Re: ofwboot.xcf problem (port-macppc/44895)

[Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost>]

Hello,

On Fri, 2 Jun 2017 18:55:12 +0300
Valery Ushakov <uwe%stderr.spb.ru@localhost> wrote:

> On Fri, Jun 02, 2017 at 11:43:48 -0400, David Riley wrote:
> 
> > On Jun 2, 2017, at 11:41 AM, Valery Ushakov <uwe%stderr.spb.ru@localhost> wrote:  
> > > 
> > > On Fri, Jun 02, 2017 at 17:12:26 +0200, Havard Eidnes wrote:
> > >   
> > >>> I don't see anything obviously wrong with ofwboot/alloc.c and also
> > >>> note that it does work in the ELF version.  We can just switch to
> > >>> libsa's alloc.c to get a working ofwboox.xcf I guess, but the puzzle
> > >>> is taunting.  If anyone has any ideas how to debug this properly,
> > >>> please come forward.  
> > >> 
> > >> No ideas for further debugging here, I'm afraid.
> > >> Here you're the expert, not me...
> > >> 
> > >> However, let me suggest that if we know a workaround to make a
> > >> working ofwboot.xcf that we implement it for now, so that we get
> > >> a working ofwboot.xcf out as part of a release, and avoid the
> > >> embarrasment of having to point users to a NetBSD-5(?)-era
> > >> ofwboot.xcf to get their newly installed machines to boot,
> > >> ref. my recent experience where neither the 7.1 nor the 6.1
> > >> ofwboot.xcf turned out to work to boot a newly installed system's
> > >> GENERIC kernel from a hard drive (on a Mac Mini).
> > >> 
> > >> Preferably the workaround should also go into -7 and -6...  
> > > 
> > > The workaround is already in -6 and -7 and it's called ofwboot.elf :)  
> > 
> > Not so helpful for those of us with Open Firmwares that can't load ELF. :-)
> > 
> > If I get some round tuits soon, I'll take a gander; I have a pile of
> > PPC machines of various flavors here (Old and New World, plus G5s),
> > at least one of which should catch the problem.  
> 
> Well, so far people has been complaining only about mac minis, iirc.
> I had this problem with a mini.  jmmv@'s pr was for a mini.  Havard's
> mail was about a mini.  And mini's OFW does grok ELF.

IIRC most if not all OF3 or newer groks ELF, all my OF3 boxes
have /packages/elf-loader
Since ( for now at least ) the loader needs to be installed by hand
anyway on these machines, maybe updating the docs is enough for now.

> macallan@ says his macppc machines (all not minis) have no problems
> with ofwboot.xcf

Indeed, and all different ofwboot / ofwboot.xcf too, whatever was
-current at the time. There was fallout around the time 601 support was
added but that has been fixed.
That said, there are PRs about certain powerbook G4 models failing in
similar ways, did anyone try ofwboot.elf on one of those?

have fun
Michael