From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Message-ID: <3F041E6F.9040204@ameritech.net>
From: northern snowfall <dbailey27@ameritech.net>
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To: 9fans@cse.psu.edu
Subject: Re: [9fans] PowerPC Booting
References: <1c7f90f26f6c602f84f5dd5807293956@sockfarm.net>
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Date: Thu,  3 Jul 2003 07:15:43 -0500
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>
>
>as well as the nedbsd source.
>
Ah, the NetBSD source helped. It solved the fd-just-
doesnt-seem-to-CLAIM issue. My Power Macintosh refuses
to boot certain devices if the output-device is set to
the on-board video.

Booting NetBSD bootdisks blind works properly if output-
device is set to !screen. However, I have yet-another-
problem. I don't have a MiniDIN8 serial cable for the
Macintosh. Nor do I have a null modem.

It seems that I can generate a null modem fairly easily,
according to:
    http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/Hardware/Misc/serial.html#mac

However, I am faced with several problems:
    a) I have to build my own MiniDIN8 cable
        1) what wires do i use?
        2) how do i get the 'connector'...?
        3) how does it interface with the 'null modem'
    b) I have to build my own null modem
        1) see a){1,2}
    c) I have zero experience with wiring and am extremely
        nervous about this. I don't want to lose this Mac,
        even though I bought it cheap.
        1) every machine is precious

I'd love some assistance in building a serial cable from the
MiniDIN8 to a standard i86pc serial port. I'm very willing to
try things out, as long as the factors are known and I'm not
putting the hardware at a risk of shorting out, etc.

I'm sure there are peopel on this list with experience in
this area of work. I'd appreciate the help.

Don

http://www.7f.no-ip.com/~north_