# "can't load 'kernel'" in Mac Mini G4 Open Firmware.



## Influenser (Jul 25, 2011)

Hello, 

I recently dug up my old Mac Mini 1.42 GHz PPC G4 (Early 2005, First gen.). I have since tried installing FreeBSD 8.2 for PPCs, but with problems no one seem to have encountered. *Note that I am trying to install from a USB stick, and NOT a CD* (And the Open Firmware does support it due to the fact that I have previously booted MorphOS from the same stick.) Note that this very computer is listed under "Supported Hardware" here.

*This is what I did:*
1. I downloaded "FreeBSD-8.1-RELEASE-powerpc-disc1.iso" via BitTorrent.***
2. Extracted its contents to my USB stick.
3. Put it in my Mac Mini and started in Open Firmware.
4. Located the path to the disk (*/pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1*).
5. Ran this:

```
0 > devalias ud /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1 ok
0 > boot ud:,\boot\loader ud:0
```

*This is what I got:*

```
0 > devalias ud /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1 ok
0 > boot ud:,\boot\loader ud:0 load-size=39e34 adler32=d2953fa

Loading ELF
Consoles: Open Firmware console

FreeBSD/powerpc Open Firmware loader, Revision 0.1
(root@xserve.lan.xcllnt.net, Sun Jul 18 04:50:11 UTC 2010)
Memory: 526288KB
Booted from: /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1

\
can't load 'kernel'

Type '?' for a list of commands, 'help' for more detailed help.
OK _
```
_* I also tried with the "FreeBSD-8.2-RELEASE-powerpc-disc1.iso" version._

--------------------------------

I found this bloke who did the same thing, and it worked for him.

*Help me! What have I done wrong?*


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## tingo (Jul 26, 2011)

Well, I'm that bloke (not used to hear the word "bloke" much, but that's probably because I live in a country where English is a second language).
The machine I used was different from yours (PowerBook G4 vs Mac mini G4).
Your number 2 is "Extracted its contents to my USB stick", what did you really do here? Did you use dd?

What version of Open Firmware are you using? You should be using the newest one for your machine.

And finally; you have the "OK" prompt. Can you type anything there? What happens if you type 

```
?
```
If you can type commands, try 

```
lsdev
```
to figure out which devices the bootloader sees.


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## Influenser (Jul 28, 2011)

Hello Torfinn. Thank you for your reply. I do not live in a English speaking country either, rather in LÃ¸renskog, Norway - just outside Oslo. I think I have started to pick some slang words from the "Only Fools and Horses"-series (which are fenomenal!).



> Your number 2 is "Extracted its contents to my USB stick", what did you really do here? Did you use dd?


On number 2, I simply opened the .iso in Finder (OS X 10.6) and copied all its contents to the memory stick. How would I go on with dd?




> What version of Open Firmware are you using? You should be using the newest one for your machine.


I am using Open Firmware version 3, which is as far as I know the newest version for my Early 2005 Mac Mini.




> And finally; you have the "OK" prompt. Can you type anything there? What happens if you type


After the OK, I can type and run commands. I will try "lsdev" tomorrow, then report back.

Thank you for your help so far.


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## sossego (Jul 28, 2011)

Try 
	
	



```
setenv boot-device cdrom
```
 and then

```
mac-boot
```
 after the ok prompt.


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## Influenser (Jul 28, 2011)

tingo said:
			
		

> Well, I'm that bloke (not used to hear the word "bloke" much, but that's probably because I live in a country where English is a second language).
> The machine I used was different from yours (PowerBook G4 vs Mac mini G4).
> Your number 2 is "Extracted its contents to my USB stick", what did you really do here? Did you use dd?
> 
> ...



I have tried lsdev. This is the result:

```
OK lsdev
block devices:
net devices:
             net0:
OK _
```

----------------------


			
				sossego said:
			
		

> Try
> 
> 
> 
> ...



This gave me this:

```
OK setenv /pci@f2000000/usb@1b,1/disk@1 cdrom  <- (like this?)
Error: stack underflow
OK _
```


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## Influenser (Jul 28, 2011)

*[Solved]*

*Solved!*

I did not "copy the .iso" to the memory stick the right way. I simply mounted the .iso and copied all the contents to the existing partition on the memory stick. This did not work.

I solved it by using dd. First, I found where in "/dev" the memory stick was on my mac with the "mount" command. Then I opened Disc Utility.app and "deactivated" the partition on the USB drive (not unmount), then I finally did a 
	
	



```
$ dd if=~/Desktop/FreeBSD-8.2-RELEASE-powerpc-all/FreeBSD-8.2-RELEASE-powerpc-disc1.iso of=/dev/disk1
```

At last, I put the USB drive in my Mac Mini, booted up in Open Firmware, and typed what I had done previously, which is: 
	
	



```
0 > devalias ud /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1 ok
0 > boot ud:,\boot\loader ud:0
```

It now booted! Thanks for your help.


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