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

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

On Tue, 06 Jun 2017 13:18:37 +0200 (CEST)
Havard Eidnes <he%NetBSD.org@localhost> wrote:

> >> > - I figure out where on cvs.netbsd.org the docs are...
> >> > - I have time to do it    
> >>
> >> I can have a stab at drafting the documentation update, just sit
> >> back and wait for the juicier stuff :)  
> >
> > Thanks :)  
> 
> How does this look?

Looks good to me.

have fun
Michael

> 
>      Therefore, to boot the NetBSD kernel, Open Firmware must first load a
>      `bootloader' (ofwboot.xcf) which knows how to load the NetBSD kernel.
> 
>      Note:  Despite a note to the contrary in earlier releases that
>             ofwboot.elf is obsoleted, that is no longer the case.  It has been
>             observed that on some newish machines (notably at least some Mac
>             Minis), use of ofwboot.xcf will result in an early kernel panic
>             when loading the GENERIC kernel from disk.  For these machines it
>             appears to be a workaround to use ofwboot.elf instead of
>             ofwboot.xcf as the boot loader.  The root cause for this problem
>             has unfortunately yet to be found.
> 
> The two first lines are context, the note is rewritten compared
> to earlier.  The source diff:
> 
> Index: prep.OPENFIRMWARE
> ===================================================================
> RCS file: /cvsroot/src/distrib/notes/macppc/prep.OPENFIRMWARE,v
> retrieving revision 1.18
> diff -u -r1.18 prep.OPENFIRMWARE
> --- prep.OPENFIRMWARE   9 May 2015 08:13:35 -0000       1.18
> +++ prep.OPENFIRMWARE   6 Jun 2017 11:17:22 -0000
> @@ -746,12 +746,20 @@
>  which then loads the kernel.
>  .\}
>  .(Note
> +Despite a note to the contrary in earlier releases that
>  .Pa ofwboot.elf
> -is obsoleted.  All users should be using
> +is obsoleted, that is no longer the case.
> +It has been observed that on some newish machines (notably at least
> +some Mac Minis), use of
>  .Pa ofwboot.xcf
> -instead of
> +will result in an early kernel panic when loading the GENERIC kernel
> +from disk.
> +For these machines it appears to be a workaround to use
>  .Pa ofwboot.elf
> -now.
> +instead of
> +.Pa ofwboot.xcf
> +as the boot loader.
> +The root cause for this problem has unfortunately yet to be found.
>  .Note)
>  .Pp
>  The following bootable media are available for loading the bootloader:
> 
> Regards,
> 
> - Havard