Re: NetBSD 8.1 on a PowerBook G3 Wallstreet

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

On Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:02:43 -0600
userm57%yahoo.com@localhost wrote:

> Hello Michael,
> 
> On 7/19/19 12:32 PM, Michael wrote:
> > Hello,
> > 
> > On Sun, 14 Jul 2019 19:38:19 -0600
> > userm57%yahoo.com@localhost wrote:
> >   
> >> I'm trying to install NetBSD 8.1 on a PowerBook G3 Wallstreet, but I
> >> wasn't able to get the instructions for the Wallstreet to work.  There
> >> was a timeout after the first boot floppy.  It ejected the floppy and
> >> asked for the second floppy, but then nothing happened after hitting
> >> return.  I tried with the floppy module in the left bay and the CD-ROM
> >> module in the right bay.  
> > 
> > This machine should just boot from CD, what exactly went wrong there?  
> 
> Attempting to boot the Wallstreet from the CD didn't work.  It appears
> that the CD may only be bootable on New World PowerMacs, but the
> Wallstreet is an Old World system (so it can't use grub or yaboot;
> GNU/Linux boots using BootX).

All Apple OF versions can read ISO9660 filesystems to varying degrees,
and that's all we need ( some Performas can't boot via OF from it but
that's a different story ). Old World versions just need load-base and
real-base set for the loader to work, and the syntax may be weird
( even for OF... )
For example, you may need something like boot cd:,OFWBOOT.XCF;1
( assuming there's a cd devalias )

> It does have Open Firmware, and there are instructions for the
> Wallstreet in the NetBSD documentation, but they did not work (as
> described above).  If it would help, I could try to capture the Open
> Firmware output, if that would help.

'Did not work' is not a useful error description.
What exactly did you try and what exactly did go wrong how exactly?

- did the cdrom drive spin up when trying to boot from it?
- did the loader load?
- did it print something?
- did it crash?
- did it try to load a kernel?

If all else fails, it should be able to netboot.

have fun
Michael