Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 06:40:22

First off, I have a question. Is anyone even maintaining arch linux ppc?

Oh I suppose I have a couple questions really.

Has anyone been able to install arch linux on a powerbook g4 titanium any time recently?

I have fought battle after battle to get this thing to boot. I couldn't get it to install because the disk doesn't come with mac-fdisk. Then I have to manually format the bootstrap partition because the mkofboot wipes the partition setup (which btw was super frustrating to figure out because it gave no sign of failure). Then I finally get the OS to install to the computer. From there I go to boot and nada. It can't find the root partition! So I add sungem to the mkinitcpio.conf and rebuild under chroot. So then it finds the root partition. Now I go to boot and it tries to trigger the udev events where I get this crazy error and then the computer just freezes. I will have to run it again tomorrow and post the exact error. Anyone have better luck or just simply know a way I can get the exact modules for the mkinitcpio.conf?

Any help appreciated, I am at witts end over this.

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-06 06:44:02)

christoffer · 2012-08-06 14:06:05

Yes, I tried out Arch for the first time yesterday by installing it on a discarded PowerBook G4, and the 2012.05.29 netinstall CD sucks :-) I recognize the problems you've seen, and I also had a very frustrating problem with Pacman not being able to verify any signatures (I ended up disabling signatures and not using /arch/setup at all)

The problem with a missing root partition turned out to be caused by a newer kernel installed on the system drive than the install CD uses. This means that if the boot image is built directly from the install CD shell it will use modules for the older kernel, which of course can't be loaded. I rebuilt the image using mkinitcpio with the '-k' and '-r' switches to specify the kernel version actually installed on the drive.
Perhaps this is what you've run into as well?

Last edited by christoffer (2012-08-06 14:12:09)

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 22:54:30

Which kernel did you do this command on. I am still having trouble. When I execute the command I use mkinitcpio -p linux-pmac which auto sets the -k to 3.4.6-1

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 23:12:21

I tried what you said with my kernel version made sure modules were installed and nada. I removed the modules to try it and still can't find root fs

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 23:16:54

Oh also one thing I noted is that it isn't actually the sungem module that allows to find the root fs. I had a couple modules loaded... not sure which one it was. I should have backed up the conf file. Noob mistake

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 23:33:39

I apologize if this is overposting but from rootfs recovery I was able to modprobe sd_mod enabling root to be found

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-06 23:43:00

okay. As if the last post wasn't enough lol. My exact error at boot that I need to conquer is:

<4> caused by (from srr=149030)

jasonwryan · 2012-08-06 23:49:38

There is an 'Edit' button at the bottom right of all your posts: please learn to use it:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … te#Bumping

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-07 00:29:21

jasonwryan wrote:

There is an 'Edit' button at the bottom right of all your posts: please learn to use it:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … te#Bumping

Sorry for not editing posts and instead posting new ones... what a crap reply that is. Probably shouldn't have apologized since some archtard was just going to complain anyways

I have definitely read the etiquette but no where does it seem to mention editing. I guess we can just blame this on the smug attitude of the mods. I post on forums little to never so I guess editing isn't second nature.

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-07 00:57:10)

jasonwryan · 2012-08-07 01:08:05

neighborhoodhacker wrote:

jasonwryan wrote:
There is an 'Edit' button at the bottom right of all your posts: please learn to use it:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … te#Bumping
Sorry for not editing posts and instead posting new ones... what a crap reply that is. Probably shouldn't have apologized since some archtard was just going to complain anyways
I have definitely read the etiquette but no where does it seem to mention editing. I guess we can just blame this on the smug attitude of the mods. I post on forums little to never so I guess editing isn't second nature.

Just to clarify: are you calling me an archtard and a smug mod? For asking you politely to edit you posts rather than continue to bump the thread?

Seeing you have read the Etiquette, you would have got to the bit about respecting the staff. If you have a problem with that, you are not going to find much satisfaction here.

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-07 17:16:07

jasonwryan wrote:

neighborhoodhacker wrote:
jasonwryan wrote:
There is an 'Edit' button at the bottom right of all your posts: please learn to use it:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … te#Bumping
Sorry for not editing posts and instead posting new ones... what a crap reply that is. Probably shouldn't have apologized since some archtard was just going to complain anyways
I have definitely read the etiquette but no where does it seem to mention editing. I guess we can just blame this on the smug attitude of the mods. I post on forums little to never so I guess editing isn't second nature.

Just to clarify: are you calling me an archtard and a smug mod? For asking you politely to edit you posts rather than continue to bump the thread?
Seeing you have read the Etiquette, you would have got to the bit about respecting the staff. If you have a problem with that, you are not going to find much satisfaction here.

I guess all my frustration stems from the lack of actual help on these forums and the overabundance of forum mod complaints. You'd think if someone had so much time to complain, they could give the problem a two second diagnosis also. I'm sorry if I have offended you but I do think the term was coined for a reason. I don't normally talk like that. I'm sure a lot of the frustration came from working on that PPC, but at the sametime did you really need to say it so "politely", as you put it, when I already apologized. You could have said it a million ways better or maybe actually helped somewhere along the line. But nah. I'm sincerely impressed you didn't kick me off the forums after what I said so CHEERS heres to you and the ability to talk things out like men.

One possibility I just thought of is, are you posting in english same as I? Maybe the translation just has a weird tone.

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-07 17:29:54)

.:B:. · 2012-08-07 17:31:49

Unlike in real life, you can turn the 'I don't normally talk like that' routine around and edit your post. But no.

Words can escape your mouth, and you can regret what you said afterwards, but there is some degree of premeditation to typing up a sentence, and hitting that send button. There's no excuse for trolling like that, then licking a mod's heels.

Just like you are spending/wasting your spare time on trying to get some dead architecture going again, people are spending their own time on keeping these forums tidy. The mods aren't the emergency response team when nobody knows the answer to ones question.Imagine my dismay when I see someone talking to himself in five or six consecutive posts. It's like my browser is stuck on F5.

As an aside, the last post on the Arch Linux PPC homepage dates from May 30th. Doesn't really look like a dead project to me. There's always the #archlinuxppc IRC channel if you require more realtime help - which, judging from the way you post, you seem to be in need of.

Last edited by .:B:. (2012-08-07 17:35:14)

jasonwryan · 2012-08-07 17:37:00

Fair enough. I wasn't offended, more surprised. English is my native tongue; but typing is a lot harder than talking...

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-07 17:39:39

jasonwryan: Agreed I will give you that. Please accept my apology, I know text messaging is the doom of our society heh.

.:B:.: by the way you talk I don't know if you are trying to fight for my arguement or against it lol But I do agree it was somewhat premeditated. Also even with your apparent lack of respect for my posts I find it very helpful that you post about the IRC channel and I very much respect that. Also I would rather not change my words but give an accurate representation of what happens so people who think they will be in similar position will consider it.

I would like to add also, if it is still possible after this mess can we get back to the problem I will be seeking IRC help and posting my results: wish me luck

If anyone knows much about powerbook g4 'tops or arch ppc please hop on the IRC when you have time and send me a message. I will leave up the channel and listen.

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-07 18:00:34)

christoffer · 2012-08-07 19:07:00

Hm, this does not sound like the problem I ran into. I got a more obvious error message, something like '/dev/sda4 not found'. I also did not run mkinitcpio chroot'ed, that's why I needed the explicit '-b' and '-k' flags to point to the correct modules.

By the way, isn't sungem is the driver for the Ethernet card? Perhaps you should look closer at why adding this module made the root partition visible and if you can still repro the problem by removing it?

neighborhoodhacker · 2012-08-07 19:10:20

christoffer wrote:

Hm, this does not sound like the problem I ran into. I got a more obvious error message, something like '/dev/sda4 not found'. I also did not run mkinitcpio chroot'ed, that's why I needed the explicit '-b' and '-k' flags to point to the correct modules.
By the way, isn't sungem is the driver for the Ethernet card? Perhaps you should look closer at why adding this module made the root partition visible and if you can still repro the problem by removing it?

I should have edited my post as me and a mod have discussed in detail on this thread but go ahead and finish reading my other posts about how that isn't true. Thank you for your help!

Edit: I should have added though that is wasn't just the sd_mod to get the harddrive to be seen but pata_macio and sd_mod together. I reproduced from recov. shell

Last edited by neighborhoodhacker (2012-08-07 19:20:52)

Arch Linux

#1 2012-08-06 06:40:22

Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#2 2012-08-06 14:06:05

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#3 2012-08-06 22:54:30

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#4 2012-08-06 23:12:21

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#5 2012-08-06 23:16:54

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#6 2012-08-06 23:33:39

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#7 2012-08-06 23:43:00

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#8 2012-08-06 23:49:38

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#9 2012-08-07 00:29:21

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#10 2012-08-07 01:08:05

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#11 2012-08-07 17:16:07

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#12 2012-08-07 17:31:49

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#13 2012-08-07 17:37:00

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#14 2012-08-07 17:39:39

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#15 2012-08-07 19:07:00

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

#16 2012-08-07 19:10:20

Re: Arch Linux PPC on a powerbook g4

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