PPC netboot help

salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

hi there!
I am trying a netboot from a PC to a PPC. The PC runs linux , the PPC has nothing.
I should install gentoo on the PPC from the PC, but I can not compile kernel (?) under a PC Athlon64 platform to a PPC 32bit New World machine.
As I have figured out
1. the kernel of install CD can not be used via tftp netboot. (?)
2. I am trying to gt yaboot via tftp - but i have read that
a. yaboot is not "ideal" for netbooting
b. it leans on some ofboot file interpreting yaboot device names eg. changing the yaboot devices i should recompile this file (?)

So:
1. is there precompiled kernel - initrd etc. for netboot/netinstall a PPC (PowerBook G4 in my case)?
2. it there a precompiled yaboot - ofboot for this process?

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

Netboot isn't a supported install method for Gentoo at the moment, sorry. We're planning it for perhaps the next release. Why can't you use the existing install media?
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Gerk · Retired Dev Joined: 07 May 2002 Posts: 435

yaboot is your best choice. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's possible (not with stuff supplied by the distro).

I used to netboot my Apple Network Server this way for several years with a (very very hacked up) Gentoo installation.

salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

JoseJX:
Because the PwrBook has no optical device and only netboot-net install is possible.
If you mean why I do not use the install CD - i am working hard on it, but maybe I am wrong. Somewhere I met the opinion that the kernel of the install CD can not be used to netboot.
I hope it is wrong.

Gerk:
So, I can use yaboot. Fine. If not the one shipped with the distro which one? Could you help a bit?

It is important to note that I have one PwrBook (diskless) and a PC and i know how to compile a kernel for a PPC (if it is possible at all). I need some premade stuff and then I can start to install gentoo manually probably - but your advise first.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

I have to add also that I try to solve the problem with using Anvin's tftp as a tftp and bootp, and dnsmasq as a dns server.
dnsmasq gives the address propery.
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nixnut · Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2006 10:40 am Post subject:

Here is a howto that may be of use. While it is for a specific purpose and based on fedora it should explain the process and what files and services you need for netbooting your machine.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

"On ppc there should be no need for the scratchbox binaries anyway, you can edit the script a bit to disable the scratchbox parts (if you do this with the proper conditionals, I'll take over the changes in my script)."
Well, this part of the story is not clear at all... i know not how to do this.

I understand that

1. I need a ppc kernel. should i use the Netboot Linux Power PC at PowerPC kernel archives? Or can i use the kernel packed on the install CD? If not all work is in vain.

2. I have to set yaboot as described at many places. that is ok.
3. I have to set a DHCP server (in my case DNSmasq - OK.)
4. A tftp - OK.

The point I am stuck is that typing at OF path: boot enet:[serverIP],yaboot
i receive the server and client IP-s (OK:), a message stating that file transfer of yaboot started, then a long nothing, and
LOAD-SIZE is too small - message.

Possible reasons:
1. some parameter is missing in one .conf file.
2. yaboot is not starting properly (as one source writes yaboot can loop infinite ? but many others succeed, so....)
3. yaboot can not find the kernel (again one source states it as a point behind the message)
4. the kernel is too big. i checked the tftp server and no size limit is set as default.
One fellow had a similar problem to mine with this error message, but unfortunately his monologue has no conclusion.
5. ?????????
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

Now, I have reached a point to load the kernel and the ramdisk to the PPC.
The kernel loads, runs and finds things on, then comes a point saying:

>>Loading modules
>>Activating mdev
>>Determining root device...
!! The root device is unspecified or not detected.
Please specify a device to boot, or "shell" for a shell...
boot() ::

Now i have the boot Cd image in the tftpbood directory. I have an NFS demon running.
What command (syntax etc.) shall i use to find a device to boot?

Shall I symling the PC's DVD to the tftpboot directory and give some command? ????

Absolutely helpless.....

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nixnut · Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:18 pm Post subject:

append="real_root=/dev/nfs rw nfsroot=12.345.67.89:/path/on/server/to/nfs_root ip=dhcp console=tty1 init=/linuxrc"
change the part in red with settings that match your setup. No idea if this actually works, having never netbooted anything or used an nfs root.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

_savage · Guru Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Posts: 308 Location: Redmond, WA

I had a similar problem a while back where I had to net-boot my TiBook. Here's the thread: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-472593-start-0-postdays-0-postorder-asc-highlight-.html.

Scroll down to the posting from Mon Jun 19, 2006 1:11 pm, and the last posting.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

"This booted the Gentoo image, spewed a few error messages, and ended up in a BB prompt."

Somewhere i still miss the point.
OK:
my yaboot.conf is here:

nixnut · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 5:22 pm Post subject:

1. nfs_root should have a linux installation (i.e. a root filesystem), an extracted ppc stage3 tarball might work.
2. nfs_root path should be what you defined in /etc/exports on the nfs server
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

nixnut · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 6:49 pm Post subject:

the install cd mounts a file that contains a populated squashfs filesystem
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

nixnut · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 7:19 pm Post subject:

salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

Ram disk? or NFS?

The yaboot conf has this line:
initrd=enet:apple.igz
and with the original setting i can end up in a shell - see my post above " Post subject: Slow step ahead".
If i enter the shell It offers a file system but rather restricted.
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JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

The LiveCD works by pivot mounting the LiveCD root after uncompressing the image.squashfs. The initrd is a ramdisk that loads the initial system before the pivot. That said, I don't really know what you're doing wrong, it's hard to tell from your posts exactly what you've got setup there. As an example, I've sucessfully booted a PPC machine from an NFS root created from a stage3, but I needed to chroot into that to set it up correctly (root password, etc.), which requires another PPC machine.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

Neither do i.
Well, if i uncompress a stage3 tarball on an different ppc , then this thread is not working for me because i have only one ppc and one pc around.

if you say you can bootload with the initrd it means the initrd supports NFS, so it should work.

i use only yaboot as bootloader.

what else info should be given?
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JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

I created my own kernel to do the netboot, you can certainly do this on an x86 machine if you need to.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

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

crossdev will help you set up an environment. Googling for cross compiling will bring up a number of pages with intstructions for building things like the kernel for a ppc target on x86.
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salmonix · Guru Joined: 16 Jul 2006 Posts: 410

OK. If there is nothing else i give it a try.
But odes it mean that the kernel of the install cd does not support netboot and it is the root of this evil?

Thanks for your concern!
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JoseJX · Retired Dev Joined: 28 Apr 2002 Posts: 2774

Yes, like I said before, netboot isn't a supported install method on PPC. Afaik, the kernel isn't configured for NFS root.
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