You are not logged in.

#1 2010-01-06 02:34:27

scristopher
Member
Registered: 2010-01-06
Posts: 2

ppc install on imac g3

Hi ive been looking around for a little while trying to figure out how to install arch on this g3 without a cd drive.
is it possible to take out the hard drive and use another linux machine to install?
if so could anyone point me in the direction of that information?
what also concerns me is would i be able to hook up this hard drive to an intel machine put the install files on it and put it back into the mac (possibly with hfsutils?)....?

thank you any help is very much apriciated!

{edit}
I also have access to a macbook i could possibly hook up the hard drive to via usb
its running mac osx

Last edited by scristopher (2010-01-06 02:52:37)

Offline

#2 2010-01-06 05:02:54

Gen2ly
Member
From: Sevierville, TN
Registered: 2009-03-06
Posts: 1,529
Website

Re: ppc install on imac g3

Really, I thought all imacs hard CD drives???  Hmmm...

Yeah, scristopher, you could put the files on the hard drive provided your intel pc has the same hard drive adaptor (probably scsi???) but not really worth the effort.  You'd have to install a bootloader which would be real difficult (if not impossible)... it probably be more trouble than it's worth.  Best bet would be to get a USB CD drive to boot from and use the install cd from there.

Last edited by Gen2ly (2010-01-06 05:03:07)


Setting Up a Scripting Environment | Proud donor to wikipedia - link

Offline

#3 2010-01-06 05:13:24

scristopher
Member
Registered: 2010-01-06
Posts: 2

Re: ppc install on imac g3

would this work but instead of ubuntu using arch?
oh, and the hard drive is ide ive got it out and ready

https://help.ubuntu.com/7.04/installati … files.html

Last edited by scristopher (2010-01-06 05:14:25)

Offline

#4 2010-01-06 05:40:28

Gen2ly
Member
From: Sevierville, TN
Registered: 2009-03-06
Posts: 1,529
Website

Re: ppc install on imac g3

Hmm, was thinking yaboot was like GRUB and installed the bootloader to the first part of the disk but now that I think of it Open Firmware does have the ability to define the bootloader directly from the disk.  The files are going to be different for Arch 'vmlinuz26' 'kernel26.img' 'yaboot' and 'yaboot.conf', but this won't load the init scripts and have no programs with it.  If you have to do this, you'll likely have to partition the hard drive.  The disk will need the 'Partition map' and 'bootstrap' partitions.  Here's an example of mine from my ibook:

/dev/hda
        #                    type name                 length   base     ( size )  system
/dev/hda1     Apple_partition_map Apple                    63 @ 1        ( 31.5k)  Partition map
/dev/hda2         Apple_Bootstrap bootstrap              1600 @ 64       (800.0k)  NewWorld bootblock
/dev/hda3         Apple_UNIX_SVR2 swap                 819200 @ 1664     (400.0M)  Linux swap
/dev/hda4         Apple_UNIX_SVR2 root               10912256 @ 820864   (  5.2G)  Linux native

Block size=512, Number of Blocks=11733120
DeviceType=0x0, DeviceId=0x0

These are both needed for Open Firmware to boot the OS(s).  Unfortunately without an external media to do this (Live CD) partitioning will not be possible (cannot partition mounted drives).  The 'Partition map' and 'bootstrap' partitions will already be created... if you have if you have spare partition(s) then this is possible (but not likely).  You could copy the contents of the Arch PPC install CD to one of the partitions, possibly tell Open Firmware too boot that partition, setup the installer to format another partition and install to it.  However, like I said, your default setup likely will probably be just partitioned for OS X.  Best bet still is to get a USB CD drive.

Last edited by Gen2ly (2010-01-06 05:45:21)


Setting Up a Scripting Environment | Proud donor to wikipedia - link

Offline

#5 2010-01-08 02:19:06

Krille
Member
Registered: 2010-01-04
Posts: 2

Re: ppc install on imac g3

Gen2ly wrote:

If you have to do this, you'll likely have to partition the hard drive.  The disk will need the 'Partition map' and 'bootstrap' partitions.

Actually, the idea to name the partition bootstrap came from somewhere else than Cupertino.

If you plan to dual-boot with OSX, its a good idea to name the partition Apple_Boot(after this it does not matter what you write, strap, smurf, anything), simply because it will then be ignored from within Mac OSX.

But if you plan to only use Linux on it, you might as well stick with Apple_HFS, since Open Firmware will happily also load from this type.

Source for above statements: http://en.opensuse.org/PPC_Partitioning

To the OP: The easiest way i know of is to use an external Firewire enclosure, and using Disk Utility/your tool of choice to set up a partition that will hold your installer image, and then copying(restoring if using DU) the image onto the partition, and rebooting into the Open Firmware OS Selector by holding Option when starting, and your installer image should appear.

Another option is if you have another computer that is also PPC, perhaps with a functioning drive, is to start your Ibook in Target Disk mode(hold down T when starting), hook it up to another computer, run the installer from there and onto your Ibook disk in Target Disk Mode.

Good luck and happy installing!

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB