Re: [nottingham] debian on PowerPC 7200

From: Paul Sladen (notlug@paul.sladen.org)
Date: Fri 23 Nov 2001 - 06:31:11 GMT


On Fri, 23 Nov 2001, Guangyue Liu wrote:

> But i cannot restart the installation program. The machine simply won't
> boot linux

Best recollections tell me that the mac boot PROM relies on having an extra
`funky' disk partition for the booting process.

> it makes a loud noise "boing-ing-ing..."

This is in the prom -- you can make it make a different `boong' sound if you
boot it, with *both* the restart and the `devoloper' hardware buttons held
down. (The dev botton is the one with the triangle, it causes a hardware
interrupt which can be used to drop to a debugger etc)....

ooh things to do for a rainy day ;-)...

> As a newbie I can't do much with it anyway. I saw on some Web sites that
> I can execute some wired commands to make the machine boot,

Depending how recent the machine is -- the difference is that New-World mac
proms are *much* easier to get into... and do net-booting -- The PowerMacs
have OpenSomething, which is a ripoff of the forth-based BIOSy/firmware boot
system found in Sparcboxen...

If you want it to do proper hdd booting, then you *will* have to type some
commands in here to set it up to boot Debian directly.

> I had to unplug the power lead and take out the battery, leave it for a
> day or so in order for it to work again.

You can reset the PRAM (CMOS/BIOS to PeeCee types) by rebooting the machine
(reset button, or Shift-Apple-Power combo) and *holding down* P,R,A,M at the
same time; this will save you taking the battery out.

> I am so fed up with this now but I somehow believe this machine can run
> Debian...

Yup... I'd guess it can too!... Stick at it!... Debian runs on /anything/
with enough elbow, finger and brain stretching!

        -Paul

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