd:11)
   4 - 1.5 GB for Linux (hd:12)

2. Install the MacOs (9.0 in my case)

3. Get yaboot from http://ppclinux.apple.com/~benh/
   Get vmlinux from http://ppclinux.apple.com/~benh/

4. unstuff these files and put them in the root of the data disk

5. Get ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-powerpc/current/base2_2.tgz
   and put it in a folder debian -> dists -> potato -> main -> disks-powerpc
   -> current
   Get ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-powerpc/current/powermac/ramdisk.image.gz
   and put it in the root of the data disk.
   Get ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/potato/main/disks-powerpc/current/powermac/images-1.44/rescue.bin , root.bin and driver-1.bin
   and put it in a folder debian -> dists -> potato -> main -> disks-powerpc
   -> current -> powermac -> images-1.44

Now you've got all the files in the right places. Probably there are other options, but these files in these locations worked for me.

6. make a new textfile in the root of gegevens called yaboot.conf:
   
   delay=20
   image=hd:11,vmlinux-2.2.17pre13-ben1 # the vmlinux you've unstuffed
   label=vmlinux
   inird=hd:11,ramdisk.image.gz
   initrd-size=8192
   novideo


7. make a new textfile in the root of gegevens called bootinfo.txt

   <CHRP-BOOT>
   <COMPATIBLE>
   iMac,1 PowerMac1,1 PowerBook1,1 PowerMac2,1 PowerMac3,1 PowerBook2,1
   </COMPATIBLE>
   <DESCRIPTION>
   GNU/Linux-PPC Yaboot bootloader
   </DESCRIPTION>
   <BOOT-SCRIPT>
   " get-key-map" " keyboard" open-dev $call-method
   dup 20 dump
   5 + c@ 08 = if
     " Booting MacOS ..." cr " boot hd:10,\\:tbxi" eval
   else
     " Booting Yaboot ..." cr " boot hd:11,yaboot" eval
   then
   </BOOT-SCRIPT>
   </CHRP-BOOT>

8. It's time to reboot... Restart and hold option-apple-o-f to start 
   in OpenFirmware.

9. type the next on the commandline

   setenv boot-command boot
   setenv boot-file hd:11,\\bootinfo.txt
   setenv boot-device hd:11,\\bootinfo.txt
   boot

10. In my case the debian installer started and I was able to install debian.

11. Some catcha's
    - in the partition menu: delete partition 12 (the partition supposed to 
      hold linux) and create a new swap partition called swap. 
      Then create a new partition called Linux. Your rootpartion will 
      be /dev/hda13
      delete the partition /dev/hda9. Create a new partition with C. Call 
      it Bootstrap and the type is : Apple_Bootstrap
    - After installing edit /etc/yaboot.conf so it looks like:

        boot=/dev/hda9
        device=hd:
        timeout=20
        install=/boot/yaboot
        magicboot=/boot/ofboot.b

        image=/vmlinux
          label=Linux
          root=/dev/hda13
          read-only
          partition=13

      Run: mkofboot -b /dev/hda9 
      to install yaboot on the bootstrap partition
    - Reboot and hold option-apple-p-r to reset the changes in Open Firmware.
      When you boot Linux will be loaded. When you boot with the space holded 
      MacOs will be loaded.
    - for the mouse I used type 'imps2' for gpm and IMPS/2 for XF86Config.

I hope it will work for you.

Width kind regards,

Micha Kersloot (micha@kovoks.nl)