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

[Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost> (by way of Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost>)]

Hello,

On Sun, 4 Jun 2017 19:22:56 +0300
Valery Ushakov <uwe%stderr.spb.ru@localhost> wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 04, 2017 at 11:06:41 -0400, Michael wrote:
> 
> > On Fri, 2 Jun 2017 23:33:20 +0300
> > Valery Ushakov <uwe%stderr.spb.ru@localhost> wrote:
> >   
> > > On Fri, Jun 02, 2017 at 21:08:24 +0200, Havard Eidnes wrote:
> > >   
> > > > >> The workaround is already in -6 and -7 and it's called ofwboot.elf :)    
> > > > 
> > > > Well, the installation notes say
> > > > 
> > > >   Note:
> > > >   ofwboot.elf is obsoleted.  All users should be using ofwboot.xcf
> > > >   instead of ofwboot.elf now.
> > > > 
> > > > and there's no other mention of ofwboot.elf.  If that note is no
> > > > longer true, the documentation should be updated.    
> > > 
> > > Do we have a portmaster that is not AWOL? :)  
> > 
> > Awful, but not AWOL ;)
> > I'll update the docs as soon as
> > - there is clear consent what works where - to me it looks like
> >   ofwboot.xcf works on old world machines, some new world machines need
> >   ofwboot.elf. Does that match everyone's experiences? Do we need to
> >   put ofwboot.elf on the install ISOs?  
> 
> Sevan says that his mini is happy with the xcoff, which makes the
> puzzle even more interesting.

Indeed. Might even be model specific...

> Debugging this without a serial console is a bit of a pain.  E.g. I
> have some free time now, but I'm physically away from the machine, so
> I can't do anyhting.  IIRC there's an option to replace the modem card
> with normal serial port.  Is it standard or does that require a custom
> board?

No idea. There were all sorts of 'stealth serial port' frobs for G4
macs, I assume that's more or less the same thing, since most (all?)
core99 machines still have their serial ports, just no connectors other
than the modem.
Probably needs some help to convert TTL to RS232 ( which I assume is
what the frobs actually do ) but that's about it. You could probably
hook a USB TTL-level serial thingie ( which we all use for our ARM
boards ) to it with minimal effort.
IIRC Apple OF defaults to 38400bps, no handshake on a serial console.

> Compilng ofwboot with libsa's alloc seems to work on the mini.  We
> might want to commit this and pull up to -6 and -7.  Portmaster's
> call, I'd say.

Did anyone try it on other machines? If it helps and doesn't break
others ( not that I think this is likely ) I'm all for it.

> Installation cd has ofwboot and ofwboot.xcf in the root, but
> ofwboot.xcf and ofwboot.elf in /macppc/installation - is that
> intended?  We should probably put all three in both places. 

Probably from ofwboot.elf being declared obsolete for whatever reason.
I agree, we should have all in both places.

have fun
Michael