Re: Testing GRUB from other distros.
I managed to re-install openSUSE, still without success.
This time I used the NET install image of Tumbleweed instead of the DVD.
While trying this image I discovered by chance that the hang at boot was
due to a failed attempt to mount a partition where OpenSUSE was
previously installed.
After creating a new MS-DOS partition table I was able to boot the
installer again.
This NET image was also more comfortable to work with, because this time
fans were spinning slowly. Last time I installed OpenSUSE fans were
spinning very loudly at maximum.
I have to say that since the first installation I also upgraded RAM
memory, so I am not sure if the fan spinning is related to the NET image
or something else... sorry for the multiple variables in these tests...
Anyway, this time I performed manual partitioning.
The installer give the possibility to format an hard drive by using
either GPT or MS-DOS formatting tables.
Given that the first (unsuccessful) install was done by GPT, this time I
used MS-DOS.
I mimicked the layout suggested by the automatic (GPT) partition scheme
and ended up with the following configuration:
/dev/sdb1 PReP-Boot (unmounted/unformatted)
/dev/sdb2 EXT2 /boot
/dev/sdb3 Swap swap
/dev/sdb4 BtrFS /
This is how it looks like on fdisk:
Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1 * 2048 18431 16384 8M 41 PPC PReP Boot
/dev/sdb2 18432 542719 524288 256M 83 Linux
/dev/sdb3 542720 1591295 1048576 512M 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb4 1591296 320173055 318581760 151,9G 83 Linux
After install I was unable to boot OpenSUSE. Openfirmware is unable to
open the partitions.
In conclusion, OpenSUSE's installer does not give the possibility to set
up an apple partition table.
It also does not give the possibility to create a bootstrap partition.
I think that this port is not conceived for apple-macs.
All this made me think about some time ago when I installed OpenBSD in
this same machine.
OpenBSD can be run by formatting the hard drive either with HFS
partitioning or MBR partitioning [1].
Maybe I should try to install the contents of /boot in a FAT/MS-DOS
partition?
Would it even make sense?
Regards
F.
[1] https://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/6.4/macppc/INSTALL.macppc
(search for the word "MBR" in this text file to read about the booting
setups)
Il 07/03/19 10:09, aggaz ha scritto:
> To be clearer, Fedora's GRUB did work too. I was able to boot the
> CD-image and I saw GRUB starting kernel/initrd, but this boot step failed.
> So, as a matter of fact, GRUB as a loader for the kernels from the
> CD-images always worked.
> I can try Fedora with the CD image burned on an actual CD, but I
> honestly do not expect any change.
>
> Regarding OpenSUSE, the problem is at the step regarding drivers
> initialization. The boot process always hangs when trying to load the
> driver "ssb", that in my understanding has something to do with the
> Broadcom WiFi interface. I do not understand why the installer was able
> to start this driver at first and now it does not.
> I also tried to exclude this driver by appending the line
> "brokenmoddules=ssb" to GRUB's kernel line as suggested by the installer
> itself, without improvements.
>
> Errata corrige: the line to boot ISOs from OpenFirmware was:
> "boot ud:,\\:tbxi"
> and not:
> "boot hd:,\\:tbxi".
>
>
> Regards.
> A.
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