Am 20.11.2006 um 18:38 schrieb bcsi:

>  Thanks, Markus -
> 
>  I need details of the upgrade process from OpenDarwin 7.2.1 to the  
>  most recent version of Apple's x86 Darwin. Any specific tips, or  
>  links to documentation, would be most helpful, as follow-up to your  
>  suggestions:
> 
> > - Get Darwin 8.0.1 running in qemu.
> 
>  That sounds like a good idea. What steps would I follow to  
>  accomplish that, having just gotten OpenDarwin 7.2.1 installed and  
>  running?

Well, go to <http://www.qemu.org/download.html>  and grab the version  
of qemu most appropriate for you. I've tried the Windows version for  
i386 as well as for ppc. Both come with some mini-Linux already set  
up, just change the hard disk and cdrom images as needed. An attempt  
to install Tiger PPC got stuck at the point where the Installer wants  
the next CD inserted, though. FreeBSD, CAELinux, DragonFly BSD, all  
run fine.

> > - Ask a friend with Mac OS X to compile a few critical parts.
> 
>  I do have Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger running on an old G3 iMac. Once I  
>  install XCode, what would you suggest that I compile?

You've solved the bootstrapping problem, then. You can start  
assembling your Darwin system using Xcode's compiler. This is a huge  
task and likely requires some coding, but you asked for it. The only  
prior art I'm aware of can be found at <http://release.opendarwin.org> .

If you want to get started by building a kernel, Mac OS Forge should  
have some instructions, or you can look at what I did a few month ago  
(before the closure of OpenDarwin): <http://www.jump-ing.com/ 
index.php?Lang=en&Menu=3&SubMenu=2> 


>  But OpenDarwin 7.2.1 already comes with gcc installed. So exactly  
>  how would I leverage Linux to help upgrade Darwin?

Not all gccs have an equal feature set. In case you wouldn't have  
access to Xcode, you could compile Darwin's gcc on Linux to get the  
environment to build proper mach-o binaries.


>  There are enough FOSS apps available to make x86 Darwin a viable  
>  solution. My own focus, as a computer support provider, is to  
>  promote the use of free, open source software.

This is a honorable goal, but you're aware quite some people tried on  
Darwin already and failed? Apple's open source can be considered as  
read-only and obviously lacks some 5% of the critical parts. Even if  
you re-create those 5%, you still lack support for most of the  
currently available PC hardware. You'd have to write drivers on your  
own.

I'm unsure what to recommend you. Did you consider e.g. to add some  
Darwin support (HFSX file system support and/or mach-o binary  
support) to some other OS like one of the BSDs?


Markus

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Dipl. Ing. Markus Hitter
http://www.jump-ing.de/




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