Walter, Here is a previous post about booting alternative kernels. You can save yourself from the open firmware menu when you boot(see forwarded message below). As for the most recent version of Darwin, this is a regular question on this list :). In my opinion, Apple is slow to update the public CVS repository to match their binary releases. My hunch is that they have new features they want to keep private until they release them to the general public, and so they don't keep the public CVS tree in sync with their local build. That's just me speculating though. Anyhow I think the latest darwin source you can get now is the 10.2.2 (tag xnu-344-12-2). -Brian Tabone Begin forwarded message: From: Josh de Cesare <decesare@apple.com> Date: Thu Jan 16, 2003 10:32:40 AM US/Central To: darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Subject: Re: Booting alternative kernels from primary disk? Mark, Here's what I do after testing a kernel that did not work... Reboot, and stop at Open Firmware (hold CMD-OPT-O-F). Then I change the boot-file parameter to point at my back up kernel; usually /mach_kenrel.orig. Then boot the machine, fix the kernel and clear boot-file parameter. In OF type: printenv boot-device This will show the path to BootX; usually hd:9,\\:tbxi. The important thing to note here, is the partition number (9) and the path to the disk (hd:). When setting the boot-file use the same path and partition number, but put in the new kernel name at the end. setenv boot-file hd:9,mach_kernel.orig To continue booting type: boot After the machine has booted in terminal or on the console at root, fix /mach_kernel and clear the boot-file with the nvram command: nvram boot-fille="" What do you do if you mess up a boot driver on the disk? The only thing I have found is to boot off of a different partition and replace it with the original one. This can be done from single user off of an install CD. Here's the other way I do kernel or driver development... Net boot everything. It does require two machine and you will need a DHCP server on your network. First enable tftpd on your build machine. Copy /usr/standalone/ppc/bootx.xcoff to your tftpboot directory, usually /private/tftpboot. Make a link in /private/tftpboot to the build results of your xnu build and call is something like mach_kernel.test. You will also need to make an mkext to include all the important drivers. You will need a directory will all the drivers from the target build of the OS, I assume below that they are the same as the build machine. kextcache -lna ppc -m /private/tftpboot/mach_kernel.test.mkext /System/Library/Extensions The mkext name must be <kernel-name>.mkext Now the target machine needs to be configured. Set the boot-device to point over the network to BootX, and the boot-file to point at the kernel. Be sure to fill in the IP address of your build machine. setenv boot-device enet:12.34.56.78,bootx.xcoff setenv boot-file enet:12.34.56.78,mach_kernel.test At this point the machine should be able to boot, by finding BootX and the kernel and mkext, but it will not know what to do about the root disk. Set boot-args to point back at the disk. Normally, if it gets to single user, I'm done, so I include -s, and debug=0x14e in case it doesn't. setenv boot-args -s debug=0x14e rd=*hd:9 Once all the parameters are set type sync-nvram to flush them out. If the boot does not make it all the way through BootX, OF will not flush them out, and you will have to type it all again. As you rebuild new kernel, or change drivers (and rebuild the mkext) on your build machine all you need to do to test the new stuff is reboot the test machine. Good luck. Josh At 6:27 AM -0800 1/16/03, Mark Grimes wrote: "Before you install the new kernel, make a copy of your original kernel. When things fail you can always copy the original kernel back by booting from a different disk or partition. Either X or 9 will work." (from xnu building for mortals - circa 10.1.1) I am rather speechless. This seems like a rather obsolete suggestion for machines that ship with solely OSX now. Is there no such way to boot from the backup kernel you made from the primary disk?. I only have X, I don't have 9. I also only have one Mac. Do I need to keep the original install cd's on hand whenever I am in the mood to dabble? I have been searching the archives for this very question... either this is really a stupid question or everyone has enough methods to get themselves out of binds. Can someone give me a shout out as to where I missed the boat? -- Mark Grimes <mark@stateful.net> Stateful Labs _______________________________________________ darwin-kernel mailing list | darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/darwin-kernel Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. _______________________________________________ darwin-kernel mailing list | darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/darwin-kernel Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored. _______________________________________________ darwin-kernel mailing list | darwin-kernel@lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Archives: http://www.lists.apple.com/mailman/listinfo/darwin-kernel Do not post admin requests to the list. They will be ignored.