Installing to a G3 in target mode via a G5

[H. Apfel]

>On Mar 20, 2006, at 2:47 AM, H. Apfel wrote:
>
>>>Just an idea, but perhaps a local library, university, college or 
>>>school would allow you to have access or borrow (on loan) a cd 
>>>drive created in the same era as your G3 iBook.
>>
>>Well, I wanted to avoid messing with the innards of an iBook if possible...
>
>You could get the cd drives such that they are external and you 
>won't have to bother with the "innards"; the problem will be what 
>the Mac Classic OS under stands regarding the device.  You may have 
>to resort to loading the original plugins or drivers from the Apple 
>System disk in order to run some of these external USB or Firewire 
>drives - just so you can use the device and begin the Linux 
>installation process onto where place you intend Linux to exist.
>

Booting from an external CD isn't possible with YDL 3.01, will check 
4.1 in the near future.

>>>
>>>As mostly every installer is designed to run from the hardware it 
>>>is to be installed upon; a "target mode" option could work only if 
>>>the installer had information regarding the G3.  Most G3's are Old 
>>>World and need the BootX control panel to be operational in the 
>>>Classic MacOS environment so that one can boot into YDL from 
>>>BootX.  In your situation, this means that at the very least you 
>>>may need not only a working CD drive; you may also need a 
>>>functioning BootX from which to load and use Linux while you are 
>>>on a G3.  Also if your intention is to use the current version of 
>>>YDL, you will have to make sure the parameters of BootX are such 
>>>that you will be able to run YDL 4.0 or YDL 4.1
>>
>>The only 'old world' I'm aware of are the beige G3's; both the 
>>iBook (oh, i forgot to mention: it's translucent-white one; G3-500) 
>>and the B/W are new world, aren't they?
>
>Here's a nice discussion from Wikipedia on the whole confusing topic.

<snip> Sigh! It *really* is a new world machine. <snap>

>Of course, if you don't want to bother with all that, a really quick 
>test is whether it will boot from a completely installed YDL via 
>yaboot using YDL 3.0 forward.  <snip>

And a fine test it is given that I stated that the CD drive is broken 
so *a installation of YDL is not possible from the internal CD*

>>
>>>
>>>Not to suggest anything which would not interest you, but if you 
>>>are interested in 32bit systems a G4 Powerbook doesn't need the 
>>>above steps.  Indeed if you don't care for OS X as many don't you 
>>>can easily wipe clean the PB drive and install YDL 4.1 on it and 
>>>the thing will run really, really fast and you'll have a full 
>>>scale server as a laptop.
>>
>>The main job for the iBook will be to control (and I mean control, 
>>not only log!) heating and aircon in our new home, so the focus is 
>>more around low power (and price) then about speed. TO be more 
>>precise I'll try to press the kenel essentials into a 1 or 2 Gig 
>>memory stick and boot from that with the swap partition in RAM, so 
>>I can stop worrying about mechanical drives in the system.
>>
>
>I'm not an engineer, but I believe an hfs partition for yaboot is 
>necessary as that is the portion talking with the Mac's internals.

So where's the beef? USB sticks can be partitioned just like a CD or HD.
>
><snip>
>It may be useful, to ask this specific question separately and post 
>it to this list together with details of the plans for the powerbook 
>you revealed.

Will do so. but first I'll have to get it up and running...

>You did check the moisture and condensation and humidity parameters 
>which the ibook can tolerate, yes?  The conditions are not too close 
>to either end of Apple's recommendations? After all no sense 
>considering even researching anything if the hardware itself will 
>just not function under those conditions or will rapidly come to 
>failure.

No problem. The iBook will be running, thus dissipating heat and 
therefore fairly secure from condensation, as long as theres no 
sudden change in the temperature of the surrounding. Usually water's 
only a problem in liquid form or in case of sudden climate change 
(ex. you get your new mac in winter by fedex and  open the box and 
though the case feels already wet outside you plug it into the 
mains...).

>
>
>>>Good Luck...
>>
>>It looks as if I could really need some of that ;-)
>
>Yeah... the more I think about what you are trying to do, you may be 
>battling not technological nuances, but the physics of living on 
>Earth.  So I'm going to wish you lots and lots of
>Great Luck!!  By the way, you don't live anywhere near Tornado alley,
>the Great Lakes or rivers or coasts or any other place subject to 
>frequent storms such as hurricanes, lightning -- that kind of thing 
>...

Nope. So fortunately I won't need the kensington lock to prevent the 
iBook from getting airborn :-)


>  remember to factor those elements into your considerations.  Oh, 
>one more thing, you will have a separate UPS (uninterruptible power 
>supply) to support and protect the ibook, right?

What for? Anything which get through the power supply will likely 
wreck the rest of the equipment (Ethernet<-> RS485 converter etc.) as 
well. So where would the UPS get me?


-- 
Holger Apfel
Rauschener Str. 2a

85221 Dachau

Tel. 08131/338997