2006.0 on G3 installation problem

Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

So I have BootX installed on my G3 that's currently running MacOS 9.0. I burned the Universal Install image file onto a CD-RW using Nero (as an image CD), and when I try to put the CD into the G3's drive, it gives me the following message:

"This disk is unreadable by this Computer. Do you want to initialize the disk?"

Then it just gives me the option to either initialize it (which will delete everything that's on it) and ejecting it, nothing else. Is there something I did wrong / can do?

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

There's a couple of things that might have happened. Make sure that the CD is burnt correctly (as an Image). Make sure that you can see files on the disk on the machine you burnt it on. If those are okay, try a different brand of media, some older drives can't read newer CDRs, it's even worse with CDRWs. Make sure that other CDs can be read as well, the drive may not be working correctly.
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

The CD shows the files just fine on my WinXP. I thought that it might be because I'm using a CD-RW instead of a CD-R, but I wouldn't want to waste another CD-R on this. Is there anything else I can do?

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

My Beige G3 and 8500 do not read CDRWs, so that's the first thing I'd try, using a regular CD-R. I don't really have any other ideas, sorry.
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NewBlackDak · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:15 am Post subject:

What he said. The only old machines we have that can read CDRWs are the ones that have had the drive replaced.
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Frelon · Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:12 pm Post subject:

I had have some issues too with cd-rw, and a gentoo live-CD is never a wasted CD !!!
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

Okay, I burned it onto a CDR and everything, but when it booted up, instead of getting a command prompt, all I got was an image of Tux the penguin in the upper left corner. After a wait, I hit the spacebar, and the image went away, but still no command prompt. Is this at all normal?

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

The initial console isn't coming up. I don't have one of those machines so I can't tell you why, but I would guess that the framebuffer isn't working correctly. Try playing with video= settings, or if you can, a serial console.
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

I've been using video=ofonly, otherwise I get a garbled image of the boot read-out. I can hear it trying to read the CD, but I just can't tell what's wrong.

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

What exactly are you passing to BootX on boot?
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

I inputed the kernel argument:

cdroot root=/dev/ram0 init=linuxrc loop=image.squashfs looptype=squashfs console=tty0 video=ofonly

Then it shows a quick screen of something, too quick to read, then it goes to Tux, and the CD runs for a while, but nothing else happens.

Pylon · Posted: Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:37 am Post subject:

What's the size of your RAM? At least 64MB?
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

I'm not too sure, as I just got this G3 as a hand-me-down from my boss, but the standard specs for it online says that it should have 128MB RAM.

But when I select the ppc.igz on BootX, it says the ramdisk is 8195, while in the installation guide it says to make sure that it reads 32000. So I just changed it to 32000, but I don't know if that did anything.

Yeah, I'm a noob at Linux in general, isn't it obvious? But I'm trying to get into it, so please bear with me.

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

Unfortunately Old World macs are notorious for being hard to install on. :( Which G3 do you have exactly?
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

How can I tell one G3 from another? All I do know is that unlike the normal G3 specs I've read, mine has a 120GB hard drive.

JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-ppc-faq.xml#powerpc
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

It's still not easy to tell, because all it says on the case is "PowerPC Macintosh G3". Looking at the Apple Product history page, I'm supposing that its either 300, 333, or 366, since it mentions for them that it sometimes comes standard with an internal zip drive like mine.

Also, now that I got a chance to look at it, it has 3*256 SDRAM on it. Yeah, that's ... a lotta RAM.

iceman85 · n00b Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 4

I have had similar issues trying to boot 2006.0 on my 8600/200. I have managed to tweak it to the point that it boots to show a tux image on the screen, but the cdrom runs for a while and then stops. I have seen that there are video issues with these machines, and my machine has two video cards in it (one PCI and one onboard). I am using the same arguments at boot time with BootX, as previously posted. I know I used a video= statement, but I also remember getting to where I am now by checking one of the video options in BootX. I have also set the ramdisk for 32000.

In terms of other hardware, this computer has 2 2GB Seagate SCSI drives, and 320MB RAM.

I had a lot of trouble trying to install/reinstall 2005.0 and 2005.1 on a G3/266 with a similar amount of RAM. That machine has gone to a better place though.

iceman85
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iceman85 · n00b Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 4

I just attempted to boot my 8600/200 with 2006.0. Suprisingly I only had to modify the kernel arguments slightly. To those who are having issues, below are the kernel arguments I recommend you input to BootX.

cdroot root=/dev/ram0/ init=linuxrc loop=image.squashfs console=tty0 nodevfs udev video-ofonly

This seemed to work properly, but I later encountered a segmentation fault in udev-start.sh. I managed to correct this by restarting with the ramdisk set to 64000. Also I would ensurethat "No video drivers" and "Force Video settings" are not checked in BootX. I also removed the PCI Video Card,which may have been the root cause of my trouble.
iceman85
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

*le sigh* Still isn't working for me :cry:

iceman85 · n00b Joined: 15 Mar 2006 Posts: 4

Aye, I see. I remember when I had a G3/266. I installed 2005.0 on it, and had little issue. If I remember correctly, I think its onboard video was ATI Based. I would try using a video= statment that accomodates this. I understand the frustration, my 8600 will give the same problem if I use video=ofonly, but not if i use video-ofonly. ( note the difference between the '-' and the '=').
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Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

When I do video-ofonly, it gives me a rather messed-up looking screen. My G3 has an ATI Rage, I believe, and I tried one of the commands for the radeon once and that didn't work. But then, that was back when I had another problem. I'll go give it a try again.

Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

Yes, it appears that any alteration of the video parameter completely messes up the screen, I only get Tux if I leave it as video=ofonly. I wonder if I should try a different console prompt, as Yaboot's is different from BootX's.

Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

So, has anybody else have any ideas?

At the moment I'm using Ubuntu on my PC, dual-booting WinXP. But I still want to install Gentoo on this G3, maybe try to use it as a server. Does anybody know of anything else I should try?

Is_lan · n00b Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 16

Okay, I found out that I was using my G3's onboard graphics card instead of the ATI Rage Pro, and switching the monitor to the ATI got it to work. However, now that it all boots up, it says "Invalid loop location: image.squashfs"

It still gets a shell prompt, but I there is no /share inside /usr. Hmm...