Phil Read writes:
> I'm trying to install a version of Linux on my old 7500, I've had it
> running Linux PPC about 4 years ago but started playing around with OSX
> on it and deleted the Linux install. I've tried Mandrake and Yellow Dog
> in the last couple of days by downloading and burning the ISO's but
> both installs persistantly fail at various points during the run up to
> finding the CD. [...]

First, try resetting the PRAM and retry with the CDs you've got.
If it still doesn't work you might try the Debian boot floppies.
(I run Debian on my 7600.)

--
Eric C. Cooper e c c @ c m u . e d u

Eric C. Cooper wrote:

> Phil Read writes:
>
>>I'm trying to install a version of Linux on my old 7500, I've had it
>>running Linux PPC about 4 years ago but started playing around with OSX
>>on it and deleted the Linux install. I've tried Mandrake and Yellow Dog
>>in the last couple of days by downloading and burning the ISO's but
>>both installs persistantly fail at various points during the run up to
>>finding the CD. [...]
>
>
> First, try resetting the PRAM and retry with the CDs you've got.
> If it still doesn't work you might try the Debian boot floppies.
> (I run Debian on my 7600.)

It's possile to boot an oldworld without OSX installed ?

In article <87y8rkt8k8.fsf@stratocaster.home>, Eric C. Cooper
wrote:

> Phil Read writes:
> > I'm trying to install a version of Linux on my old 7500, I've had it
> > running Linux PPC about 4 years ago but started playing around with OSX
> > on it and deleted the Linux install. I've tried Mandrake and Yellow Dog
> > in the last couple of days by downloading and burning the ISO's but
> > both installs persistantly fail at various points during the run up to
> > finding the CD. [...]
>
> First, try resetting the PRAM and retry with the CDs you've got.
> If it still doesn't work you might try the Debian boot floppies.
> (I run Debian on my 7600.)


I tried the PRAM reset and I can now get into the Anaconda installer
:-). Downside is it gets to asking me about how I wish to partition the
disk, Auto, disk druid or pdisk and whichever one I select I get some
sort of exception and exited from the installer :-(.

I can't use the boot floppies my floppy drive is errr tired :-).

Phil Read writes:
> I tried the PRAM reset and I can now get into the Anaconda installer
> :-). Downside is it gets to asking me about how I wish to partition the
> disk, Auto, disk druid or pdisk and whichever one I select I get some
> sort of exception and exited from the installer :-(.

Try dropping into a shell and use the partition tool by hand. (At
least you'll see what error is occurring.)

(I don't know if Anaconda has a shell option; if not, you can probably
just switch to another VT with ctrl-alt-F1/F2/etc.)

--
Eric C. Cooper e c c @ c m u . e d u

In article <87u126uddc.fsf@stratocaster.home>, Eric C. Cooper
wrote:

> Phil Read writes:
> > I tried the PRAM reset and I can now get into the Anaconda installer
> > :-). Downside is it gets to asking me about how I wish to partition the
> > disk, Auto, disk druid or pdisk and whichever one I select I get some
> > sort of exception and exited from the installer :-(.
>
> Try dropping into a shell and use the partition tool by hand. (At
> least you'll see what error is occurring.)
>
> (I don't know if Anaconda has a shell option; if not, you can probably
> just switch to another VT with ctrl-alt-F1/F2/etc.)

If I knew exactly what I was doing I'd try but being a newbie i haven't
a clue :-(.

--
Phil Read

Phil Read writes:
> I tried the PRAM reset and I can now get into the Anaconda installer
> :-). Downside is it gets to asking me about how I wish to partition the
> disk, Auto, disk druid or pdisk and whichever one I select I get some
> sort of exception and exited from the installer :-(.

I did have the same problem with a Ti-Book which did have Mac OS X 10.3 installed
before.

What helped for me was the old Mac OS 9 disk utility. I did remove all disk
partitions with the Mac OS 9 disk utility. Afterwards the YDL installation
went smoothly.

I guess, the YDL Anaconda installer does not recognize the file system id's used
by recent Mac OS X versions. At least this is how I do read the respective Anaconda
error message ...

Cheers,
Andreas D.

In article <020220040759266483%spamtrap@ntlworld.com>, Phil Read
wrote:

> I'm trying to install a version of Linux on my old 7500, I've had it
> running Linux PPC about 4 years ago but started playing around with OSX
> on it and deleted the Linux install. I've tried Mandrake and Yellow Dog
> in the last couple of days by downloading and burning the ISO's but
> both installs persistantly fail at various points during the run up to
> finding the CD. Sometimes it gets as far as chosing the source of the
> install and then either freezes there or just says it can't find the CD
> and then freezes.
>
> Not being very up on Linux(OK a Newbie!!) I'm at a loss on what to
> change or try next. The 7500 is upgraded with various things including
> a G4 processor, Adaptec SCSI card, Firewire and USB card and a Radeon
> 7000 graphics card.
>
> Any help or pointers to web sites would be great :-).
>
> TIA


Hi all, I've finally after much mucking about, got Mandrake to install.
YDL was just impossible, the anaconda installer would get as far as the
partitioning section then fail everytime :-(.

So I've got a hopefully working version of Mandrake on my HD but I now
find I cannot boot into it, however I setup BootX I get kernel panics
and unable to mount root errors. I've tried the 2 alternative kernels
on the disks and and various initrd files. I guess I maybe need some
specific arguments added to the BootX window but being virtually a
complete Newbie I'm lost. I've searched the Mandrake site but most of
the stuff I found appeared to be PC specific

TIA

--
Phil Read

In article <150220041121448291%spamtrap@ntlworld.com>, Phil Read
wrote:

> In article <020220040759266483%spamtrap@ntlworld.com>, Phil Read
> wrote:
>
> > I'm trying to install a version of Linux on my old 7500, I've had it
> > running Linux PPC about 4 years ago but started playing around with OSX
> > on it and deleted the Linux install. I've tried Mandrake and Yellow Dog
> > in the last couple of days by downloading and burning the ISO's but
> > both installs persistantly fail at various points during the run up to
> > finding the CD. Sometimes it gets as far as chosing the source of the
> > install and then either freezes there or just says it can't find the CD
> > and then freezes.
> >
> > Not being very up on Linux(OK a Newbie!!) I'm at a loss on what to
> > change or try next. The 7500 is upgraded with various things including
> > a G4 processor, Adaptec SCSI card, Firewire and USB card and a Radeon
> > 7000 graphics card.
> >
> > Any help or pointers to web sites would be great :-).
> >
>

Hi Phil

If you search hard you should be able to find ISOs of LinuxPPC2000 (on
ftp somewhere). It's still one of the more friendly distros for those
old PPCs, and it was my starter (a total newb). You shoud be able to
get Xfree86 working (though printing may be impossible). Good fun
anyway.

Also Debian Woody (3.0r1) is a known runner, though I haven't been able
to get Xfree86 to work. But running from the terminal is fine.

I've had problems with just about everything else, and go back to that
LinuxPPC (now sadly defunct). You may also find it called Q4 (fr some
obscure reason)

Good Luck

> Hi all, I've finally after much mucking about, got Mandrake to install.
> YDL was just impossible, the anaconda installer would get as far as the
> partitioning section then fail everytime :-(.
>
> So I've got a hopefully working version of Mandrake on my HD but I now
> find I cannot boot into it, however I setup BootX I get kernel panics
> and unable to mount root errors. I've tried the 2 alternative kernels
> on the disks and and various initrd files. I guess I maybe need some
> specific arguments added to the BootX window but being virtually a
> complete Newbie I'm lost. I've searched the Mandrake site but most of
> the stuff I found appeared to be PC specific
>

Hi:

Mandrake on OldWorld boxes is truly a whelp of satan to manage, but if
you believe you have it going, you need to make sure that you installed
on an ext3 filesystem for all the hard reboots you're going to have to
do to get it stable . . . and also remember to use the BootX "use
ramdisk" option to point to the oldworld.initrd file on the Mac
filesystem, in addition to selecting the vmlinux you want in Linux
Kernel on the Mac filesystem - you should have an images directory with
a bunch of sample initrds in them, or use the initrd file (in /boot, I
think, working from memory) which your install process created. In my
case, the default initrd and the "custom" one my install created were
identical.

Google this newsgroup's archives for OldWorld and Mandrake for
additional details if you need them.

Best,

D.

In article <402F9D49.4070202@d31337m3.mindspring.com>, !David
Stoltenberg wrote:


> Mandrake on OldWorld boxes is truly a whelp of satan to manage, but if
> you believe you have it going, you need to make sure that you installed
> on an ext3 filesystem for all the hard reboots you're going to have to
> do to get it stable . . . and also remember to use the BootX "use
> ramdisk" option to point to the oldworld.initrd file on the Mac
> filesystem, in addition to selecting the vmlinux you want in Linux
> Kernel on the Mac filesystem - you should have an images directory with
> a bunch of sample initrds in them, or use the initrd file (in /boot, I
> think, working from memory) which your install process created. In my
> case, the default initrd and the "custom" one my install created were
> identical.
>
> Google this newsgroup's archives for OldWorld and Mandrake for
> additional details if you need them.

Doesn't seem to matter which initrd I point BootX at I just get the
same error.

"Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."

Phil Read wrote:

> [Mandrake on 7500]
>
> Doesn't seem to matter which initrd I point BootX at I just get the
> same error.
>
> "Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."

sorry, can't help you with Mandrake, but I've been running debian_ppc
(woody & sarge) for about 3 years on a 7500 - including XFree86.

If there is any "linuxrc" on the root device of your Mandrake-ISO you
may try 'init=/linuxrc'. (seems to me like being similar to the
gentoo-installation-procedure ...)

hth & regards

Phil Read wrote:
> In article <402F9D49.4070202@d31337m3.mindspring.com>, !David
> Stoltenberg wrote: [1st hand advice]
>
> Doesn't seem to matter which initrd I point BootX at I just get the
> same error.
>
> "Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."

Hi:

Find and use the MacOS version of pdisk and cut/paste the output into a
post to this group. Do the same with the exact text parms you're
putting into BootX.

* Make sure you are checking the "Use Ramdisk" option and selecting the
correct initrd file as the ramdisk image on the MacOS filesystem. *

Also, that you're selecting the appropriate vmlinux on the MacOS filesystem.

If you do all this correctly, at a minimum you'll get a different error
message.

Let us know what happens . . .

Best,

D.

In article <2%LZb.2456$yZ1.1540@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.n et>,
!David Stoltenberg wrote:

> Phil Read wrote:
> > In article <402F9D49.4070202@d31337m3.mindspring.com>, !David
> > Stoltenberg wrote: [1st hand advice]
> >
> > Doesn't seem to matter which initrd I point BootX at I just get the
> > same error.
> >
> > "Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."
>
> Hi:
>
> Find and use the MacOS version of pdisk and cut/paste the output into a
> post to this group.

pdisk output is:-

Top level command (? for help): L
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.0'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.1'

Partition map (with 512 byte blocks) on '/dev/scsi0.2' (/dev/sda)
#: type name length base ( size )
1: Apple_partition_map Apple 63 @ 1
2: Apple_Driver43*Macintosh 54 @ 64
3: Apple_Driver43*Macintosh 74 @ 118
4: Apple_Driver_IOKit Macintosh 512 @ 192
5: Apple_Patches Patch Partition 512 @ 704
6: Apple_HFS FWB 2 GB 4123510 @ 1216 ( 2.0G)
7: 10 @ 4124726

Device block size=512, Number of Blocks=4124735 (2.0G)
DeviceType=0x0, DeviceId=0x0
Drivers-
1: @ 64 for 22, type=0x1
2: @ 118 for 36, type=0xffff

pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.3'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.4'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.5'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi0.6'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.0'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.1'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.2'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.3'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.4'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.5'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi1.6'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.0'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.1'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.2'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.3'

Partition map (with 512 byte blocks) on '/dev/scsi2.4' (/dev/sdb)
#: type name length base ( size )
1: Apple_partition_map Apple 63 @ 1
2: Apple_Driver43*Macintosh 54 @ 64
3: Apple_Driver43*Macintosh 74 @ 118
4: Apple_Driver_IOKit Macintosh 512 @ 192
5: Apple_Patches Patch Partition 512 @ 704
6: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 Linux ext3 5200158 @ 1216 ( 2.5G)
7: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 swap 1024000 @ 5201374 (500.0M)
8: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 Linux ext3 3365856 @ 6225374 ( 1.6G)
9: Apple_HFS untitled 2 8192000 @ 9591230 ( 3.9G)
10: Apple_Free Extra 10 @ 17783230

Device block size=512, Number of Blocks=17783239 (8.5G)
DeviceType=0x0, DeviceId=0x0
Drivers-
1: @ 64 for 22, type=0x1
2: @ 118 for 36, type=0xffff

pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.5'
pdisk: can't open file '/dev/scsi2.6'
Top level command (? for help):


> Do the same with the exact text parms you're
> putting into BootX.

Not sure what I should be using here?


>
> * Make sure you are checking the "Use Ramdisk" option and selecting the
> correct initrd file as the ramdisk image on the MacOS filesystem. *
>
> Also, that you're selecting the appropriate vmlinux on the MacOS filesystem.
>
> If you do all this correctly, at a minimum you'll get a different error
> message.
>
> Let us know what happens . . .
>
> Best,
>
> D.
>

Kernel vmlinux
initrd initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.ext3

Error message is "Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option
to kernel."

--
Phil Read

Phil Read wrote:
> pdisk output is:-

>
> Partition map (with 512 byte blocks) on '/dev/scsi2.4' (/dev/sdb)
> #: type name length base ( size )

> 6: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 Linux ext3 5200158 @ 1216 ( 2.5G)
> 7: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 swap 1024000 @ 5201374 (500.0M)
> 8: Apple_UNIX_SVR2 Linux ext3 3365856 @ 6225374 ( 1.6G)


>>Do the same with the exact text parms you're
>>putting into BootX.
>
> Not sure what I should be using here?
>
>>* Make sure you are checking the "Use Ramdisk" option and selecting the
>>correct initrd file as the ramdisk image on the MacOS filesystem. *
>>
> Kernel vmlinux
> initrd initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.ext3
>
> Error message is "Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option
> to kernel."
>

Hi:

For BootX to work for Mandrake, you need to explicitly and correctly
specify 4 things in the BootX Control panel and select Linux as the boot
OS: Mac F/S Kernel location, Mac F/S initrd location, Linux root
partition for /boot, /etc and friends, and video parms.

0. Click the BootX App application (Control Panel)

1. If you have a Linux Kernels folder in the System Folder of your
Mac-side F/S, select the kernel file via the Kernel: pulldown - you
should see the literal name of the exact vmlinux file you're booting
from when in this spot when done.

2. Same panel: now, click Options and you'll get 4 checkboxes you can
optionally fill in - check the option that says "Use the specified RAM
Disk". Use the Select button to select the initrd file you need - if
initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.ext3, that's what you'll see when done. Click OK.

3. Back at the main Bootx Control Panel: it looks like /dev/sdb6 is
where your linux /boot etc. lives, so fill in the sdb6 part in the Root
Device box (if it's sdb8 or something else fill that in, but my guess is
your /boot is on sdb6).

4. In the More Kernel arguments box, enter your video= parms if you
know them - otherwise just check the "No video driver" box for failsafe
video.

Click "Save to prefs". Click the Linux button. Hopefully you'll do
fine ths time. If not, go into your Preference folder, find your BootX
preferences file, and open it up in ResEdit. There's only one resource
(PREF) - doubleclick it to open it and you'll see 1 item called #128
listed - doubleclick that and you'll see what BootX is telling linux at
boot time - cut and paste that into a reply to this post, and we'll try
again.

All for now.

Best,

D.