new to Mac, doing net install
First of all, I know next to nothing about MacOS or OpenFirmware.
I know my way around x86 Debian and embedded PowerPC Linux though.
Please correct any errors that you see.
I have a Mac Cube w/ DVD, and no way to make a CD-ROM. I could
connect the Mac to a PC via Ethernet or FireWire. This ought to
be enough to install Linux... yes?
(BTW, FireWire looks like a cheap 400 Mb/s net connection to me.)
So I guess I serve something (what?) to the Mac with TFTP, using
an IP address that I have to set in OpenFirmware.
Looking around at LinuxPPC stuff, it seems that I can't escape
keeping an HFS partition around. I find this odd, since I don't
need a FAT partition for x86 Linux. Don't people want to be free
of MacOS cruft? If this is about OpenFirmware knowing filesystem
layout, then doesn't that mean Apple would have to flash a new
OpenFirmware revision if MacOS were to run on non-HFS filesystems?
In the x86 world, we have a tool called FIPS that we can use to
resize a FAT partition. Anything like this for HFS?
I have the new-style video connector. In the 3x10 array of pins,
there are two (middle row, far from the wide pin) that stick out
farther than the others. Is this normal? Might it be a problem?
Say I need to update the firmware... is this likely, and would I
need to keep a non-MOL copy of MacOS around to do it?
Does MacOS have any odd partitioning requirements, such as being
the first or last OS on the disk?
I have an ATI Rage (Pro, 128, whatever...) video card and the
Cinema display. I've seen references to people needing to put
video mode values on the kernel command line. Do I need this?
That AirPort card slot... is that a regular PCMCIA/CardBus slot
where I might be able to put a second disk? Perhaps I could put
an Ethernet card there? (um, w/ hole in case for the cable)
The official 2.4.9 kernel is just how broken on a Mac? Do I just
patch a few lines or would I be getting into major surgery?
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