[K12OSN] booting imac

[Jim Kronebusch]

> That was one of the tips that I couldn't find elsewhere!  Thanks.
> Showing my inexperience with imacs, though: will it still work with a
> dead/removed hard drive?  I mean, can an imac be made into a _diskless_
> client?  That what I can't find documented :-(

Yes, you can use an iMac as a diskless workstation.  If you have changed your
server IP from the default of 192.168.1.254 then you need to modify
/opt/ltsp/ppc/etc/lts.conf and modify the line at the top of the file that
points to your server to match the actual IP.  I believe that if you are using
K12LTSP version 5 this updates automatically.  After that you can simply boot
your iMac by holding down the "N" key on the keyboard.  If that for some
reason does not work, try booting with cmd+option+o+f which will bring you to
a command prompt.  Then at the prompt type "boot enet:192.168.1.254;yaboot"
with out the quotes and the IP set to match your server IP.  If either of the
changes above work let us know, if you have one of the lucky ones that require
the firmware command then there is a set of instructions to set it permanent.

> Those and other guides I've read (including the one you gave) all refer
> to accessing 'open firmare' using a four-key boot option.  This has 
> no effect on the 1998-vintage imac I have.  I just get a small flashing
> image that alternates between a mac logo and a question mark.  The suse
> install cd that I put in the imac was not seen at boot, so somehow I
> need to get it seen :-/

You will not find a bios on a Mac like on a Intel machine :-(  Boot order is
set permanently unless you override with firmware commands or keystrokes.  I
assume you are trying to boot Yellow Dog Linux or some PPC based Linux distro.
 If that is the case, hold down the "C" key on boot.  This tells the system to
boot from the CD drive.  You don't have to do anything more to boot from any
CD, forget about what you read regarding open firmware for that.  If it does
not boot either the CD is not bootable or the CDROM is dead.

The flashing question mark means it cannot find a bootable image, either on
the Hard Drive or CDROM.

As far as installing the HD set the jumpers to what the old drive was set,
then you know it is compatible.  The iMac will boot the network or CD
regardless of whether or not the HD is detected or even installed.

I assume with the 1998 vintage info you are talking about you have an iMac
Bondi.  They come with 233Mhz processors and 64MB RAM.  You can up the ram but
the standard config works great as a thin client.  You'll just find yourself
swapping the damn single button mouse out for a 2 button about 5 minutes after
you boot it.  Apple still thinks their users are too stupid to handle more
than one button, annoying.

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