Re: OldWorld ROM Macintoshes

Stan:

I'm glad we're on the same page.  If your custom build of the Debian
6.16 kernel works on the WallStreet, perhaps a comparison of the
options you used with the default options (perhaps Adrian can help us
out here) can provide some insight?

Thanks

On Wed, 2025-09-03 at 13:50 -0600, Stan Johnson wrote:
> Booting the Wallstreet using vmlinux-6.16.3+deb14-powerpc and 
> initrd.img-6.16.3+deb14-powerpc from the latest Debian SID, the
> kernel 
> (or initrd) appears to hang. The screen is blank, the backlight is
> on, 
> but nothing happens (no messages on the fb console, no network). So 
> apparently there are multiple problems. I didn't try hooking up a
> serial 
> console yet to see if there are any messages there (I may try that
> later).
> 
> For now, I'm going to try a kernel bisect for the first problem (X11
> not 
> working in Gentoo), unless someone has a different recommendation.
> 
> -Stan
> 
> On 9/3/25 1:15 PM, Cedar Maxwell wrote:
> > Stan,
> > 
> > Thanks for your reply
> > 
> > On Wed, 2025-09-03 at 12:39 -0600, Stan Johnson wrote:
> > > Jeroen,
> > > 
> > > That was a good suggestion, though it did not work with my
> > > Wallstreet. I
> > > think it's possible that there is an issue with the kernel and
> > > with
> > > one
> > > or more Xorg updates, and perhaps that's what is happening with
> > > Cedar's
> > > Wallstreet as well.
> > > 
> > > Cedar,
> > > 
> > > On my Wallstreet, I have Debian SID and Gentoo installed. X11 was
> > > not
> > > working with the most current update of Gentoo, with either
> > > kernel
> > > 5.18.0 or 6.16.2. Reverting to a Jan 21, 2025 backup, X11 works
> > > with
> > > 5.18.0, but not with 6.16.2.
> > 
> > Just to confirm: you were still able to boot up to text mode only
> > in
> > 6.16, right?
> > 
> > > So I may be able to do a kernel bisect,
> > > using the Gentoo installation that has X11 working with 5.18.0 as
> > > the
> > > starting point.
> > > 
> > > In Debian, I've updated to the latest Debian SID, with no X11
> > > graphics
> > > working with either 5.18.0 or 6.16.2.
> > 
> > Same question: Just confirming you can still boot just fine into
> > text
> > mode, just no X11 graphics mode.
> > 
> > In response to your previous emails, I think you are quite correct
> > I
> > cannot immediately blame solely the kernel version, it appears to
> > just
> > be a combination of the 6.16 kernel + my configuration, as
> > reverting to
> > the 6.1.0 kernel allows me to boot.
> > 
> > Or maybe my system is still booting 6.16, but just with no video
> > output.  I still need to set up SSH server or attempt Serial to
> > test
> > this theory.
> > 
> > > I could revert to a backup from
> > > 2024, but I think I'll try to use my working Gentoo installation
> > > to
> > > determine whether there is a kernel regression.
> > > 
> > > My BootX configuration is as follows (for working X11 in 5.18.0):
> > >     Kernel: vmlinux-5.18.0-pmac (custom kernel, no modules)
> > >     Boot Device: /dev/sda13 (Gentoo partition)
> > >     More kernel arguments: video=atyfb:vmode:14,cmode:32,mclk:71
> > >     No video driver: checked
> > >     Options:
> > >       Force SCSI ON: checked
> > >       Force video settings: checked
> > >       Use specified RAM disk: not checked
> > > 
> > > -Stan
> > > 
> > > -----
> > > 
> > > On 9/3/25 2:19 AM, Jeroen Diederen wrote:
> > > > What I have encountered in recent Debian systems is a library
> > > > that
> > > > prevents X to work and leave you with a black screen.
> > > > 
> > > > What I always do is, boot into recovery mode and issue:
> > > > 
> > > > mv /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libglamoregl.so
> > > > /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libglamoregl.so.bak
> > > > 
> > > > Then resume booting. It might work in your case too.
> > > > 
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Jeroen
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Stan Johnson schreef op 2025-09-03 14:34:
> > > > > On 9/2/25 10:26 PM, Cedar Maxwell wrote:
> > > > > > Kernel 6.16 causes a black screen.  No response to CTRL +
> > > > > > ALT +
> > > > > > F1, F2,
> > > > > > etc.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Please advise in troubleshooting.
> > > > > > ...
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > I don't think you can necessarily conclude that the kernel is
> > > > > causing
> > > > > a black screen without more information. On your Wallstreet,
> > > > > did
> > > > > you
> > > > > replace Debian's 6.1.0-9 kernel that you mentioned earlier
> > > > > with
> > > > > 6.16,
> > > > > or did you upgrade all Debian packages ("apt-get dist-
> > > > > upgrade")?
> > > > > 
> > > > > If you ran a full "apt-get dist-upgrade" then there may some
> > > > > other
> > > > > issue causing the black screen. Do you see boot messages as
> > > > > the
> > > > > kernel
> > > > > starts to boot? Does the screen go blank at about the time a
> > > > > window
> > > > > manager starts? If you disable X11 by not running a window
> > > > > manager (I
> > > > > think Debian uses lightdm by default for Xfce), do you get a
> > > > > login
> > > > > prompt? Are you able to access the system over the network
> > > > > (ssh
> > > > > or
> > > > > telnet) or via a serial port? If yes, does
> > > > > /var/log/Xorg.0.log
> > > > > contain
> > > > > any useful information?
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> > > > > > On Tue, 2025-09-02 at 20:31 -0500, Cedar Maxwell wrote:
> > > > > > > Good news gentlemen.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > Last time on OldWorld adventures: I attempted to install
> > > > > > > several
> > > > > > > versions of Debian but each attempt rendered the OS 9
> > > > > > > install
> > > > > > > unbootable both in QEMU and on the WallStreet.
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > However, the unbootability on the WallStreet appears to
> > > > > > > have
> > > > > > > been
> > > > > > > caused solely by my shoddy mSATA to IDE adapter. 
> > > > > > > Although
> > > > > > > the
> > > > > > > installation didn't boot on QEMU, I tried another adapter
> > > > > > > (still
> > > > > > > JM20330 based) and it booted up.  Note to QEMU
> > > > > > > maintainers
> > > > > > > perhaps
> > > > > > > lurking on this mailing list: Is this the intended
> > > > > > > behavior?
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I attempted to boot into Debian 6.1.0-9 using an image
> > > > > > > from
> > > > > > > 2023-05-
> > > > > > > 08.
> > > > > > > Mission success!  I don't know yet if this because of an
> > > > > > > older kernel
> > > > > > > version, or because I omitted the GRUB partition, but I
> > > > > > > intend to
> > > > > > > test
> > > > > > > updating the kernel and reporting back. ...