[nycbug-talk] I'm new here - Anyone with netbsd on powerbook G3 experience?

[dingo]

>> > Now this is the part where I've hit a wall.  I can
>> not go beyond the
>> > partitioning.  I don't know where I'm messing
>> up but that's were I stop
>> > every time.
>> >
>> > Is there someone who would like to help me with this? 
>> I don't want this
>> > laptop to go to the garbage dump or lead and
>> unproductive life.
>> >
>> > I would appreciate any possible help.  I can meet with
>> anyone in Manhattan
>> > and certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens.

Unfortunately for you, I'm Detroit, MI area.

just a side node, as for netbooting, I find tcpdump to do everything for me
-- I can't recall the difference between netbooting sparc, sparc64, hppa,
i386, ppc, and so on -- so I just tcpdump, and fulfill whatever it is they
are looking for.

Looks like you got past that, though.

I'm not fully understanding your problem with partitioning on ppc -- Are
you unable to use pdisk?

pdisk does have its quirks...

http://www.netbsd.org/ports/macppc/partitioning.html

could this help?

If you've really hosed your disk...

  Commands are:
    C    (create with type also specified)
    c    create new partition (standard unix root)
    d    delete a partition
    h    help
    i    initialize partition map
    n    (re)name a partition
    P    (print ordered by base address)
    p    print the partition table
    q    quit editing
    r    reorder partition entry in map
    s    change size of partition map
    t    change a partition's type
    w    write the partition table

start out with an 'i'nitialize.

Then go on to 'C'reate new w/type specified.

I always calculated the block.. looks like you can use a 'p' to specify "at
partition" for the "First block:" prompt.. wow, thats a lot easier...

  Command (? for help): C
  First block: 2p
  Length in blocks: 800m
  Name of partition: netbsd
  Type of partition: Apple_UNIX_SVR2
  Available partition slices for Apple_UNIX_SVR2:
    a   root partition
    b   swap partition
    c   do not set any bzb bits
    g   user partition
  Other lettered values will create user partitions
  Select a slice for default bzb values: a

theres your /

  Command (? for help): C
  First block: 4p
  Length in blocks: 4p
  Name of partition: swap
  Type of partition: Apple_UNIX_SVR2
  Available partition slices for Apple_UNIX_SVR2:
    a   root partition
    b   swap partition
    c   do not set any bzb bits
    g   user partition
  Other lettered values will create user partitions
  Select a slice for default bzb values: b

theres your swp

like vi, 'w'rite, and 'q'uit

then, newfs the suckers and go on with the install.

I haven't actually used netbsd on ppc before, but I have little to no
problems using openbsd on ppc. I'm doing an openbsd on a g4 ibook pretty
soon here. From what I recall, it looks like the pdisk program on openbsd
is slightly different. It doesn't work at all on Freebsd/ppc, so don't even
think about it!!

Installing the boot loader isn't always simple, either. Thats where I
usually goof myself.

good luck,
jeff quast