PowerPC OS programming

[Massimo Dentico]

"T.J. Mills" wrote:
> 
>   I was wondering if anybody out there could point me
> to some information concerning the bootstrap loading
> process for PowerPC-based Macintoshes, including boot
> sector format, BIOS information, and perhaps some
> hardware/device info too? I have been searching the net
> but it seems extremely difficult to find.
> 
>  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks,
> T.J. Mills
> mrheddy@hotmail.com

A good starting point for BIOS information on PowerPC-based
computers (not only Apple, but IBM also) is the Open Firmware
(IEEE-1275 Standard) home page:

  - http://www.openfirmware.org/

Essentially is a specification for a largely machine-independent
BIOS based on ANS Forth

  - http://tunes.org/Review/Languages.html#FORTH

Apple at their Developer Website

  - http://developer.apple.com/

has some documents (Technical Notes)

  -  http://developer.apple.com/technotes/

related to Open Firmware.

For example, in the hardware section

  - http://developer.apple.com/technotes/indexes/hw-a.html

you can find the "Fundamentals of Open Firmware" series:

  "Part I: The User Interface"
  - http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1061.html

  "Part II: The Device Tree"
  - http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1062.html

  "Part III: Understanding PCI Expansion ROM Choices for Mac OS 8"
  - http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn/tn1044.html

I hope this helps. Best regards.

-- 
Massimo Dentico