Ubuntu/Kubuntu on Mac G5.

[Brian Durant]

On 25. jan 2006, at 5.52, Bob Nielsen wrote:

> Just a wild thought:  Did you run yabin after configure yaboot.conf?
>
> On Jan 24, 2006, at 8:38 PM, 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="?
>>
>>>>> 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?
>> (2) with both drives connected, you can not boot into OSX using  
>> yaboot?
>> (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)?
>>
>> 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).  Anyway, unless you  
>> really know what you're doing, open firmware is an unfriendly  
>> environment.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Larry

I believe you are thinking of ybin, and yes I did run it.

Cheers,

Brian