Did I kill my G3?

[d***@yahoo.com]

Hi folks,

About 2 years ago, I bought a used beige G3 without a system disk. I'd
like to now use it as a development web server and possibly a software
firewall. I tried installing debian, booting from the minimal CD, but
it didn't boot.

Looking on the net, I saw a few items to try in open firmware (v
2.0f1), but I think I screwed it up. I can't boot with the debian CD
(or floppies), and I also can't get back to OS9, off the hard drive.

I've zapped the PRAM. I've defaulted all the environment variables.
I've tried to explicitly boot to AAPL,ROM. All I get is a flashing
question mark/floppy icon where a happy mac should be.

Is there an explicit file name I need to invoke with the boot command?
(The default lists it as blank.) If so, how do I find it?

Alternately, if I can just get linux (any linux) to work, and kiss OS9
goodbye, I'd be even happier.

Thanks in advance.

[jim bob and joe bob]

Post by d***@yahoo.com
Hi folks,
About 2 years ago, I bought a used beige G3 without a system disk. I'd
like to now use it as a development web server and possibly a software
firewall. I tried installing debian, booting from the minimal CD, but
it didn't boot.
Looking on the net, I saw a few items to try in open firmware (v
2.0f1), but I think I screwed it up. I can't boot with the debian CD
(or floppies), and I also can't get back to OS9, off the hard drive.
I've zapped the PRAM. I've defaulted all the environment variables.
I've tried to explicitly boot to AAPL,ROM. All I get is a flashing
question mark/floppy icon where a happy mac should be.
Is there an explicit file name I need to invoke with the boot command?
(The default lists it as blank.) If so, how do I find it?
Alternately, if I can just get linux (any linux) to work, and kiss OS9
goodbye, I'd be even happier.
Thanks in advance.

It is unlikely but not entirely impossible that you will be able to boot
directly into linux with your machine. I think somewhere I have heard
of it being done. The easiest way will be to put a minimal install of
MacOS 8.1 or higher so as to be able to use Bootx as a loader.
Unfortunately all those later versions are not yet in the free box.
Milk eBay for a copy cheap.
kk

[Andrew J. Brehm]

Post by d***@yahoo.com
Hi folks,
About 2 years ago, I bought a used beige G3 without a system disk. I'd
like to now use it as a development web server and possibly a software
firewall. I tried installing debian, booting from the minimal CD, but
it didn't boot.
Looking on the net, I saw a few items to try in open firmware (v
2.0f1), but I think I screwed it up. I can't boot with the debian CD
(or floppies), and I also can't get back to OS9, off the hard drive.
I've zapped the PRAM. I've defaulted all the environment variables.
I've tried to explicitly boot to AAPL,ROM. All I get is a flashing
question mark/floppy icon where a happy mac should be.
Is there an explicit file name I need to invoke with the boot command?
(The default lists it as blank.) If so, how do I find it?
Alternately, if I can just get linux (any linux) to work, and kiss OS9
goodbye, I'd be even happier.
Thanks in advance.

Read <http://www.netneurotic.net/mac/openfirmware.html>.

If on an Old World machine you see a flasing question mar/floppy icon,
it means the machine is booting from AAPL,ROM and trying to load Mac OS
from the hard disk. And this is where it fails.

The firmware settings are ok, the hard disk just appears to be without
operating system.

You need either a Mac OS CD or a Linux CD that uses Quik (an Old World
boot sector boot loader) or MiBoot (IMS). MiBoot (IMS) is a Mac OS-like
boot loader that looks like Mac OS to the Mac ROM and then boots another
OS. I believe the LinuxPPC 2000 CD used it.

To use Quik you probably need a Linux boot floppy.

But the easiest way is to obtain a Mac OS disk. On a beige G3 you can
use Mac OS 8 or 9, or Mac OS X up to 10.2, I believe.