On Tue, Jun 06, 2000 at 10:08:56AM -0400, Adam C Powell IV wrote: > Ethan Benson wrote: > > > 2) why you don't WANT to use yaboot on oldworld hardware: > > [snip] first let us go over the main complaints about quik: > > > > [snip] > > b) oldworld macs (with very few exceptions) lack the ability to > > interface with OF from the console, instead you must use a serial > > terminal: > > This is wrong. You just need to set the input device to the keyboard and > output device to the screen- in fact, this works on my StarMax 3000. > This
most apple machines lack a video driver for OpenFirmware, so setting the screen variable does nothing, the 7200 - 8500 machines do not appear to support OF video (according to tests done by an aquaintence of mine) oldworld G3s i think do have a driver. > can be done using the "Boot Variables" MacOS utility (which I got with > LinuxPPC R4 :-); is there a tool shipping with Debian that can set anything > besides the boot device? nvsetenv will change any variable. Usage: nvsetenv variable value > This ability to use screen/kbd is nice for dual boot since you can choose the > OS from an OF prompt with out waiting for MacOS to boot for BootX. if your machine has a OF video driver, as i said most [1] do not. > Also, if the installer knows the root partition, why can't it figure out the > boot-device parameter and set it automatically, as part of the "Make Linux > bootable" step? I know, "well then, write the patch," okay, someday. Just a > wishlist/suggestion, from someone who hasn't actually tried the boot > floppies, just heard that this step is necessary. :-) because there is no way to find out that /dev/hda3 == /yucky/openfirmware/device/path/ata/@0:0 this would require kernel modifications becuase the kernel does not know either, and there is no reliable way to figure it out. every hardware is a bit different. [1] depending on what oldworld machines are most common, if starmax/oldworld G3 machines are then perhaps most is not correct, if however 7200 and 8500 class machines are more common then it is correct. -- Ethan Benson http://www.alaska.net/~erbenson/
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