Re: Testers on PowerMac needed - overwriting the boot-device in NVRAM
On 3/25/22 03:43, John Paul Adrian Glaubitz wrote:
Hello!
I would like to ask users running Debian on a real PowerMac machine (G3, G4, G5 etc)
to help me verify a theory on the boot mechanism.
.
.
.
As root, run:
root@ibook-g4:~# nvram --print-config=boot-device
/pci@f4000000/ata-6@d/@0:2,\\:txbi
root@ibook-g4:~# nvram --update-config boot-device=""
root@ibook-g4:~# nvram --print-config=boot-device
root@ibook-g4:~# reboot
If your machine still comes up after changing "boot-device" to zero, we know that
it's safe to drop the NVRAM part from the grub-installer script for PowerMacs.
From the "better late than never" department I have a PowerMac G5 "quad"
which runs great. Or at least it once did :
enceladus#
enceladus# nvram --print-config
"common" Partition
---------------------
little-endian?=false
real-mode?=false
auto-boot?=true
diag-switch?=false
fcode-debug?=false
oem-banner?=false
oem-logo?=false
use-nvramrc?=false
use-generic?=false
default-mac-address?=false
scroll-lock=true
skip-netboot?=false
real-base=-1
real-size=-1
load-base=0x800000
virt-base=-1
virt-size=-1
logger-base=-1
logger-size=-1
pci-probe-mask=-1
screen-#columns=100
screen-#rows=40
selftest-#megs=0
boot-volume=3
gmt-offset=0
boot-device=/ht@0,f2000000/pci@9/k2-sata-root@c/@0/@0:2,\powerpc-ieee1275\core.elf
boot-file=
boot-screen=screen
console-screen=screen
diag-device=enet
diag-file=,diags
input-device=keyboard
output-device=screen
input-device-1=/ipc
output-device-1=/ipc
mouse-device=mouse
oem-banner=
oem-logo=
nvramrc=
boot-command=mac-boot
default-client-ip=
default-server-ip=
default-gateway-ip=
default-subnet-mask=
default-router-ip=
boot-script=
aapl,pci=
boot-args=
aapl,tdm-units=
ram-size=0x28000000
boot-once=
boot-last-label=Linux
enceladus# cd
enceladus# nvi nvram.dat
enceladus#
enceladus#
enceladus#
enceladus#
enceladus# nvram --print-config=boot-device
/ht@0,f2000000/pci@9/k2-sata-root@c/@0/@0:2,\powerpc-ieee1275\core.elf
enceladus#
enceladus# nvram --update-config boot-device=""
enceladus#
enceladus# nvram --print-config=boot-device
enceladus#
enceladus# reboot
Connection to enceladus closed by remote host.
Connection to enceladus closed.
Then the machine DOES NOT boot.
I see :
Welcome to GRUB!
error: symbol `grub_disk_native_sectors' not found.
grub rescue>
Then, of course, the fans being their full speed noises.
So, any ideas on what to type at that prompt?
--
Dennis Clarke
RISC-V/SPARC/PPC/ARM/CISC
UNIX and Linux spoken
GreyBeard and suspenders optional
--
Dennis Clarke
RISC-V/SPARC/PPC/ARM/CISC
UNIX and Linux spoken
GreyBeard and suspenders optional
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