Re: could netbsd.macppc-1.6.2 been installed on ibook g3/300 ?

["David H. Gutteridge" <dhgutteridge%sympatico.ca@localhost>]

On 2014-12-17, at 10:17 PM, yuntanghard wrote:
> 
> hello!
> 
> could  netbsd.macppc-1.6.2 been installed on ibook g3/300 ?  
> I tried a lot of time, but failed.
> 
> 1、I partition the disk in HFS+ with OSX-10.3.4 utility tool. (entire disk)
> 2、go into open firmware and run netbsd1.6.2 install
> 3、during the install, I find the string "gzip can't open ....."
> 4、I set  0 > setenv auto-boot? true
>               0 > setenv boot-device ide0/disk@0:8,\ofwboot.xcf
>               0 > setenv boot-file ide0/disk@0:13,/netbsd
>               0 > reset-all
> 5、I can't go into netbsd OS.
> 
> 
> please give me some help. thank you.

Hello,

Yes, there should be no reason you can't install it on that model.
I don't follow why you'd want to install 1.6.2, though, that's an
ancient release that hasn't been supported in years. You'd be better
off with something more current. (Though I believe there are issues
in some of the newer releases. I don't know whether trying 5.x, 6.x,
or 7.x would be the best starting point for you these days. Others
on this list would have more informed opinions.)

If I understand you correctly, the entire disk is formatted as HFS+,
which is not what you want to do at all. You want to create a small
boot partition in HFS, and then the rest of the partitions have to
be in a format that's usable by NetBSD (which HFS is not). That means
if you're using the Apple partitioning tool, they should be set to
either UFS or the older A/UX formats. (This is described in both the
installation notes[1] and a separate document on partitioning for
macppc[2].)

From what you're saying in step 2 above, you are able to boot the
install kernel? I don't know what medium it's being booted from?
I used to burn a CD-ROM of the install disc, and boot entirely off
it, then create NetBSD FFS partitions from it, mount them, and
manually install sets from there. (I never used the installer
program to do any of this. I don't know if the install process
has improved at all in the intervening decade or so.)

(Also, when I was using Open Firmware commands, I referred to the
hard drive as "hd:" not "ide0/disk@0:". I have no idea if that makes
any difference for you, but the model I was working with was
essentially the same as yours.)

1. http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-6.1.5/macppc/INSTALL.html#Partitioning%20your%20hard%20drive%20for%20NetBSD
2. http://www.netbsd.org/ports/macppc/partitioning.html

Regards,

Dave