Hi!

I just got a hold of an A1138 Powerbook. It's a bit banged up and the optical drive is dead, but otherwise it works nicely.

I managed to do a fresh Leopard install using firewire target mode on an older Powerbook (which is in much nicer condition and I hope it will be supported some day). When I try to boot MorphOS 3.1 from either firewire target mode or an external firewire cd-writer it quickly stalls. In fact this is as far as it gets: screenshot.

I tried following these instructions on booting via USB, but for some reason the USB drive we have here isn't working right with the Powerbook. It sounds like it doesn't spin up right. Maybe I need to dig out the HD-DVD drive from the Xbox again.

Anyway, is it to be expected that it's not possible to boot from an external fw drive? I see some people have written about making a bootable USB image, but the link was dead.

Any help would be appreciated.

Have you tried booting from USB memory stick? It works and I have done it many times.

Not yet. Can I use the same technique as described for Efika or should I follow one of the linux-on-usb guides?

USB boot is different on PowerBook. Download morphos.iso and put iso image and mac_ppc32/boot.img to your pendrive.

boot ud:,\boot.img bootimage=umsd0:morphos-3.1.iso

(bootimage keyword can be shortened to bi)

Just in case someone doesnt know: to get an access to OpenFirmware on Apple machines hold down apple + alt + o + f keys.

(FAT32 partitioning is assumed. I dont know if Apple firmware supports USB boot from any other common file systems there. Amiga file systems certainly are not supported there.)

It is also possible copy all files to USB pendrive and boot using bootdevice argument. For install/update purpose using iso image is certainly better.


[ Edited by itix 27.07.2012 - 20:26 ]

itix, you forgot to mention that the appropriate boot.img is in mac_ppc32 on the MorphOS.iso

Oh... indeed. Corrected my posting accordingly.

Thank you both for your help. Jaca helped me further on IRC.

I ended up managing to boot with the following command:
" boot usb0/disk@1:,"(5C)boot.img bootimage=umsd0:morphos-3.1.iso" evaluate

The reason for "(5C) and evaluate is that my keyboard was not willing to produce a backslash in any other way.

I am typing this from OWB and now I just need to get it registered and pimped. Thanks again! :D

USB boot is different on PowerBook. Download morphos.iso and put iso image and mac_ppc32/boot.img to your pendrive.
Where is the directory for mac_ppc32boot.img?
Where on the pen drive do you put the iso image and mac_ppc32/boot.img?


boot ud:,\boot.img bootimage=umsd0:morphos-3.1.iso ? is there a prompt after hold down apple + alt + o + f keys. ?
My pendrive is formated Fat16 will it work as well?
It is also possible copy all files to USB pendrive and boot using bootdevice argument.
Have Powerbook which has no OS and no CD drive. Will the pen drive boot this Mac into Morph OS?