BOOT_MACPPC(8)     OpenBSD System Manager's Manual (MacPPC)     BOOT_MACPPC(8)

NAME
     boot_macppc - macppc system bootstrapping procedures

DESCRIPTION
   System startup
     When powered on, after a panic, or if the system is rebooted via
     reboot(8) or shutdown(8), the Open Firmware will proceed to its initial-
     ization, and will boot an operating system if the auto-boot? variable is
     set to ``true'', or will wait for interactive commands otherwise.

   Boot process description
     The Apple Open Firmware will normally load the kernel from the device and
     filename as instructed by the boot-device and boot-file variables.  If
     the boot-file variable is empty, the OpenBSD bootloader will look for a
     kernel named bsd, unless a different filename has been specified in the
     boot command.  To reset this variable to its default, empty, value, type
     the following:

          ok set-default boot-device

     The OpenBSD bootstrap program is named ``ofwboot''.  It can be installed
     either in a HFS partition or in a MSDOS partition on the disk.  If MBR
     partitioning is chosen for the disk, the bootstrap program will be in-
     stalled automatically during the OpenBSD installation procedure.  For HFS
     shared disks, the ofwboot file must be installed manually.  The ofwboot
     program can be loaded from any Open Firmware recognized disk or network
     device.

   Boot process options
     If invoked manually without parameters, or if the specified kernel could
     not be loaded, the OpenBSD bootloader will let the user enter a boot de-
     vice, kernel filename and boot options.

     If the special line exit is entered, the bootloader will attempt to
     restart the machine.

     The file specification used is of the form:
           promdev:partition/filename options
     where: ``promdev'' is an optional Open Firmware device name (such as
     ``hd'' or ``ide'') and ``partition'' is an optional disk partition num-
     ber.  Normal line editing characters can be used when typing the file
     specification.

     The following options are recognized:

           -a    Prompt for the root filesystem and swap devices after the de-
                 vices have been configured.
           -c    Enter the ``User Kernel Config'' mode upon startup (see
                 boot_config(8)).
           -d    Enter the debugger, ddb(4), as soon as the kernel console has
                 been initialized.
           -s    Boot the system single-user.  The system will be booted mul-
                 ti-user unless this option is specified.

   Abnormal system termination
     In case of system crashes, the kernel will usually enter the kernel de-
     bugger, ddb(4), unless it is not present in the kernel, or it is disabled
     via the ddb.panic sysctl.  Upon leaving ddb, or if ddb was not entered,
     the kernel will halt the system if it was still in device configuration
     phase, or attempt a dump to the configured dump device, if possible.  The
     crash dump will then be recovered by savecore(8) during the next multi-
     user boot cycle.  It is also possible to force other behaviours from ddb.

   Accessing the PROM
     The prom can only be accessed during system reset, or at power-up.  To
     enter Open Firmware, press and hold ``Cntrl'' ``Cmd'' ``o'' ``f'' as the
     machine resets until it enters the Open Firmware debugger.

     On an Xserve using serial console the System Identifier button is used to
     enter Open Firmware instead of the keyboard.  To enter Open Firmware,
     hold down the System Identifier button while pressing the Power button.
     When the upper LED bank begins lighting up in sequence, repeatedly press
     the System Identifier button until the seventh LED from the right is
     highlighted in the lower bank.  Now hold the System Identifier button for
     two seconds, until all the top row LEDs light up.

FILES
     /bsd               default system kernel
     /bsd.rd            standalone installation kernel, suitable for disaster
                        recovery
     /usr/mdec/ofwboot  system bootstrap (usually installed on a stand-alone
                        FAT partition or an Apple HFS partition, to be read-
                        able by Open Firmware)

SEE ALSO
     ddb(4), boot_config(8), halt(8), init(8), reboot(8), savecore(8),
     shutdown(8)

OpenBSD 4.7                     January 3, 2010                              2
