RE: YDL 2.1 & G3 B&W: Restoring yaboot parameters


Subject: RE: YDL 2.1 & G3 B&W: Restoring yaboot parameters
From: Stewart, David J (david.j.stewart@eds.com)
Date: Mon Mar 18 2002 - 07:54:31 MST


Hello all,

Curious here -- I currently have YDL/os9/OSX triple booted.on an ibook... If
I reset my PRAM will the system only boot OS9 and OSX ? Or does YaBoot need
to be deleted ? Is this a good way to remove Yellow dog? And then how would
I create a volume out of the old yellow dog partitions that Mac can use>?

Thank You

Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Beaton [mailto:bob@keyengine.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 17, 2002 12:34 AM
To: yellowdog-general@lists.yellowdoglinux.com
Subject: YDL 2.1 & G3 B&W: Restoring yaboot parameters

Hi,

Okay, I did a PRAM reset and completely lost the yaboot settings, My G3
B&W (running SCSI, not ATA disks) would only boot into MacOS; no yaboot
menu and no luck hitting the "L" key during the boot-up sequence. No
problem, I thought.... Yea, right!

Well, I did everything explicitly suggested in the YDL-General list, as
well as in Kai's HOW-TO.
(http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/support/solutions/ydl_2.1/boot_functions.shtm
l) on the subject. I've heard so many 5-chime APPLE-OPT-P-R sequences that
I'll be humming that damn tune for the next month! Oh well, one more
Saturday afternoon directed toward gaining some experience...

Bottom line: None of the documented fixes worked on my SCSI-based G3
B&W. I don't know what the problem is with my particular configuration,
but I do know a couple of things, as listed below:

(1) The loss of yaboot parameters on New World YDL installs is a big
problem, and the existing YDL documentation does not sufficiently
provide a quick recovery solution for this problem in general. This is a
big hole in YDL's otherwise very nice packaging that needs to be plugged
as soon as possible--especially before some group of point-n-click
Macettes get wind of this problem. Believe me, I'm not anti-Linux (and
especially NOT anti-YDL), but I am a converting point-n-click Macette
and I know what the complaints will be! Yo, Beautiful Folks at Terra
Soft--do yourselves a favor and get this issue resolved (along with an
updated HOW-TO) in YDL 2.2x!

(2) After trying everything documented and, even, undocumented, I did
get my YDL SCSI-based G3 box restored. Here's how I did it (read the
following with no promises about your config or anything else, rather,
it is just a sequence of steps that worked for me on one particular
machine):

        (2a) Shut down, pull the motherboard battery, then go get a sandwich
and iced tea (but don't kick the pet; things aren't that bad!..;)

        (2b) After about 30 min, reinstall the motherboard battery, and
boot-up
with the YDL2.x install CD (you do have one, right? If not, get one for
at least peace of mind!).

        (2c) Go through the custom YDL 2.1 install WITHOUT actually changing
any of your OS installation stuff--that is, set the keyboard. mouse, and
other preliminary stuff, but SKIP THE DISK PARTITIONING AND PACKAGE
SELECTION menus, continue with setting the network and time zone stuff.
During these latter installation menus, you'll start getting messages
indicating that you need to install the "core" packages--DO NOT DO THIS!
Rather, just keep selecting the 'continue' button. When you get to the
'install bootloader' menu, do it. Apparently it's undocumented what the
bootloader install actually does, but whatever it does is more than the
documented OF firmware settings (i.e., setenv boot-device hd:x,:tbxi) on
the YDL list archives. Fortunately, this whole pseudo-install process
takes only about 5 minutes.

        (2d) Following the bootloader install, quit the YDL2.1 installer and
let the machine reboot. At this point, things should be back to normal
(whatever that means)--well, at least, my rig rebooted into its
original YDL installation. Whew!

I hope this help someone sometime. If someone has a better general
purpose solution, please let me know via the list. Likewise, if I've
missed a critical step for some configuration or missed an easier
solution to this whole issue, I think folks would want to know about
it--please post it.

Cheers,
Bob



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