FreeBSD 10.1 PPC64 on XServe G5 hangs at Openfirmware Loader [likely an example of a long standing problem]

Fri Dec 19 15:59:35 UTC 2014

I can confirm memstick 64-bit install worked on a G5 quad. I also note that I only tried the memstick after I failed to get the ISO to boot properly.

Rob B.

Sent from my iPad

> On Dec 18, 2014, at 10:04 PM, Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn at freebsd.org> wrote:
> 
> I believe there is a similar issue affecting sparc64. It seems like the ISO9660 support in loader may be broken on big-endian systems. Can you check if the ppc64 memstick image boots OK?
> -Nathan
> 
>> On 12/18/14 18:29, Bill Sorenson wrote:
>> 
>> I can confirm that 10.1-RELENG and 10-STABLE will boot at least an XServe G5 when built from source on a running 10.0-RELEASE install. Problem appears specific to the iso from what I can tell. Although I've been wrong before. I'm not sure how the isos are generated in the release process so no idea if it makes sense.
>> 
>> -Bill S.
>> 
>> On Dec 18, 2014 8:22 PM, "Mark Millard" <markmi at dsl-only.net <mailto:markmi at dsl-only.net>> wrote:
>> 
>>    I've included a reminder (a past exchange) that makes this report
>>    sounds like a long standing problem with powerpc64 10.x-STABLE
>>    .iso's burned to CDs for PowerMac G5's.
>> 
>>    As I remember 10.0-RELEASE's .iso worked and is eventually how I
>>    bootstrapped. 10.1-RELEASE did not work when I tried it. (See
>>    https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ppc/2014-November/007328.html
>>    .)
>> 
>>    I've never had 10.x-STABLE .iso's work in a PowerMac G5. (I've no
>>    XServe access, just access to some desktop PowerMac G5's.) My
>>    tries do not go all the way back to the first 10.0-STABLE .iso,
>>    however. As I remember I started trying in 2014-Apr or so.
>>    Eventually I stopped checking each new 10.0-STABLE but did check
>>    some as time went on.
>> 
>> 
>>    From: Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn at freebsd.org
>>    <mailto:nwhitehorn at freebsd.org>>
>>    Subject: Re: Running FreeBSD-ppc/ppc64 on emulators? [.iso based
>>    CD boot problems exist for PowerMac G5's too]
>>    Date: July 26, 2014 at 11:40:28 PM PDT
>>    To: Mark Millard <markmi at dsl-only.net
>>    <mailto:markmi at dsl-only.net>>, freebsd-ppc at freebsd.org
>>    <mailto:freebsd-ppc at freebsd.org>
>> 
>>    Interesting. It seems loader is broken. I just tried with a
>>    10.0-STABLE image and can reproduce the problem -- 11 oddly is OK.
>>    What really perplexes me is that the powerpc and powerpc64 loaders
>>    are identical, since loader is built 32-bit in either case. Super
>>    weird. I'll try to get it fixed. Thanks for the problem report and
>>    reminder!
>>    -Nathan
>> 
>>    On 07/26/14 23:33, Mark Millard wrote:
>> 
>>    To make clear about the "/" in the line:
>> 
>>    and stops while displaying "/" from its progress indicator. The
>>    fans then gradually spin up.
>> 
>>    This "progress indicator" is the repeating sequence -, \, |, /. It
>>    always stopped with / as I remember. But I've no clue for if that
>>    is from the repeating sequence or is the leading / from
>>    /boot/kernel/kernel. At this point I'm limited to reporting just
>>    the visual result, not the internal stage it is tied to.
>> 
>>    ===
>>    Mark Millard
>>    markmi at dsl-only.net <http://dsl-only.net>
>> 
>>    On Jul 26, 2014, at 7:53 PM, Mark Millard <markmi at dsl-only.net
>>    <mailto:markmi at dsl-only.net>> wrote:
>>    First I quote what I wrote about when the hangups occur on the
>>    G5's (combining quotes from the two messages so the overall notes
>>    are easier to understand):
>> 
>>    For a C-key style boot it hangs shortly after displaying
>> 
>>    loading /boot/defaults/loader.conf
>> 
>>    and stops while displaying "/" from its progress indicator. The
>>    fans then gradually spin up.
>> 
>>    In other words: It hangs just before it would normally display the
>>    line that includes the text: /boot/kernel/kernel
>> 
>>    The original messages were:
>> 
>>    http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ppc/2014-June/007029.html
>>    and
>>    http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ppc/2014-June/007056.html
>> 
>>    Even the /b prefix from /boot/kernel/kernel did not show up even
>>    though /boot/defaults/loader.conf did show up just fine.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>    As for trying 11-CURRENT: I've not tried 11-CURRENT for anything
>>    yet. And, unfortunately, I'm now away from the PowerMacs for weeks
>>    so I will not be doing new experiments for several weeks. I can
>>    try once I get back.
>> 
>>    All the 9.2/9.3-STABLE's that I tried worked. And 10.0-RELELASE
>>    worked. Any 10.0-STABLE from before about Apr-27 I've never tried:
>>    Late April is about when I started the experiments with PowerMacs.
>> 
>>    Also: I had no troubles with 10.0-STABLE for powerpc on PowerMacs.
>>    PowerPC64 on PowerMac G5's is where I had problems. (I do not have
>>    other kinds of PowerPC equipment available.)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>    ===
>>    Mark Millard
>>    markmi at dsl-only.net <http://dsl-only.net>
>> 
>>    On Jul 26, 2014, at 2:23 PM, Mark Millard <markmi at dsl-only.net
>>    <mailto:markmi at dsl-only.net>> wrote:
>>    This boot issue from .iso's (burned to CDs) is not specific to
>>    emulation (assuming it is the same problem in both places).
>> 
>>    I'm afraid that it sounds like PowerMac G5's hang the same
>>    way/place whenever I've tried a fairly modern PowerPC64
>>    10.0-STABLE .iso burned to a CD. I was able to boot 10.0-RELEASE's
>>    .iso burned to a CD. I've not tried emulation.
>> 
>>    Having an initial FreeBSD running I tend to use the MANIFEST and
>>    .txz files with "bsdinstall auto" to make new from-scratch (not
>>    buildworld/buildkernel) installations when I want such.
>> 
>>    My notes on the G5 boot issue for the .iso's burned to CD's were
>>    reported in: (I'm not near the PowerMacs, unfortunately)
>> 
>>    FreeBSD 10-STABLE powerpc64 r266807 CD PowerMac7, 2 (and 7, 11)
>>    boot hangs very early in the process
>> 
>>    Has anyone booted a G5 PowerMac from a recent 10.0-STABLE .iso
>>    burned to CD? A multi-processor one?
>> 
>>    ===
>>    Mark Millard
>>    markmi at dsl-only.net <http://dsl-only.net>
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>    ===
>>    Mark Millard
>>    markmi at dsl-only.net <http://dsl-only.net>
>> 
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