Upgrading NetBSD macppc 6.0 RC1 from NetBSD macpcc 5.1.2 on a Powerbook G3 Wallstreet PDQ

The boot up process for Open Firmware (OFW) is slightly different on on NetBSD 6.0 RC1 than booting NetBSD  5.1.2. The main difference is that to boot from OFW you have to type in the following code. Which is slightly different from the one posted for 5.1.2.

At the OFW, hold down COMMAND + OPTION (ALT) + O + F along with or before the boot chime to get into the Open Firmware. Next set auto-boot? to false by typing in the following command.

0> setenv auto-boot? false

Grab hold of a Mac OS X 10.2 Disk 1 and insert it into the CD-Drive. Now hold down Command-Option-O-F before the boot chime. This should get you into the open firmware. Type in the following commands:

  0> boot

 Now hit the return key. Right after hitting the return key hold down C. This will boot the Mac OS X 10.2 Disk 1. Initially a Mac Icon will appear with a smiling mac. Then you will hear the boot chime again and it will stop at the Open Firmware boot.

Now remove the Mac OS X 10.2 CD from the CD drive and insert the NetBSD 6.0 RC1 CD into the CD Drive and close the drive. Now type in the following command at the prompt.

0>setenv real-base F00000

 Next type in the following command exactly as typed.

0>boot ide1/@0:0,\OFWBOOT.XCF;1 NETBSD.MACPPC;1

Next you will be prompted with the NetBSD Open Firmware boot prompt. Type in the following command, once agian type exactly as typed.

Boot: netbsd

Now hit Return/Enter and voila! you are in the installation wizard. Follow the installation Wizard and you will have a crisp new installation of NetBSD 6.0 RC1

The System Upgrade

After running into some compile errors on the system (NetBSD 5.1.2), I have decided to upgrade the system from NetBSD 5.1.2 to NetBSD 6.0 RC1. I'm really hoping that the upgrade process goes smoothly and it solves the compile issues that I am having. I've also been debating whether to do a Canadian Cross Compile for the software with the issue but I'm not very skilled in that specific area and there is not much information out there on such a procedure. However I am not disheartened. I will keep researching and hopefully find a few answers somewhere. Until then the option left for me is to upgrade the system from 5.1.2 to 6.0RC1 and hope that the bugs have been fixed.