Additional steps for booting using grub on ppc

[Sadoon-AlBader]

How to use Grub for booting:

• create a bootstrap partition with at least 4MiB size (better 12MiB to be safe, default 800KiB is too small, even ATA diskspace is cheap)

• install as normal (assumed to /mnt)

  $ pacstrap /mnt/ base linux grub hfsutils

• format bootstrap partition (/dev/sda2) from target (no hfsutils on iso yet)

  $ arch-chroot /mnt
  $$ hformat /dev/sda2
  $ ^D

• mount bootstrap partition (assumed /dev/sda2) to /boot/grub on the target rootfs and configure/install

  $ mkdir /mnt/boot/grub
  $ mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/boot/grub
  # bootstrap partition should always get mounted to /boot/grub so grub hooks may work properly
  $ genfstab -U /mnt > /mnt/etc/fstab
  $ arch-chroot /mnt
  $$ grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
  # this one will fail if bootstrap is too small (depends on Grub mods included with core.elf)
  $$ grub-install 

This method will execute on KVM but will fail at setting the OF variable boot-device properly. No fix known at this time.

Originally posted by @kth5 in https://github.com/kth5/archpower/issues/5#issuecomment-713321912

Additional steps needed to fix the issue where OF doesn't recognize grub:

$ hmount /dev/sda2
$ hattrib -t tbxi -c UNIX :System:Library:CoreServices:BootX
$ hattrib -b :System:Library:CoreServices
$ humount

With this I think we have a complete method of installing Arch on both ppc Macs and OpenPOWER systems. I think we need a small wiki to make these steps more friendly, I'll open another issue and I'll work on that.

[saul-huerta]

In the step you mention: $ hmount /dev/sda2 $ hattrib -t tbxi -c UNIX :System:Library:CoreServices:BootX $ hattrib -b :System:Library:CoreServices $ humount These commands where are they put? Going to OF or restarting the ArchPower installation media or after putting the command "arch-chroot /mnt"? because in both the installation media environment and the installed system environment it tells me that ":System:Library:CoreServices:BootX" is not a directory.

[crazycusti]

Try grub-install --macppc-directory=/boot/grub

after that, look in /boot/grub if these files exists:

/ mach_kernel System/ Library/ CoreServices/ .disk_label .disk_label.contentDetails BootX grub.elf SystemVersion.plist

Source: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1082746.html?sid=76347d1408dd36d53967326ff81ac7b1

[kth5]

Added a Wiki page:

https://github.com/kth5/archpower/wiki/NewWorld-PowerMac-G3-G4-G5-installation-with-Grub

@crazycusti I don't have a G4 mac at hand until tomorrow but I'll give it a go.

[retronica]

Try grub-install --macppc-directory=/boot/grub

after that, look in /boot/grub if these files exists:

/ mach_kernel System/ Library/ CoreServices/ .disk_label .disk_label.contentDetails BootX grub.elf SystemVersion.plist

Source: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1082746.html?sid=76347d1408dd36d53967326ff81ac7b1

I have found the need to specify --macppc-directory=/boot/grub on both mac G4 laptops i've tested

[kth5]

Closing this for inactivity & it's only a historically relevant ticket.