Hello,

My MacMini HDD got broken, fortunately it doesn't look as physical damage. So I have to move all my OSX files and try to install something (which will take me a month because I'm pretty busy right now).

Anyway OSX CD doesn't boot so I cannot use Disk Utility to check/fix it (neither bootable CD does, unless I use OF). I tried Ubuntu PPC Live via OpenFirmware>Console but it only hangs repeating that some HDD sector is broken (another arguement that Linux is crap, at least to me).

Anyway MorphOS does boot from OF (and so does Moana ).

Anyway as all of you know, it only lets me 30 minutes to play which ain't much.

So my SPECIFIC plea for advice is - is it possible at all to force MorphOS Live CD see the keyfile WITHOUT ACCESS TO HDD? Another option I would like to know is wheather it is too possible to boot OSX Tiger CD from OF (where is the image file?) Yet another thing I managed to find is perhaps both partitions neet so called re-blessing. But running MOS without time limit would let me use my 2nd computer home.

I wish to be capable of using my Mac until I fix the HDD problem.

Very much thx for constructive help in advance.

DD

[ Edited by DiskDoctor on 2010/4/30 17:15 ]

[ Edited by DiskDoctor on 2010/6/26 14:16 ]

Make your own BootCD including your key?

Indeed, burning your own CD with a key included might be the easiest solution. Just remember that the ISO has to have a SYSTEMID field set to MORPHOS (MakeCD allows that).

Wouldnt a USB Key with the keyfile on it work?

Boot with no startup sequence but from cd.
Put in usb key, type assign s: usbkey: add
execute s:startup-sequence or so?

Thank You all for help.

But please advise how to alter the said image? I have access to Win7 and Kubuntu 9 and absolutely no idea which tool I should use. Also, where to place the key file?

@dIGIMAN
Not sure what you're talking about. Unfortunately I tried to mount my USB drive but despite of system's notice, it didn't mount as a drive (at least I didn't see it). Anyway tried to use the mounter tool but it hung due to faulty HDD. I'll try some other USB drives though.

@dIGIMAN

The keyfile needs to be on the boot device.

OK I will edit the boot image then.

1) Where to place the key?
2) What program should I use to modify it - or otherwise - what FS is MorphOS image CD?

Something like this to burn a bootable CD for mac mini. You'll have to figure path and stuff.

1 - Copy the original morphosoboot cd somewhere (in a directory named morphos/ for ex.). Put the key in morphos/Devs. Add applications whatever you need.

2 - Build an iso with mkisofs :

mkisofs -iso-level 3 -R -l -allow-lowercase -omit-version-number -full-iso9660-filenames -hfs -hfs-unlock -part -no-desktop -map hfs.map -hfs-bless morphos/mac_ppc32 -publisher "The MorphOS Team" -preparer yourname -sysid MORPHOS -volid MorphOSBoot -volset MorphOSBoot -o MorphOS.iso morphos

hfs.map file
macofboot Raw 'UNIX' 'tbxi' "bootstrap"
boot.img Raw 'UNIX' 'boot' "kernel"
bootpeg1.img Raw 'UNIX' 'boot' "kernel"
bootefika.img Raw 'UNIX' 'boot' "kernel"
* Raw 'UNIX' '????' "other"

3 - Burn the resulting iso to some CDRW.

TADA. You should have a time unlimited bootable MorphOS CD.

You can add some buffers in the startup-sequence, it helps a lot boot time.

[ Edited by Tcheko on 2010/4/28 15:21 ]

I didn't expect to find the best example of mkisofs here! I got lost past "hfs.map file". Could you explain? This is very interesting!

Put the 5 lines after hfs.map file into a file called hfs.map.

@all

Thanks all so much for help!

I also got some 2 GB flash drive, not sure what to do (fs?) to make it visible as 2 GB because MorphOS sees it as 1 GIG only.

EDIT* I'm thinking of installing MorphOS on the said pendrive. But is it easilly bootable from OF boot command? (then to be defined as startup sequence) I suppose so so gotta dig the web soon.

[ Edited by DiskDoctor on 2010/4/30 16:58 ]

Quote:
Check with HDConfig.

Quote:
Look here.

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In HD config it's fine, in properties also fine, just has this silly QA bug as a desktop drive it says 1 Gig, 1 Gig free instead 0 Gig 1.9 Gig free.

Anyway I managed to record latest OWB on it but it starts soooooo slow. Maybe because it was formatted as FAT16. What's the best fs for MorphOS? HFS? Just simply format the damn thing under Format tool?

[ Edited by DiskDoctor on 2010/4/30 17:12 ]

Quote:
Well ok, that's just Ambient trying to keep capacity info short, so 1.9GB is rounded off to 1GB.
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Every time you run it? Or just the first time when it is indexing fonts?
Quote:
SFS should be ok for system and apps, HFS for boot.img, FAT will work for data. Setup the filesystem in HDConfig before formatting.

@thread

Thanks so much for help!

Again, MorphOS prove to work on HDD-broken computer, unlike MacOSX, unlike PPC Ubuntu. This system is really lightweight and extremely useful in such cases. Such examples are best OS benchmarks to me. MorphOS passed flawlessly, others mentioned failed

But what to do next? As I said, I'm unable to boot MacOSX from its DVD to run Disk Utility for fixing HDD. I also listed HDD and all files seem there intacted. So what I plan is

(1) plug in some USB HDD and copy all my files from OF
(2) format whole disk from OF
(3) try to install OSX then and check what's on about this HDD, then MorphOS, depending on the outcome

OR

(1a) I read something about re-blessing boot partitions, maybe this would fix the case (still, not sure what's broken and what isn't)

@Golem

Thanks for the info about installing on USB. The said document, though in French, should be added to the library just as jacadcaps' dualboot manual IMO.

Anyway I played for a while. The result is mounter hangs on listing partitions while hdconfig shows'em as if they were fine. I ran sfsdoctor that told me MOS partition was a mess, then it hung on repairing it.

Anyway I formatted my MorphOS partition so that now I have 10GiG space

I tried to attempt to install "dualboot" morphos using jacadcaps' manual but there's one step or two for mounting Boot partition. Like I said, cannot run mounter because it hangs after listing partitions. So cannot reinstall MorphOS but I got it working, plus some disk space for the time being.

There is a mount command - how to make it work? I mean what's the syntax to e.g. mount DH0:?

Quote:

I just did this with the 2.5 iso file.

The CD doesn't boot. What's the command to launch bootloader from OF?

This whole MorphOS thing was supposed to be fun and instead, I'm spending more and more of my precious time and money to make it run...

This whole MorphOS thing was supposed to be fun and instead, I'm spending more and more of my precious time and money to make it run...

You can't expect that trying to install MorphOS (or any other operating system) on broken hardware will be fun.

Quote:

I'm rather expecting that
(1) I can repeat successfully the procedure of forging iso done for 2.5 iso as it was possible with 2.4 iso
(2) my hardware is ok alas it misses one drive, that's all
(3) unfortunately you have no possibility to enjoy MorphOS on non-broken hardware in this sense because MorphOS works only on rubbish (no new machines)

MorphOS works only on rubbish

What's the point of running it then? Since I've last checked, my MorphOS machines were all in good condition, not broken for sure. By your logic a car leaving dealer garage becomes broken by definition...

I guess you should take a week or two of break. Too many emotions, not enough cold, technical approach to difficulties. Problems are not solved by complaining on them and everything related.

Quote:

By my logic I would not buy a used car (unless I was forced to), used mobile, used notebook etc.

That was slightly exaggerated but had the proper spirit of my thoughts over using MorphOS. I mean my mac has been working fine for 4.5 years, then both drives failed. There was instruction of having MOS on USB disc but instead, it turned to need different OF version to boot. Not replacable.

I spent money on dvd, hdd checking and all because I thought I would be able to use MorphOS machine as DVD player as I was using it with MacOSX. Despite having Apple branded S-Video converter, it turned impossible. MorphOS doesn't boot from USB either.

From the beginning I was forced to buy some WiFi dongle to bridge the WiFi I'm using to the Mac. So I'm rather pissed there's no wifi support, some TV set video output, neither stuff like bluetooth, v.92 etc.

Maybe I should be happy but it all costs me. It costs less than compact Sam but hell, I was not suposed to invest in my MOS HW, at least not this year.

And I was supposed to let my kid watch DVD cartoons on TV. Unfortunately I see only one source for this expense right now.

Quote:

Then you're wrong and stepping onto the path that will fail. I'd be surprised for what you're proposing but for the fact we both come from a certain country, with certain thinking that wins over here.

There's a quote for ya:

Quote:

Now go figure out the author yourself. And find yourself in that quote.

Regarding the break, I'm sure I need one, allright. But I wouldn't expect that to be shorter though, than until the notebook.

WiFi powered.

No hard feelings though, I just now got certain priorities right now, that's all. All prospect.

I can also tell my story - got my Mac Mini, got cd exchanged even before MorphOS on mini was confirmed and after that everything is working fine.

I've spend few bob on wifi adapter and that's it. Since that time everything is working fine.

You prefer to moan instead of paying few bob for new hard drive which is quite cheap and would save you a lot of time and that is priceless. Then you are trying to blame everyone but not yourself.. Take it easy, just get a deep breath and try again.

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I can understand your feeling, but the comparison with SAM is a bit out of place. You would have even more limitations with a SAM (no WIFI/bluetooth either, flaky USB support, DVD playback choppy anyway, ...


[ Edited by Fab on 2010/6/27 22:23 ]

Exchanging Mac Mini HD is not that difficult. I am not technically skilled but I exchanged the original 80GB HD by a 320GB?WD without problems. Install a new HD and if you want try to recover data from your old HD connecting it through USB.