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Author Topic: EFiX and Other Operating Systems  (Read 2820 times)

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Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« on: December 09, 2008, 07:45:29 PM »
Just found this on the net:

"OS X aside, the EFiX is definitely not an OS X install device. It’s designed to allow easily installation of almost any operating system. From legacy BIOS operating systems like Windows XP to EFI-based setups like Leopard, the EFiX module handles them all. The process is seamless and non-intrusive. This means there’s no emulation layer of any kind, and the host operating system interacts with your hardware directly."

Don't have a clue about how exactly that works, but maybe something similar with U-Boot on it could be used on PPC macs to allow installation of Amiga OS4 and/or MorphOS.

*PS* I know MorphOS MacMini port is ongoing! :D

}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline bloodline

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2008, 07:48:34 PM »
Quote

hbarcellos wrote:
Just found this on the net:

"OS X aside, the EFiX is definitely not an OS X install device. It’s designed to allow easily installation of almost any operating system. From legacy BIOS operating systems like Windows XP to EFI-based setups like Leopard, the EFiX module handles them all. The process is seamless and non-intrusive. This means there’s no emulation layer of any kind, and the host operating system interacts with your hardware directly."

Don't have a clue about how exactly that works, but maybe something similar with U-Boot on it could be used on PPC macs to allow installation of Amiga OS4 and/or MorphOS.

*PS* I know MorphOS MacMini port is ongoing! :D



Keywords: BIOS, EFI, WindowsXP, Leopard... this is x86 :-)

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2008, 07:52:46 PM »
I know what Efi-X is for...
But, the idea is: It's maybe possible to create a "DAS U-Boot" USB device to allow installation of OS4 for example on a PPC Mac G4, like the mac mini..

}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline sbeehre

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2008, 07:53:14 PM »
yes but doesnt he just mean developing something along the same lines? obviously efix is not intended to be able to boot amiga os on mac hardware.
 

Offline Golem!dk

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2008, 07:54:41 PM »
Ok, be sure to keep us updated on your progress.
~
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2008, 07:59:41 PM »
I'm accepting orders:

U$ 800 (special offer for pre-orders)

Here's my PayPal ID:

oieuwoiewquewqo@aksjdkdasj.com


*PS* Can't we have a theoretical/hypothetical discussion anymore?
 
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline Piru

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2008, 08:27:40 PM »
@hbarcellos
Quote
maybe something similar with U-Boot on it could be used on PPC macs to allow installation of Amiga OS4

This doesn't magically give the required drivers, so no.
 

Offline Trev

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2008, 09:04:57 PM »
Another crazy idea: a Mac OS 9 compatibility layer to allow use of the drivers that may or may not have been embedded in the firmware of some Mac hardware.
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #8 on: December 10, 2008, 12:50:04 PM »
That Efi-X device looks like a bootable pen-drive.
Open firmware can boot through USB?
So, open firmware would boot to the Pen Drive, Pen drive would load DAS U-Boot that could be used to load OS4... maybe.

DAS U-Boot could even be based on one of the SAM440 firmware updates...

Am I getting close? :)
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline Golem!dk

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #9 on: December 10, 2008, 12:53:02 PM »
I don't think open firmware will boot from usb (not that it really matters) and you'd still need drivers. I think you still have some way to go.
~
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #10 on: December 10, 2008, 12:54:27 PM »
Drivers = Second part of the quest!

MacMini, for example is partially supported...
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline Lorraine

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/
« Reply #11 on: December 10, 2008, 12:58:11 PM »
/
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #12 on: December 10, 2008, 01:09:19 PM »
Hardware (proc, video,...) is partially supported

MOANA code would not be needed on this case, because the original U-Boot loader would be used.

And again, this is hypothetical discussion...
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)
 

Offline Piru

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #13 on: December 10, 2008, 01:23:43 PM »
@hbarcellos
Let me try again.

Spoofing U-boot isn't enough to get the OS running. The firmware is basically used for two things:

1. load the boot image off some media and launch it.
2. provide services to query the hw device tree (well at least this is how it works with OF).

Providing these is not enough to get some OS running on some alien HW.
 

Offline hbarcellosTopic starter

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Re: EFiX and Other Operating Systems
« Reply #14 on: December 10, 2008, 05:30:13 PM »
define alien hw.

Im not suggesting it could be used to run aos 4 on a sun sparc or x86.

what about mac mini?

Moana should be something similar with my proposal. as far as I know complains related to it were because ppl could not eject the moana cd... using the moana, btw, on an usb pen drive could maybe solve that...

For mac mini its probably possible, altough illegal to create this efi-x like solution... From SCRATCH not using stolen code...
}~ A1200 - Apollo 68040 - HOTLY running OS 3.1
}~ Powerbook G4 1.67 running MorphOS 3.2 without Wifi.
}~ Powermac Quicksilver 933 with Radeon 9600 XT (r300) LOUDLY running MorphOS 3.2
}~ [MY iOS GAME]: http://goo.gl/S9nWB (Amiga users can get it FREE[/color], just ask me)