<!DOCTYPE debiandoc PUBLIC "-//DebianDoc//DTD DebianDoc//EN" [
- <!--
+ <!--
document conventions:
file, directory, device == file
program, command == prgn
<author>
<name>Chris Tillman</name>
</author>
- <version>Version 1.00, Oct 28 2001</version>
+ <version>Version 1.04, Feb 22 2004</version>
<abstract>
This document contains installation and usage instructions for
<prgn>yaboot</prgn>, the GNU/Linux PowerPC bootloader.
<copyrightsummary>
This document may be distributed and modified under the terms of the
GNU General Public License.
-© 1998–2001 Chris Tillman
+© 1998–2002 Chris Tillman
</copyrightsummary>
<p>
+This document is maintained in the upstream yaboot source. Patches
+and translations should be sent to erbenson (at) alaska.net. The most
+recent sgml version of this document is available via the yaboot rsync
+tree: rsync://penguinppc.org/yaboot.
+ <p>
+The master location of this
+document is <url
+id="http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/yaboot/doc/yaboot-howto.shtml"
+name="http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/yaboot/doc/yaboot-howto.shtml">.
+ <p>
This document is free software; you may redistribute it and/or modify it
under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
The NewWorld PowerMacs, for which <prgn>yaboot</prgn> is designed, are
any PowerMacs in translucent colored plastic cases. That includes all
iMacs, iBooks, G4 systems, blue colored G3 systems, and most
-PowerBooks manufactured in and after 1999.
+PowerBooks manufactured in and after 1999.
<chapt>Obtaining Yaboot
You can also download <prgn>yaboot</prgn> directly from the
<prgn>yaboot</prgn> home page at <url
-id="http://penguinppc.org/projects/yaboot">. If you download it using MacOS,
+id="http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/yaboot/">. If you download it using MacOS,
be sure to download using <em>binary</em> (not text) format, and don't let
Stuffit Expander or another utility expand the archive in MacOS.
<p>
Be sure you have reviewed the <prgn>mac-fdisk</prgn> Basics page at <url
-id="http://penguinppc.org/projects/yaboot/doc/mac-fdisk-basics.shtml">. If
+id="http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/yaboot/doc/mac-fdisk-basics.shtml">. If
you are creating a new Linux installation, the first partition you create
with <prgn>mac-fdisk</prgn> should be the bootstrap partition. Just use the
<prgn>mac-fdisk</prgn> <tt>b</tt> command to automatically create a
bootstrap partition of the proper size and type. If your version of
-<prgn>mac-fdisk</prgn> doesn't include the <tt>b</tt> command, use:
+<prgn>mac-fdisk</prgn> doesn't include the <tt>b</tt> command, use:
<p>
<example>
- Command (? for help): C xxxx 800k bootstrap Apple_Bootstrap
+ Command (? for help): C xxxx 800k bootstrap Apple_Bootstrap
</example>
<p>
(Replace xxxx with the starting block number.) A working tarball of a
bootstrap-capable version of mac-fdisk (Debian users already have this
version) is also distributed at <url
-id="http://penguinppc.org/projects/eb/">. To install this, use
+id="http://penguinppc.org/~eb/files/">. To install this, use
<example>
su -
cd /
gzip -dc mac-fdisk.tar.gz | tar -xvp
</example>
-
+
<p>
The bootstrap partition only takes 800k of space. If you are adding a
bootstrap partition to your existing setup, you may have enough free
if you create or edit it within MacOS.
-<sect>Linux Style Device Paths
+<sect>Linux Style Device Paths
<p>
For those unfamiliar with Linux device naming, partition paths are in
hdc secondary controller, master disk (often used for CD-ROM)
hdd secondary controller, slave disk (often used for Zip drive)
sda first SCSI disk (SCSI ID address-wise)
- sdb second SCSI disk
+ sdb second SCSI disk
scd0 first CD-ROM (or sr0)
fd0 first floppy drive
fd1 second floppy drive
given Linux device path is provided: <prgn>ofpath</prgn>. <prgn>ybin</prgn>
uses <prgn>ofpath</prgn>
internally to convert Linux device names you use in <file>yaboot.conf</file> to
-OpenFirmware equivalents. Example: <tt>ofpath /dev/hda</tt> (should return hd:).
-You can also figure out OpenFirmware device paths yourself, see
+OpenFirmware equivalents. Example: <tt>ofpath /dev/hda</tt> (should return hd:).
+You can also figure out OpenFirmware device paths yourself, see
Recovering From Misconfiguration below.
<sect>Required Settings
<p>
-For PowerMacs, a magicboot line such as
+For PowerMacs, a magicboot line such as
<tt>magicboot=/usr/local/lib/yaboot/ofboot</tt> is also required. Several
models cannot execute a straight ELF, and need a CHRP script (which this
line in the <file>yaboot.conf</file> makes available).
A CHRP script (<file>ofboot</file>) has been provided which
<prgn>ybin</prgn> will modify using <file>yaboot.conf</file> settings, to
-display a very handy multi-OS boot menu.
+display a very handy multi-OS boot menu.
-<p>
+<p>
If you are setting up a multi-OS boot menu, you'll need to identify the
partitions where each OS lives. You can use Linux-style or OpenFirmware
is quite often true. You should always supply the kernel partition number,
for example <tt>partition=3</tt>, and of course the image path (for example
<tt>image=/boot/vmlinux</tt> ). If your kernel image is at the root level of
-the parttion, don't forget to include the leading slash when specifying the
+the partition, don't forget to include the leading slash when specifying the
image path (<tt>image=vmlinux</tt> will probably fail).
<p>
options are available to pass additional boot parameters to the kernel
(<tt>append=</tt>), specify initial ramdisk size (<tt>ramdisk=</tt>), load a
ramdisk image (<tt>initrd=</tt>), and others. Refer to the yaboot.conf man
-page for details on kernel image options.
+page for details on kernel image options.
<p>
# How long to wait at the boot: prompt (tenths of a second)
timeout=50
# Globally identified root partition
- root=/dev/hda3
+ root=/dev/hda3
# The device where the kernel lives
device=hd:
path on the tftp server) and <tt>device=enet:10.0.0.1</tt>
(substituting the tftp boot server IP address).
-<p>
+<p>
Normally the first image specified in the <file>yaboot.conf</file> will be the
image booted if no entry is made at the boot: prompt. To have another
image loaded by default, add a <tt>default=label</tt> line in the global
-section.
+section.
<sect>Optional and Cool Settings
<p>
-Booting password protection is available using a <tt>password=</tt> line.
+Booting password protection is available using a <tt>password=</tt> line.
When you add <tt>password=</tt>, a password will be required for all booting.
Automatic booting is not possible unless a <tt>restricted</tt> line is added.
<example>
$ perl -e 'printf("%s\n", crypt("secret", "\$1\$saltstrg"))'
-</example>
-The saltstrg should be a random string, for example one generated by
+</example>
+The saltstrg should be a random string, for example one generated by
<example>
makepasswd --chars=8
<p>
If you have a problem booting, don't panic. Yaboot can boot any
-installed Linux kernel and system from the boot: prompt.
+installed Linux kernel and system from the boot: prompt.
<sect>Resetting the NVRAM
<p>
If a <tt>boot:</tt> prompt isn't presented, then <prgn>yaboot</prgn> isn't
being loaded. You can load it manually from
OpenFirmware. Holding the Command-Option-o-f keys all together after
-pressing the power-on key will give you an OpenFirmware prompt
+pressing the power-on key will give you an OpenFirmware prompt
<example>
0 >
</example>
-(Command is the key with the cloverleaf and/or apple engraved on it).
+(Command is the key with the cloverleaf and/or apple engraved on it).
<p>
<p>
-The full OpenFirmware path consists of three parts in the format
+The full OpenFirmware path consists of three parts in the format
<example>
device-name:partition-number,/filesystem-path
ultra1 internal ide drive (primary controller, slave disk)
ide0 ide drive (secondary controller, master disk)
ide1 ide drive (secondary controller, slave disk)
- cd CD-ROM
+ cd CD-ROM
zip Zip drive
fw FireWire interface
fd Floppy drive
file on the boot partition.
<example>
- 0 > boot hd:2,yaboot
+ 0 > boot hd:2,yaboot
</example>
<p>
<file>boot:</file> prompt. If you don't know the partition number, just
start at 2 and work your way up until you hit it.
-<sect>Manually Loading a Kernel Image
+<sect>Manually Loading a Kernel Image
<p>
Once you have the boot: prompt, you can enter a label defined in your
To pass parameters to the kernel, add them on to the <tt>boot:</tt> prompt
line after the kernel label or path. You'll need to specify <tt>root=</tt>
as a minimum, but you can add any kernel parameters desired. Here's an
-example;
+example;
<example>
boot: hd:3,/vmlinux root=/dev/hda3 ro
</example>
-<chapt>Yaboot as a Temporary Bootloader
+<chapt>Yaboot as a Temporary Bootloader
<p>
It's very convenient for certain tasks like installing a new system
the first time without a CD, or rescuing an existing system, to boot a
<p>
-The <file>yaboot.conf</file> file for this purpose contains just
+The <file>yaboot.conf</file> file for this purpose contains just
four lines:
<example>
image=linux
it to use Unix newlines (linefeeds only). If you use MacOS newlines
(just carriage returns), <prgn>yaboot</prgn> will be unable to read the file.
+<p>
+You must pick a partition that is formatted with either HFS or HFS+. If
+you have Mac OS X installed on a UFS partition (You can use the OS X "Disk
+Utility" app to check this), you will have to find another partition to use.
+If Mac OS X is installed on UFS, you probably have one or two partitions
+of the "Apple_Boot" type. They have HFS filesystems on them. Pick one,
+mount it under MacOS X, and store the files there.
+
<p>
Boot into OpenFirmware, and type at the prompt:
<example>
Where's home?
<list>
-<item> <url id="http://penguinppc.org/projects/yaboot/" name="Yaboot Home">
+<item> <url id="http://penguinppc.org/bootloaders/yaboot/" name="Yaboot Home">
</list>
<p>
How do I install Debian?
<list>
-<item> <url id="http://mirrors.kernel.org/debian/dists/woody/main/disks-powerpc/current/doc/install.en.html"
+<item> <url id="http://www.debian.org/releases/woody/powerpc/install"
name="Installing Debian GNU/Linux 3.0 For PowerPC">
-<item> <url id="http://www.debian.org/releases/potato/powerpc/install" name="Installing Debian GNU/Linux 2.2 For PowerPC">
</list>
<p>
projects / yaboot.git / blobdiff