Yaboot won't boot linux

thecanadian · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

So, I've got a problem with yaboot. Despite (I think) configuring the yaboot.conf file correctly and applying it to my bootstrap using applicable commands, whenever I press l for linux at boot, it just puts me right back to the yaboot screen. It keep sdoing this. OS X boots fine, so does the CD, and open firmware. Here's my yaboot.conf file, can anybody find any errors I might have made? Thanks!

boot=/dev/sda2
ofboot=/dev/sda2

delay=5
defaultos=macosx
timeout=30
install=/usr/lib/yaboot/yaboot
magicboot=/usr/lib/yaboot/ofboot

image=/boot/kernel-2.6.9-gentoo-r9
label=Linux
root=/dev/sda4
partition=4
sysmap=/boot/System.map-2.6.9
read-only

macosx=/dev/sdb3
enablecdboot
enableofboot

pindar · Apprentice Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 220

Open firmware (of) has other names for your drives. Try adding these lines to your config:

thecanadian · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

Tried that, had no luck. Tried recompiling and copying the kernel source as /boot/vmlinux and my System.map as /boot/System.map just in case the naming I had chosen for those two had any effect on yaboot's finding a linux source to boot from. No luck there either.

Furthermore, attempting to use the automatic yabootconfig results in an inability to find the kernel source, and when it asks me to manually specify a kernel, it complains that it's not valid and gives up. From there I move on to configuring yaboot manually since automatically doesn't work. Just in case that sheds some extra light on the situation.

Thanks again!

Pygoscelis_papua · n00b Joined: 18 Jan 2005 Posts: 24

What is the name of your bootstrap partition: Apple_Boot or Apple_Boostrap? If it's Apple_Boot, that is probably the problem.

thecanadian · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

the type of the partition is "Apple_Bootstrap", and the name of the partition is "bootstrap". Got it from mac-fdisk.

pindar · Apprentice Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 220

Excuse me for the stupid question, but: you did remember to run ybin after editing your yabootconf, right?

thecanadian · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

Indeed I did. This really is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that I formerly had attempted a Yellow Dog install, but I was unhappy with that distro. Instead of wiping the partition map clean, I just reused the partitions and created new filesystems on each partition, so there may be a problem inherent in that with the bootstrap, although why that would be is beyond me. I'm about to try wiping the whole damn thing and starting over from scratch with Gentoo. I'll let you all know if it worked. Many thanks again to your help!

thecanadian · n00b Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 14

Well, that did it. Shame that I had to go to the trouble of starting over again, but I'm now able to boot into Gentoo off of my own hard drive. Getting Xorg compiled is a completely different story, though...refuses to compile. Arg...oh well, I'll post that in a new topic. Thanks all for your help!

pindar · Apprentice Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 220

Think of it as a character-building experience. I don't even remember how many times I had to start over. Compiled dozens of kernels that wouldn't boot my machine. In the end, a kindly soul just send me his .config. But things do get better after a few days, and there's so much help around in these forums; just remember to use the search function.
Good luck!
Thomas