[ydl-gen] [YDL5] Install DVD won't boot (bad media?) and related questions

[Derick Centeno]

> ...I tried to boot the Quad  
> from the DVD without any external devices present.
>
> If that had worked, I wouldn't be writing this email.
>
> I suspect that I have a bad print of the YDL 5 Install DVD (The  
> sources' DVD mounts properly, though).  I used `pdisk` on OS X to  
> determine the location of the Install DVD, and came across the  
> following:
>
> 	Top level command (? for help): L
> 	pdisk: can't open file '/dev/rdisk1'  (Permission denied)
> 	pdisk: can't open file '/dev/rdisk0'  (Permission denied)
> 	
> 	Partition map (with 512 byte blocks) on '/dev/rdisk2'
> 	#:                type name    length   base    ( size )
> 	1: Apple_partition_map Apple        2 @ 1
> 	2:           Apple_HFS PBOOT  7609424 @ 16      (  3.6G)
>
> 	Device block size=512, Number of Blocks=7609440 (3.6G)
> 	DeviceType=0x1, DeviceId=0x1
>
>   
Remember that what Apple has done with open source is modify nearly 
everything to it's taste.  Apple's pdisk for example is probably not 
able to see or read ext3 format which is the format used by YDL.  So the 
above doesn't mean anything.  Apple even entirely removed md5sum from 
Darwin, the open source or BSD component of OS X which is standard 
everywhere else (in every other Unix).
> With the disk number and slice number of YDL's installation  
> partition, I ran `md5 /dev/disk2s2` to verify the checksum.  It  
> returned an `input/output error`.  Even if it had worked, I cannot  
> locate YDL 5's ISO MD5 for Apple Macintosh (the Sony Playstation MD5  
> was easily found at the Argonne National Labs's Yellow Dog mirror).
>   
As I explained, and this is stated by Apple itself under it's help menu 
-- Apple doesn't use md5sum, it uses another algorithm related to md5sum.
The bottom line is that all the algorithms Apple uses don't match the 
standard md5sum -- so none of the algorithm variants which Apple now 
uses matter as far as YDL, or any other Linux, and maybe any other Unix, 
is concerned.  None of the variants will produce a sequence ever 
matching a md5sum standard.
> My intuition tells me that I probably have a bad media.  I hope not  
> because bought the DVD from the YDL store *specifically* because I  
> wanted to avoid having bad burns (I also wanted to go around the  
> office with that nice, big, "I'm on the cutting-edge and you have to  
> wait another two weeks to download the ISO from the mirrors you bunch  
> of freeloaders" smirk).  So, I have a few questions...
>
> (1) What is the MD5 correct for the "PBOOT" partition?
>
>   
It wouldn't matter if you had the sequence from TSS because currently 
Apple saw fit to remove the standard md5sum algorithm which TSS uses, 
and remains standard as a Unix algorithm universally everywhere except 
in Apple-land.
> (2) Could the short length of the Apple partition map affect booting  
> from the DVD?
>
>   
This has nothing to do with anything, in my view.
> (3) Are the YDL 5 prints' undersides supposed to be blue?
>
>   
Different persons will see different colors or none, depending on their 
eyesight and perhaps even their location.  Although I referred to the 
possibility of the DVDs being Blu-ray, I was really indicating that this 
particular observation is not a useful guide in determining anything.  
Consider this, most persons can see upon reflecting the underside of any 
DVD or CD to light for a short period a range of brightly varying 
colored light similar to a rainbow; people will obviously observe 
different hues and describe them quite differently.

The most useful observation to be concerned about would be, in my view, 
if after burning or having burnt a particular CD or DVD it looked 
exactly like the underside of a blank DVD or CD.  Many more people can 
distinguish that difference; however some cannot.  However in the end, 
isn't reliable either.
> (4) Is it possible to launch the YDL 5 installer from within YDL 4?   
> (Note: I know the answer will most likely be that I have to boot with  
> YDL 5 to install it, but I'm asking anyway)
>   
I don't believe that starting from YDL 4 installer and somehow switching 
to YDL 5 is possible.  In my experience, anaconda once started is going 
to expect to run completely through to install that version of YDL.  
Another point is that there are, I believe, variations of anaconda which 
match that version of YDL.
> (5) Did I just waste $49.95 (plus shipping) on a coaster?  (Note: If  
> so, it'll be used to "coast" my YDL coffee mug)  And...
>   
Not necessarily.  It depends on considering what you got and what you 
ordered.  It may have been a mix-up, your own or someone else's.
The good point is at least you're asking.
If you don't have a PS3, and intended to run YDL 5 on Macs only double 
check to insure that you actually received that version.
> (6) How can I be absolutely sure that the media is bad, and what can  
> I do about getting a replacement?, and...
>   

Given what I explained above regarding what Apple chose to do regarding 
Darwin and standard Unix commands -- you can't test or do anything with 
OS X as far as engaging in a reliable test.  Re-reading the description 
of when you did, try this: 

1.  make sure that there is a Linux partition on your hard drive 
formatted and prepared for YDL.
2.  when the mac powers up then insert the DVD.
3.  before the mac runs OS X, then press the C or option key.  On my own 
laptop, I press one of these keys just after boot and hold them down 
until the expected action begins.

Good Luck....