This procedure worked, except for two "minor" glitches:
1) I had to use the "DEBCONF_PRIORITY=medium" kernel parameter to
get the menu that allowed me to execute "continue without
bootloader" immediately after partitioning and formatting the disk
(i.e. *before* it attempted to install a bootloader.)
2) When it came time to reboot and run the configuration part, the
/etc/fstab file was empty so the reboot failed. I had to boot
single user and do
mount -o remount /dev/hdc8 /
to make root writeable. Then I edited /etc/fstab to know about my
root filesystem.
After that it all worked. (Of course, there were the usual minor
problems configuring video, but I expected that...)
Rick
Sven Luther wrote:
>
> On Tue, Mar 30, 2004 at 06:57:30PM -0500, Rick Thomas wrote:
> >
> > Is there some way to tell d-i to not try to install a boot
> > loader? I think that if I could get past that point, I
> > might be able to finish a sarge new d-i installation using
> > BootX as the boot loader.
>
> Yes, it fails and then you get dropped to the main menu, where you can
> chose continue without boot loader.
>
> This is a bug in debian installer which i hope is being worked on.
>
> > Here's what I think I'd need to do:
> >
> > 1) Install MacOS (8.x or 9.x) in an HFS (*not* HFS+)
> > partition.
> >
> > 2) Install BootX in that partition.
> >
> > 3) Get the kernel and initrd.gz from the latest nightly
> > build businesscard CD and put them in the appropriate
> > places in the system folder of the MacOS partition. Leave
> > the businesscard CD in the drive.
> >
> > 4) Run BootX to load that kernel and ram-disk.
> >
> > 5) Answer questions as appropriate.
> >
> > 6) I may have to tell it to install the HFS utilities
> > package "hfsutils"
> > (*or is HFS support compiled into the kernel???*)
> >
> > 6) When d-i gets to that point, partition the disk manually
> > being careful to leave the MacOS partition intact.
> >
> > 7) At some point inform d-i that I don't want it to
> > install a boot loader.
> > (*how???*)
>
> libd-i or yaboot or something bug. Maybe archdetect is involved too. Can
> you try going to the second console with alt+F2, and send the output of
> the archdetect command ?
>
> > 8) Pick a kernel package that is appropriate to the
> > hardware. Such as "kernel-image-2.4.25-powerpc-pmac"
>
> Should be automatic though.
>
> > 9) When it's all done with the first phase and wants to
> > reboot so it can run the configuration stuff, I switch to
> > the second virtual console and copy the kernel to the
> > appropriate place in the system folder of the MacOS
> > partition.
> >
> > 10) Switch back to the main console and allow it to reboot,
> > which will wind me up back in MacOS where I can tell BootX
> > about the new kernel and the location of the new root disk.
> >
> > 11) Let BootX load Linux.
> >
> > 12) Answer the configuration questions.
> >
> >
> > Will this work?
>
> It should, provided the bug above is fixed. If not, it can be worked
> around, or you could start the launch with a lower debconf priority. Try
> adding DEBCONF_PRIORITY=medium to the boot arguments.
>
> Friendly,
>
> Sven Luther
>
> --
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
