Booting Live/Install CD on worse-for-wear PowerBook G4

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Booting Live/Install CD on worse-for-wear PowerBook G4

Postby psychicv » 08 Aug 2010, 18:49

Hi! While my question isn't directly related to Yellow Dog, I thought I'd ask here anyway as it's the most popular PPC Linux distro and there is no doubt a lot of know-how about Macs here. :)

My situation is this: I'm a long time Linux user on PC architectures. I'm also a long time Mac OS X user. However, I've never tried my hand at Linux on the Mac before. So, for a challenge/learning experience, I thought I'd try my hand at LFS (Linux From Scratch) on my PowerBook. Having some early issues however. As the subject line would suggest, my Mac is not in mint condition. The DVD drive doesn't work any more. Also, I can't get it to boot to the Open Firmware console for some reason. The machine is fine otherwise, and runs Leopard beautifully. I have a blank partition at the end of the disk which I am saving for Linuxy goodness!

I tried connecting a DVD writer to a Firewire enclosure to boot that way. Holding down Option made it pop up next to my Mac OS X installation, but clicking it did nothing but flash the screen. The disk was burned in Linux on the same burner, like so:
Code: Select all
wodim -v dev=/dev/sr0 lfslivecd.iso


To install Leopard, I had to dd the installation disk to an old IDE hard drive which I connected up to the same Firewire drive enclosure. Slow process as that drive is quite broken, but it worked in the end. Would this method work for a Linux installer or live disk?

Is there any other way of getting just yaboot on to my drive, through Mac OS X, or by taking out the hard drive and connecting it to my PC? Should I just try setting up a TFTP server on my PC and see if I can boot off that? I also tried USB sticks and iPods to install Leopard, but couldn't get my machine to boot from USB, at least not without access to the Open Firmware console. Officially, Apple says you can't boot from USB drives on my particualr model (PB G4 12" 1GHz), but people have managed when they have OF to play with.

Does Open Firmware leave any logs which I can access from OS X which may give me a clue as to what's happening?

I may have a go at sticking YDL on if I can't get LFS Live to boot, is there a netinstall-type image available? Don't have any blank DVDs at the moment.

Thank you for your patience with my myriad silly questions. :)
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Re: Booting Live/Install CD on worse-for-wear PowerBook G4

Postby aguilarojo » 06 Sep 2010, 05:27

psychicv wrote:Hi! While my question isn't directly related to Yellow Dog, I thought I'd ask here anyway as it's the most popular PPC Linux distro and there is no doubt a lot of know-how about Macs here. :)

My situation is this: I'm a long time Linux user on PC architectures. I'm also a long time Mac OS X user. However, I've never tried my hand at Linux on the Mac before. So, for a challenge/learning experience, I thought I'd try my hand at LFS (Linux From Scratch) on my PowerBook. Having some early issues however. As the subject line would suggest, my Mac is not in mint condition. The DVD drive doesn't work any more. Also, I can't get it to boot to the Open Firmware console for some reason. The machine is fine otherwise, and runs Leopard beautifully. I have a blank partition at the end of the disk which I am saving for Linuxy goodness!

...


Hi psychicv!

Unfortunately different Linux distributions require different setup strategies especially how they relate to OS X and the unique partition structures OS X utilizes which is proprietary to Apple.

If you take the time to explore the YDL installation instructions available here the road to installing YDL will be easier. Remember that to create a dual boot system between OS X and YDL, you need different installation procedures than if you intend to run just YDL. I recommend the dual boot as there are some features within OS X that YDL just doesn't have.

You definitely need a functional DVD optical drive, no question. As far as repair or replacement of the optical drive you can try here. You can't reinstall OS X to rebuild the firmware or develop a Linux friendly partition structure which will be recognized by both OS X and Linux unless you have a DVD drive.

Is there any other way of getting just yaboot on to my drive, through Mac OS X, or by taking out the hard drive and connecting it to my PC?


Not to my knowledge. Consider that if the HD is connected to a PC to be formatted for Linux it will not be recognized by the Mac OS and therefore the whole point of developing a dual boot system between OS X and YDL will be lost.

Should I just try setting up a TFTP server on my PC and see if I can boot off that?


I'm thinking that it would may be more convenient for you to run Linux on your PC! You'd have Linux running better as there are more packages for x86 Linux anyway than ever existed for PowerPC Linux, even YDL.

Everything on the Earth has a purpose.
Every disease an herb to cure it.
And every person has a mission.
This is the Indian Theory of Existence.
-- Morning Dove, Salish (1888-1936)
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