Re: d-i: 4.3. Preparing Files for USB Memory Stick Booting
On Wed, Apr 20, 2016 at 08:36:22AM +0200, Mathieu Malaterre wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 6:53 PM, Lennart Sorensen
> <lsorense@csclub.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
> > On Tue, Apr 19, 2016 at 12:16:27PM +0200, Mathieu Malaterre wrote:
> >> Does anyone knows what happen to section:
> >>
> >> 4.3. Preparing Files for USB Memory Stick Booting
> >>
> >> in the powerpc install guide ?
> >>
> >> I see it alright from here:
> >>
> >> https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch04.html.en
> >
> > Well that's x86_64 so totally different thing.
> >
> >> but not from here:
> >>
> >> https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/powerpc/ch04.html.en
> >>
> >> AFAIK USB booting works from powerpc system (at least some that I tried).
> >>
> >> Also I see reference to powerpc in the raw XML file:
> >>
> >> http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/d-i/trunk/manual/en/install-methods/boot-usb-files.xml?view=markup
> >>
> >> Comments ?
> >
> > You could try to follow the older instructions and it might work:
> >
> > https://www.debian.org/releases/etch/powerpc/ch05s01.html.en
> >
> > Section 5.1.3 says newworld mac booting from USB. It has to be done
> > manually from openfirmware though, so it is probably the most complicated
> > boot method there is.
> >
> > It also had a warning that it might not work. Maybe it was removed from
> > newer release's documentation for a reason.
>
> That was precisely my point: why did it got removed ? And if so why is
> the upstream (raw) XML still referencing the USB boot mechanism for
> powerpc ?
>
> > The instructions from Ubuntu might work too:
> > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ#How_do_I_boot_from_a_USB_drive.3F
>
> Neat it contains some more extra information I was not aware, thanks !
>
> I did follow:
>
> https://lists.debian.org/debian-powerpc/2012/08/msg00042.html
>
> and it works for me, on a Mac Mini G4 (PPC).
>
> Full steps:
>
> # wget http://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/8.4.0/powerpc/iso-cd/firmware-8.4.0-powerpc-netinst.iso
> # wget http://ftp.nl.debian.org/debian/dists/jessie/main/installer-powerpc/current/images/powerpc/hd-media/boot.img.gz
> # zcat boot.img.gz > /dev/sdb
> # sync
> [manually eject + plug USB drive again]
> # cp firmware-8.4.0-powerpc-netinst.iso /media/mathieu/bootable
> drive/shortname.iso
>
> [reboot + press and hold cmd/option/o/f]
>
> > boot usb1/disk@1:2,\\yaboot
> [some silly warning that partition cannot be read]
> boot: install
I think maybe the 2 should be a 1 for the partition. Not certain.
> done !
>
> The only tricky part was that the name
> 'firmware-8.4.0-powerpc-netinst.iso' is a bit too long for HFS (AFAIK)
> and the file extension was *.si instead of *.iso which is an issue for
> the debian installer (hence the need for a shorter name on the USB
> disk).
>
> I'll make an installation-reports bug report for stretch and ask for
> the documentation clarification from there.
Well checking the iso powerpc image, it has a partition table and yaboot
is there, so I think the hd-media step is not needed. I think you can
just write the iso to the usb key and it would work just as well.
--
Len Sorensen
Reply to: