Mac OS X / NetBSD dual boot on Macbook Pro 1,1

[Patrick Pritchard]

After much trial and error I have managed to create a NetBSD filesystem and untar the appropriate tarballs, but I am unable to boot the system. I have used the netbsd boot installer command to try to get this to work:

installboot -v /dev/rdk3 /mnt/usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv2

Where rkd3 is the mount point for my NetBSD root partition on my internal HD.

Scenario #1: USB drive---which contains the NetBSD installer---is plugged in
When I reboot the machine, rEFInd shows shows me two NetBSD options, one for the internal HD and one for the USB drive, as expected. Selecting the USB NetBSD boots the USB drive, as expected. Selecting the internal HD boots the USB drive as well, not expected.

Scenario #2: USB drive is not plugged in
When I reboot the machine, rEFInd shows me one NetBSD option, for the internal HD, as expected. When I select it, it stops complaining of no boot volume.

As an aside, when I run rEFInd's GPT sync tool from the rEFInd menu, it tells me that there is nothing to be done.

Can anybody offer some helpful advise as to what I should try next?

Thanks,
-10d

[Roderick W. Smith]

I'm not an expert on NetBSD, but this sounds to me like you've installed the wrong boot loader on the hard disk, or you've configured it incorrectly. I say this because it sounds like the boot loader on the hard disk is trying to boot from the USB flash drive, not from the hard disk. I recommend you re-read the NetBSD boot loader documentation with this in mind.

It's also conceivable that the NetBSD boot loader is not reacting well to the GPT disk or to the hybrid MBR. (This assumes you've got a hybrid MBR, which seems likely given your description.) Again, reading the NetBSD documentation with an eye to such issues may help you.