Ubuntu/Kubuntu on Mac G5.

[Brian Durant]

On 25. jan 2006, at 5.38, Larry Grover wrote:

> Brian Durant wrote:
>> On 24. jan 2006, at 13.49, Larry Grover wrote:
>>> Brian Durant wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 24. jan 2006, at 3.35, Larry Grover wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'm not sure why OSX won't boot, but perhaps it is related to   
>>>>> the  problem in setting the correct open firmware device name?
>>>>
>>>> Wow Larry, I am impressed:-) Well OK, fairly impressed. Now I  
>>>> can   boot into Ubuntu, but OS X is still a no go. Yaboot simply  
>>>> can't  load  OS X. it tries, and the screen flickers, but  
>>>> nothing  happens. After  three tries, it says something like  
>>>> booting "Mac  OS X..." and nothing  works, so I have to do a  
>>>> hard reboot.
>>>
>>>
>>> Whew!  Well it sounds like half your problem is sorted.
>>>
>>> I'm quite puzzled by why OSX won't boot.  I know you've posted  
>>> this  before, but would you mind posting the following, from  
>>> inside  Ubuntu after you boot from your hard drive using yaboot:
>>>
>>> (1) the output from "fdisk -l" /dev/sdb (your OSX system disk)
>> /dev/sdb
>>         #                    type name                  length     
>> base      ( size )  system
>> /dev/sdb1     Apple_partition_map Apple                     63 @   
>> 1         ( 31.5k)  Partition map
>> /dev/sdb2              Apple_Free                       262144 @   
>> 64        (128.0M)  Free space
>> /dev/sdb3               Apple_HFS Untitled           319910838 @   
>> 262208    (152.5G)  HFS
>> /dev/sdb4              Apple_Free                           10 @   
>> 320173046 (  5.0k)  Free space
>> Block size=512, Number of Blocks=320173056
>> DeviceType=0x0, DeviceId=0x0
>>> (2) the contents of your /etc/yaboot.conf file
>> ## yaboot.conf generated by the Ubuntu installer
>> ##
>> ## run: "man yaboot.conf" for details. Do not make changes until you
>> ## have!!
>> ## see also: /usr/share/doc/yaboot/examples for example  
>> configurations.
>> ##
>> ## For a dual-boot menu, add one or more of:
>> ## bsd=/dev/hdaX, macos=/dev/hdaY, macosx=/dev/hdaZ
>> boot=/dev/sda2
>> device=/ht at 0,f2000000/pci at 3/k2-sata-root at c/k2-sata at 0/disk at 0:
>> partition=3
>> root=/dev/sda3
>> timeout=100
>> install=/usr/lib/yaboot/yaboot
>> magicboot=/usr/lib/yaboot/ofboot
>> enablecdboot
>> # to boot OSX by default
>> # to boot linux by default, change to defaultos=linux
>> defaultos=macosx
>> macosx=/dev/sdb3
>> image=/boot/vmlinux
>>     label=Linux
>>     read-only
>>     initrd=/boot/initrd.img
>>     append="quiet splash"
>> image=/boot/vmlinux.old
>>     label=old
>>     read-only
>>     initrd=/boot/initrd.img.old
>>     append="quiet splash"
>
>
> Well, this looks correct to me.  The output from the fdisk command  
> indicates that your OSX system is on sdb3, and the linke "macosx=/ 
> dev/sdb3" in your yaboot.conf file should be correct.
>
> Re-reading the yaboot.conf man page, it says that the line  
> beginning "macosx=" should give the open firmware or unix device  
> path to the OSX boot partition.  Perhaps yaboot is having trouble  
> understanding the unix path?  What happens if you find the open  
> firmware path from:
>
> ofpath /dev/sdb3
>
> and try substituting it into the line which begins "macosx="?

Here is the output:

$ ofpath /dev/sdb3
/k2-sata at 0/disk at 0:3


$ sudo ybin --config /etc/yaboot.conf -v
ybin: Finding OpenFirmware device path to `/dev/sda2'...
ybin: Installing first stage bootstrap /usr/lib/yaboot/ofboot onto / 
dev/sda2...
ybin: Installing primary bootstrap /usr/lib/yaboot/yaboot onto /dev/ 
sda2...
ybin: Installing /etc/yaboot.conf onto /dev/sda2...
ybin: Setting attributes on ofboot...
ybin: Setting attributes on yaboot...
ybin: Setting attributes on yaboot.conf...
ybin: Blessing /dev/sda2 with Holy Penguin Pee...
ybin: Updating OpenFirmware boot-device variable in nvram...

When I rebooted though, the problem remains the same :-(

>>>> Any ideas will be appreciated. I am glad Ubuntu can boot, but I   
>>>> need  to be able to boot both OS's and unplugging the hard  
>>>> drive  every time  I switch OS can't be an option.
>>>
>>>
>>> Right, this is not a long-term solution.  I think there is   
>>> something you can do in the interim, while you finish sorting  
>>> out  the problem with yaboot and OSX.
>>>
>>> If you hold down the "option" key while you are booting your   
>>> machine (start holding it down immediately after you power-on  
>>> the  machine or immediately after you start to reboot, and  
>>> continue  holding it down) you should get a graphical window  
>>> showing you  icons for all the bootable devices connected to your  
>>> system (I  think this is generated by OpenFirmware).  It should  
>>> show you icons  for both hard drives.  You can use the mouse to  
>>> select your OSX or  your Ubuntu drive, for booting.
>> The thing is that still being newbieish to both Linux and OS X, I   
>> don't fully understand this. Here is what I know:
>> 1) I can boot into the Ubuntu HD with both drives connected.
>> 2) Holding down the command-option-o-f keys all together after   
>> pressing the power-on button does not bring up an OF prompt. If I   
>> choose "L" for the Ubuntu partition, the OF prompt will show up   
>> before Ubuntu is booted.
>> 3) I can't bring up the graphic OF interface. I thought it was  
>> just  "o" as well, but that doesn't work. The info you linked to  
>> suggests  that I could get a graphical interface by holding down  
>> only the  option key at boot up.
>
> Let me make sure I understand you.  Is the following correct?
> (1) with both drives connected, you can boot into Ubuntu using the  
> yaboot prompts?

Yes

> (2) with both drives connected, you can not boot into OSX using  
> yaboot?

Yes

> (3) if you boot with with "option" key held down, and boot drives  
> connected, you can select either ubuntu or OSX (your next email  
> seemed to indicate this is true)?

Yes
> Can you clarify what happens when you boot/power-on with the  
> command-option-o-f key combination pressed?  Are you sure you are  
> getting the keys held down soon enough and that you are holding  
> them down long enough (it's a rather awkward fingering and you may  
> need to hold it for longer than you think).

I had a problem with the keyboard I was using. It works with the new  
keyboard.

> Anyway, unless you really know what you're doing, open firmware is  
> an unfriendly environment.

Absolutely

BTW, do you understand the syntax for making OF a little less  
intimidating as far as looks are concerned? I am spending so much  
time staring at it. I have tried:

# Color Settings
fgcolor=black bgcolor=yellow

This returns an error.

I also tried:

# Color Settings
fgcolor:black bgcolor:yellow

I didn't get an error, but nothing changed either. Still white on black

Cheers,

Brian