Re: Can't install, no KBD (G4 Cube)
On 12/7/05, Rich Johnson <rjohnson@dogstar-interactive.com> wrote:
>
> On Dec 7, 2005, at 12:27 PM, Hans Ekbrand wrote:
> >>
> >> So, yeah, I'd say it doesn't provide a clear description.
> >
> > Here a draft on the possiblities involved. If my understanding of the
> > issues are correct, the installation manual needs some extensive
> > rewriting.
> >
> > There are three different stages A, B and C, that can be loaded by
> > different means:
> >
> > A. How to *start* the debian-installer?
> >
> > 1. Boot from removable media that has an installer-image on its boot
> > block (e.g. CDROM, floppy, usb)
> > 2. Use a bootloader from within a existing operating system (yaboot,
> > BootX, penguin)
> > 2b. (possible, but not very common) Use a native bootloader (yaboot,
> > grub, lilo) installed on harddisk)
> > 3. Netboot (pxe or other methods gets a bootloader by dhcp and tftp)
> > (pxelinux or yaboot loads (by tftp) the kernel and initrd needed)
> >
> > B. From where is the debian-installer to get its *own modules*
> > (needed for its own functioning)?
> >
> > 1. From the removable media (CDROM or usb) that started the debian-
> > installer at boot
> > 2. From .iso-file on local harddisk (Filesystem must be readable by
> > the debian-installer, which exludes HFS+)
> > 3. From the net (internet or local debian-mirror)
>
> Oh, I get that all right. Where you lose me is the rationale for
> the bootstrap/installer being incomplete in the first place. What's
> preventing the a complete set of debian-installer modules from
> residing on the ram-disk--as it did with the woody installer?
Woah, that's a dreadful change. I'm glad I installed years ago
and haven't trashed the system yet. I could not install today
if I had to start fresh.
Back when I installed (on a Mac Cube even), I placed the kernel
and ramdisk on an HFS+ partition along with yaboot. I didn't have
a good plan for installing, because there was no DOCUMENTED
way to make things work. Just to try out the kernel, I went into
OpenFirmware and guessed at cryptic undocumented FORTH
syntax until the kernel started. The NetBSD documentation was
critical to my success. To my shock, the kernel didn't halt with
the expected VFS message about being unable to mount root.
So, having unexpectedly entered the installer, I installed.
BTW, video didn't work. I had to specify an OpenFirmware
framebuffer console until I managed to find an UNDOCUMENTED
video setting for my /etc/yaboot.conf file:
append="video=aty128fb:vmode:22"
No, I don't think my mom could install this, and she's not dumb.
> In short there are three perfectly reasonable ways to resolve the
> situation:
> 1. A complete ram-disk -- everything loaded by the bootstrap from
> whatever source is selected in A.
Yes, this worked great before.
> 2. Kernel supports whatever filesystem is likely to be present on
> the bootstrap source (including HFS+)
In this case, UFS should be supported too. Finding the correct
device and partition could be rough. The first fix is way better.
> 3. Installer is _always_ provides a path for fetching module from
> the network.
I'd hate to rely on this alone.
Reply to: