(Answer) (Category) Linux on PowerPC FAQ-O-Matic : (Category) Installation :
Booting LinuxPPC 2000 install CD can't find the live filesystem
If your LinuxPPC 2000 CD says it can't find the live filesystem and hops into the RedHat installer, instead of xinstaller, it may be because there are remnants of a previous release on an HFS filesystem elsewhere on the machine. I was able to dodge this simply by moving the remnants into a subfolder so the installer won't find them.
jxh@jxh.com
I'm currently hung up on this error and cannot figure out how to get around it. I get this error when attempting to start up from my Linux hard drive. (Starting up from the CD gives me the error message that "bad use of \ is quoted near line 0 of yaboot) This is the first time I've installed Linux, and I did a completely clean install of Mac OS 9 right before it (on a separate HD), so I can't imagine what other files it might be finding that would be giving this error. Im installing to a 350MHz G4 with vertical headphone/microphone jacks. I have a 5gb hard drive I'm attempting to install onto. Its divided into 2 partitions, one is 100 MB MacOS Standard and conatins the following files: [ramdisk.image.gz]; [vmlinux.2.2.15pre3]; [vmlinux_ibook]; [(System Folder)-Finder, System, MacOS Rom, yaboot.conf]. The other partition is not visible and is A/UX Root format. Ive been trying to install Linux for about 5 hours now, and this is the closest Ive come... If anyone can tell me how to corrct this problem, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
brom6823@hotmail.com
I'm having the same problem -- I've followed the instructions to the best of my ability, partitioning my 3GB (I have an original iBook) drive into root, swap, and HFS+ (in that order). I've downloaded the disk image from linuxPPC.org, unwrapped it, and burned it to a CD. When I try to boot from this CD, I get some Linux boot screens (just enough to get my hopes up), the good old white text on a black screen, and then it all stops with a "can't find the live filesystem" message. I'm also told at this point that it can't start the X installer, and that I can type startx to start it anyway, etc. None of this works (BASH can't find the commands) -- my only option seems to be to reboot, which takes me back to my macOS. PLEEEZE tell me what I'm doing wrong -- any help you can give is most welcome...
dieter@turbinado.com
Try copying the live filesystem to a HFS partition. I had the same problem, and this worked for me. (I also copied "software" to the same partition, which may or may not have been necessary).
N.A.Harman@swan.ac.uk
The script that should locate the live fs (find_live.pl) can't obviously
handle hfs cd's. I had the same problem and I had to  manually mount 
the cd in order to go on with the installation:

# mount -t hfs /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom
# boot_live.pl
   (now you should have a fs under /live, check with ls -l /live)
# start_installer
   (this starts the xinstaller)

olli.vertanen@invers.fi
I was running into a lot of trouble installing this on a iMac DV. Here's how I managed it:

- Download a disk image (preferrably from one of the mirrors, it has been reported the Swiss mirror is quite fast)
- There's an error in the first line of yaboot.conf (in the System folder) - you have to add n before the word "Press"
- Burn a CD with Adaptec toast: Drop the disk image to Toast, open the Data folder and replace yaboot.conf with an updated version
- Copy the System, live and software folder to a boot partition (must be HFS) and copy all files from the "Linux kernel" folder , too (directly on the drive, without the folder)
- One problem I didn't deal with, but try it anyway: open the System folder on your boot partition to activate it and select this harddrive as startup disk (control panels)
- make sure there's no HFS+ partition (or you will end up with an error)
- boot from the CD (hold down the 'c' key while starting)
- you should get into the graph installer
- I repartitioned the hd creating a swap (AP UX), a root ('/') and a home partition (both Linux PPC)
- don't touch the already created boot partition or all data will be erased
- always reboot with the CD until installation is finished

There's definitely a lack of documentation and I plan to set up the system on my other macs also (a Powerbook G3 and a beige Tower) - I plan to write a documentation later, if nobody shows up with it first..

So far - I'm now ready for the next challenge (setting up my cable modem :)
/k
klw@techie.com
I was running into a lot of trouble installing this on a iMac DV. Here's how I managed it:

- Download a disk image (preferrably from one of the mirrors, it has been reported the Swiss mirror is quite fast)
- There's an error in the first line of yaboot.conf (in the System folder) - you have to add n before the word "Press"
- Burn a CD with Adaptec toast: Drop the disk image to Toast, open the Data folder and replace yaboot.conf with an updated version
- Copy the System, live and software folder to a boot partition (must be HFS) and copy all files from the "Linux kernel" folder , too (directly on the drive, without the folder)
- One problem I didn't deal with, but try it anyway: open the System folder on your boot partition to activate it and select this harddrive as startup disk (control panels)
- make sure there's no HFS+ partition (or you will end up with an error)
- boot from the CD (hold down the 'c' key while starting)
- you should get into the graph installer
- I repartitioned the hd creating a swap (AP UX), a root ('/') and a home partition (both Linux PPC)
- don't touch the already created boot partition or all data will be erased
- always reboot with the CD until installation is finished

There's definitely a lack of documentation and I plan to set up the system on my other macs also (a Powerbook G3 and a beige Tower) - I plan to write a documentation later, if nobody shows up with it first..

So far - I'm now ready for the next challenge (setting up my cable modem :)
/k
klw@techie.com
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