On 08/29/2012 07:58 PM, Rick Thomas wrote: > > On Aug 29, 2012, at 4:25 PM, Rick Thomas wrote: > >> >> I just tried booting a PowerMac G4 with the Wheezy installer image >> "built on 20120826-03:23" (details of where I downloaded it from, etc >> available on request). >> >> The G4 is a 32-bit machine, but it seems to be offering me the choices >> for a 64 bit machine. >> >> Before the "boot:" prompt it said (among other things) >> install 64-bit processor (G5 or POWER3/4/5/6/7) >> install32 32-bit processor (G4 or earlier) >> >> and when I entered <tab> at the "boot:" prompt I saw the list of options >> install expert rescue >> auto install32 expert32 >> rescue32 auto32 >>
At this point you can still type: install32 >> If I just hit <ret> at the "boot:" prompt it looks like it's trying to >> boot the 64-bit kernel, which (of course) fails on the G4. >> >> The only unusual thing about this is that I'm booting from a USB stick >> using Open Firmware, rather than from a physical CD-ROM. Should that >> make any difference? When you load yaboot binary directly from Open Firmware you are skipping blessed stage one boot loader script. That is making the difference. > > I just tried booting that installer from a physical CD-ROM on the G4. I > got the expected (32-bit) messages. > > So, I guess booting from a CD sets something in the OF environment that > isn't being set when booting from a USB stick? > By default, PowerPC Macs boot from a CD/DVD drive by loading an Apple specific blessed file located in an Apple_HFS partition. The blessed file is a stage one boot loader. It is a file containing Open Firmware commands that are figuring out whether they run on 32-bit or 64-bit machine, followed by a boot command that loads yaboot binary while passing appropriate arguments to it. If yaboot binary gets loaded without arguments it will offer both 64-bit and 32-bit options, but default to 64-bit. > > Is there a fix for this, or is it an un-common enough use-case to just > need to be documented as a limitation. > The on-screen instructions are correct. Thus, the manual could just say something like this: "When the machine boots, follow the on screen instruction." Milan -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-powerpc-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/503f0259.80...@physics.harvard.edu
