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Ubuntu on G5ppc using firewire external

UncleSchnitty

UncleSchnitty

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 26, 2007
851
14
Just wondering if anyone could help me out, I installed ubuntu to an external firewire HD. It added a partition for the OS and a partition for bootstrap. I can not for the life of me figure out how to get boot loader(holding option key) to see that there is a firewire drive with ubuntu on it.
I have searched the subject all night and I just cant figure it out. Thought maybe someone here could help that has done it on a PPC.
Thanks
 
I think there are a couple of regulars here who currently use PowerPC Ubuntu. However, being a "regular" in this particular sub-forum may only mean checking in once a week or so.

In the meantime, maybe post some screen shots from Disk Utility? I assume that you still have MacOS installed since you're doing this on a FW drive. If not, boot to the Live CD and post some information that way.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. I've never done a Linux install on a FW drive.
 
Ubuntu doesn't seem to be the issue, yet. I cant really tell because the only way I can get it to boot is from the live CD. The issue seems to be with yaboot so any form of linux that I install will have the same issue I'm having now. Hopefully today I can get OSX's bootloader to recognize the yaboot partition on the firewire drive.
 
UncleSchnitty said:
Ubuntu doesn't seem to be the issue, yet. I cant really tell because the only way I can get it to boot is from the live CD. The issue seems to be with yaboot so any form of linux that I install will have the same issue I'm having now. Hopefully today I can get OSX's bootloader to recognize the yaboot partition on the firewire drive.
Click to expand...

Just try Debian, I booted my G5 to another Mac that had a Debian install partition in target disk.
 
Rabidz, you're done.

OP you can choose your boot device in open firmware I believe, it is the same as booting a USB install drive
Let me find the link on how to boot a USB drive and it should apply.
http://blog.campodoro.org/?p=43
 
Last edited:
Should I delete the yaboot/boot strap partition from the firewire drive and move it to a partition on the osx hd?
 
I get that non-standard configurations can be tricky. Sometimes one has to find the open firmware device path and edit yaboot configuration accordingly.

In this case, though, shouldn't the Ubuntu disk show up in the Startup Manager when holding down the option key? Wouldn't it show up even if yaboot were configured incorrectly?

Did you partition with Apple Partition Map?
 
The idea is yes, it should show up. Unfortunately it did not and that's what I'm trying to remedy.
The way Ubuntu sets up the drive is it breaks down the drive with a master boot record map scheme, then 3 partitions
1.Bootstrap: Has yaboot files and is a mac os standard format
2.disk 1: I assume this is my root file with Ubuntu on it that's a Linux format
3.disk 2: I assume by its size this is the swap partition also Linux format.

This is getting frustrating that its taking me this long to figure out. I could just give up and only install Ubuntu to get started but where is the learning in giving in?
 
ok maybe some of this info will jog someones memory to try to help.
I opened up openfirmware and did a devalias in openfirmware and the firewire drive is: fw /ht/pci@5/firewire
if i do a dev / ls firewire drive is: /firewire@e/node@00d04b541003cd54/sbp-2@c000/disk@0

I dont know what the partition number is for bootstrap but the yaboot and yaboot.cof are the first things on that partition.

Hopefully this jogs someones memory on the proper command to get this guy booted as the osx bootloader should remember it from there
 
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