G5 SP 1.6ghz( FW 5.1.5f2 ) OF can't read USB stick.

[DearthnVader]

I have a G5 with Firmware version 5.1.5f2 but Open Firmware can't read my USB stick. I wanted to try and install Debian 11 from the latest net install ISO and I copied it to the USB stick with dd and etcher, but the G5 can't read the files on the HFS partition.

So I tested it on my iBook G4 and it can read the files fine. I also partitioned the USB stick on the G5 with just one HFS+ partition, but Open Firmware on the G5 can't read the file system of the USB stick at all. So it's not a bug with dd or etcher or even the Linux ISO.

I tried another USB port, and Open Firmware does see the USB disk it just can't read the file system partition for some unknown reason?

My iBook G4 works just fine with this USB stick.

With the usb stick plugged into the front port the alias is usb2/disk@2, but when I do dir usb2/disk@2:,\ it just says "can't open DIR device", I append it to point it to the partition number of the HFS+ partition but I get the same error. Also tried plugging into the back USB port, dir usb3/disk@2:,\ same deal "can't open DIR device".

I also tried the absolute path in the device-tree but it's the same deal: dir /ht/@4/@b/disk@2:,\ "can't open DIR device".

What gives?

 

[LightBulbFun]

I have a G5 with Firmware version 5.1.5f2 but Open Firmware can't read my USB stick. I wanted to try and install Debian 11 from the latest net install ISO and I copied it to the USB stick with dd and etcher, but the G5 can't read the files on the HFS partition.

So I tested it on my iBook G4 and it can read the files fine. I also partitioned the USB stick on the G5 with just one HFS+ partition, but Open Firmware on the G5 can't read the file system of the USB stick at all. So it's not a bug with dd or etcher or even the Linux ISO.

I tried another USB port, and Open Firmware does see the USB disk it just can't read the file system partition for some unknown reason?

My iBook G4 works just fine with this USB stick.

With the usb stick plugged into the front port the alias is usb2/disk@2, but when I do dir usb2/disk@2:,\ it just says "can't open DIR device", I append it to point it to the partition number of the HFS+ partition but I get the same error. Also tried plugging into the back USB port, dir usb3/disk@2:,\ same deal "can't open DIR device".

I also tried the absolute path in the device-tree but it's the same deal: dir /ht/@4/@b/disk@2:,\ "can't open DIR device".

What gives?

have ya tried another USB stick or hard drive etc to make sure that your pathing is indeed correct everything else is indeed working as intended?

I have found OpenFirmware can be very choosy about what USB sticks it wants to read

I have a Sandisk USB 3.0 stick that will happily work with some macs in OpenFirmware but wont in others, from not being detected, to streight up spewing USB errors in the OF prompt

(I now use a nice fast lexar USB 3.0 CF card reader, which seems to play ball with all OF versions I have on hand, and lets me quickly deploy an image to a CF card which I can then directly attach to the ATA bus of a mac under test )

so it may well be that this OF version on your G5 does not like your particular USB stick