Grub doesn't work on PowerBook6,5 (2004 iBook G4s)

[featherwhisker]

I've been trying to find information on this but I can't find *anything* except for a few abandoned webpages and fixes that don't work

Grub does NOT work for installation CDs on the PowerBook6,5. This means that anything using Grub for its installation image will not boot. This may also affect installed Grub but I can't get a distro with unpatched grub to boot its install image. All I could gather as to *why* is that Open Firmware 4.8.7f1 has a bug that doesn't clear memory properly, resulting in either an invalid decimator error or an invalid memory access error. I have not found a bypass that works as of this post.

The only distro I have found to work is Debian 12, the only one with broken battery sensing and no mesa-amber is the only one that boots on this system.

Does anyone have info on the patches that fix this in Debian? Does anyone know how I can bypass this and install Adelie or ArchPOWER?

 

[Tankerthebuberz]

I've been trying to find information on this but I can't find *anything* except for a few abandoned webpages and fixes that don't work

Grub does NOT work for installation CDs on the PowerBook6,5. This means that anything using Grub for its installation image will not boot. This may also affect installed Grub but I can't get a distro with unpatched grub to boot its install image. All I could gather as to *why* is that Open Firmware 4.8.7f1 has a bug that doesn't clear memory properly, resulting in either an invalid decimator error or an invalid memory access error. I have not found a bypass that works as of this post.

The only distro I have found to work is Debian 12, the only one with broken battery sensing and no mesa-amber is the only one that boots on this system.

Does anyone have info on the patches that fix this in Debian? Does anyone know how I can bypass this and install Adelie or ArchPOWER?

Archpower does use grub…specifically the PowerPC port grub-ieee1275….Debian uses grub and even takes it a step forward with full splash screen….grub runs fine in fact people on g3 systems use it everyday on here

 

[featherwhisker]

Archpower does use grub…specifically the PowerPC port grub-ieee1275….Debian uses grub and even takes it a step forward with full splash screen….grub runs fine in fact people on g3 systems use it everyday on here

not to sound rude but did i not literally say that all of those instalation mediums don't boot on the PowerBook6,5 SPECIFICALLY besides Debian and whatever fork it uses? The PowerBook6,5 also isn't a G3 so that comment doesn't make sense

All of them fail with "Invalid Memory Access" or "Invalid Decimator Exception" (only on older ISOs, newer ones say invalid memory) besides Debian

ArchPOWER, Adelie, all of them. I made this thread to see if anyone found a bypass for their iBook late 2004 model since all of the ones I've found on reddit don't work

 

[Doq]

If the install media has both GRUB and yaboot on it, you may be able to get to yaboot by manually booting to it from OF.

ArchPOWER install media has both (boot cd:.\boot\yaboot should work, replacing cd: with your desired install media location). Adelie has only GRUB, so you're likely out of luck.

 

[featherwhisker]

If the install media has both GRUB and yaboot on it, you may be able to get to yaboot by manually booting to it from OF.

ArchPOWER install media has both (boot cd:.\boot\yaboot should work, replacing cd: with your desired install media location). Adelie has only GRUB, so you're likely out of luck.

yaboot gives an invalid decimator exception
though i was able to bypass it by running

dev /memory@0 100000 1000 do-unmap

before running yaboot


EDIT:
it couldn't find the root by label! amazing

 

[Tankerthebuberz]

not to sound rude but did i not literally say that all of those instalation mediums don't boot on the PowerBook6,5 SPECIFICALLY besides Debian and whatever fork it uses? The PowerBook6,5 also isn't a G3 so that comment doesn't make sense

All of them fail with "Invalid Memory Access" or "Invalid Decimator Exception" (only on older ISOs, newer ones say invalid memory) besides Debian

ArchPOWER, Adelie, all of them. I made this thread to see if anyone found a bypass for their iBook late 2004 model since all of the ones I've found on reddit don't work

Huh? They work on all PowerBooks. I have a Pismo from ’98 all the way to the last generation, and they run Linux just fine. You have no idea what you’re doing. I have a boatload of G4 systems that I got from a school district, and I’ve never had an issue on any of the early to late 2005 iBooks with the 9200 or 9550, both of which use R200 graphics. You gotta learn that’s all!

 

[Tankerthebuberz]

And as a matter of fact, I also contribute fixes for ArchPower, and nearly half of all commits are done by either me or the developer. So, to answer your question—yes, it runs fine!

 

[Tankerthebuberz]

Invalid memory access occurs because you’re trying to boot from OpenFirmware incorrectly. To boot ArchPower, use the command boot usb1/disk@1:,\\tbxi as an example if you’re using a USB flash drive. You’re entering the wrong parameters. You can also boot with boot usb1/disk@1:\\yaboot, replacing ‘yaboot’ with the appropriate bootloader for your media. If you compile with GRUB, replace ‘yaboot’ with ‘grub.xcf’. These bootloaders run correctly on all PowerPC 604 and higher systems. Debian also runs fine—PowerPC 604, also known as G3 and G4, is supported at the kernel level, and GRUB runs fine on all supported systems. In fact, it has been the default on Debian since 2019, replacing Yaboot. On top of that we also have the wiki which goes over booting systems that were before “new world” Mac’s all the way to last generation new world systems. The wiki is here archpower wiki

 

[featherwhisker]

https://github.com/void-ppc/void-pp...ndex.md#grub-raises-error-unrecognized-number <--this is the error, it alternates between this and Invalid memory access on Adelie and stays Invalid memory access on ArchPOWER

Did I not mention that theres a firmware bug *specifically* in OpenFirmware 4.8.7f1 on the Late 2004 iBook G4 that causes memory issues?
Your Pismo isn't an iBook G4 from Late 2004 no matter how hard you try and suggest it is

Here is a random redditor from 4 months ago with the same issue as me, though the fix they used doesn't work for me:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AdelieLinux/comments/1fy58h2/invalid_memory_access_error_ibook_g4

Also, how is holding the C key when booting to boot straight into the CD "booting from open firmware correctly" ? How is it not correct to hold option and click on the dvd? Is running boot cd:,\\:tbxi not the correct command? All three of those result in the error i have mentioned.

Maybe you should "learn" to be less condescending and unhelpful and maybe actually read through messages?

 

[Tankerthebuberz]

https://github.com/void-ppc/void-pp...ndex.md#grub-raises-error-unrecognized-number <--this is the error, it alternates between this and Invalid memory access on Adelie and stays Invalid memory access on ArchPOWER

Did I not mention that theres a firmware bug *specifically* in OpenFirmware 4.8.7f1 on the Late 2004 iBook G4 that causes memory issues?
Your Pismo isn't an iBook G4 from Late 2004 no matter how hard you try and suggest it is

Here is a random redditor from 4 months ago with the same issue as me, though the fix they used doesn't work for me:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AdelieLinux/comments/1fy58h2/invalid_memory_access_error_ibook_g4

Also, how is holding the C key when booting to boot straight into the CD "booting from open firmware correctly" ? How is it not correct to hold option and click on the dvd? Is running boot cd:,\\:tbxi not the correct command? All three of those result in the error i have mentioned.

Maybe you should "learn" to be less condescending and unhelpful and maybe actually read through messages?

Only your having issues in fact in the Debian thread I’ve posted several of my iBook g4s running Adelie, archpower and earlier Debian 11 and 12 versions back when lxde was still being actively maintained….and as far as the open firmware bug I can tell you that I’ve installed on both mid and late 2004 and 2005 iBook g4s….screenshots also in the Debian wiki a ways back…I have every model iBook g4 except the original 800mhz summer release model to develope archpower and use as test machines….grub runs on each except my 1.42 because I still patch yaboot on the side

 

[featherwhisker]

Only your having issues in fact in the Debian thread I’ve posted several of my iBook g4s running Adelie, archpower and earlier Debian 11 and 12 versions back when lxde was still being actively maintained….and as far as the open firmware bug I can tell you that I’ve installed on both mid and late 2004 and 2005 iBook g4s….screenshots also in the Debian wiki a ways back…I have every model iBook g4 except the original 800mhz summer release model to develope archpower and use as test machines….grub runs on each except my 1.42 because I still patch yaboot on the side

debian, as i mentioned, is the distro that works so you mentioning that means nothing

 

[penelope_bk]

Looks like the issue is a bug in Open Firmware 4.8.7f1 that messes with memory and stops Grub from booting on the PowerBook6,5. Right now, Debian 12 is the only distro that works, but it has problems like broken battery sensing. There’s no known fix for Grub yet. To install Adelie or ArchPOWER, you might need to find a patched Grub or try a different bootloader that works with your system.