Test on powerpc: what means '/boot/grub must be a mount point.'

[rubisher]

Hello all,

Some time ago, I tried to install a debian distro (iirc 5.0) with net-install 
cd on a IBM p510 lpar.
All works fine, but the yaboot which cd installed failed to boot this installation :_(. I well reported the issue but never 
get feedback :_(

On the other hand I reach to install an opensuse 10.3 on another virtual SCSI 
disk which boot fine:

It's a very simple disk layout:
                                                   cfdisk (util-linux-ng 2.14.1)

                                                        Disk Drive: /dev/sda
                                                  Size: 10737418240 bytes, 10.7 
GB
                                        Heads: 255   Sectors per Track: 63   
Cylinders: 1305

      Name                Flags              Part Type        FS Type           
          [Label]                 Size (MB)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      sda1                Boot                Primary         FAT16                       ['root'     ]               24.68 

      sda2                                    Primary         Linux LVM         
                                   10709.32


and following mounted fs:
 # mount
/dev/mapper/system-root on / type ext3 (rw,acl,user_xattr)
/proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
debugfs on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,mode=0620,gid=5)
/dev/mapper/system-home on /home type ext3 (rw,acl,user_xattr)


My debian disk layout is a bit more scattered:
                                                   cfdisk (util-linux-ng 2.14.1)

                                                        Disk Drive: /dev/sdb
                                                  Size: 12884901888 bytes, 12.8 
GB
                                        Heads: 64   Sectors per Track: 32   
Cylinders: 12288

      Name                Flags              Part Type        FS Type           
          [Label]                 Size (MB)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      sdb1                Boot                Primary         PPC PReP Boot                                            0.44 
       *
                                                              Unusable                                                22.64 
       *
      sdb2                                    Primary         Linux             
                                       8.39
      sdb3                                    Primary         Linux ext3        
                                     262.15
      sdb5                                    Logical         Linux swap / 
Solaris                                  3144.68
      sdb6                                    Logical         Linux ext3                                            2097.16 

      sdb7                                    Logical         Linux LVM         
                                    7349.47

but I can easily manage it with a chroot in the opensuse one with following 
additional mounted fs:
/dev/sdb6 on /mnt/NewInst type ext3 (rw)
/dev/sdb3 on /mnt/NewInst/boot type ext3 (rw)
/dev/mapper/p5tst001vg-var on /mnt/NewInst/var type ext3 (rw)
/dev/mapper/p5tst001vg-tmp on /mnt/NewInst/tmp type ext3 (rw)
/dev/mapper/p5tst001vg-home on /mnt/NewInst/home type ext3 (rw)
/dev/mapper/p5tst001vg-Sources on /mnt/NewInst/Sources type ext3 (rw)
/proc on /mnt/NewInst/proc type none (rw,bind)
/dev on /mnt/NewInst/dev type none (rw,bind)
/dev/pts on /mnt/NewInst/dev/pts type none (rw,bind)
/sys on /mnt/NewInst/sys type none (rw,bind)

Now that debian as a precompiled grub-ieee1275 actually a grub2 1.96+20080724 for powerpc with an open firmware, before 
compiling latest svn, I would like to get a try but:
(p5_sid)address@hidden:~# grub-install hd1
/boot/grub must be a mount point.

I googled a bit but I just learn that '/boot/grub' must be a mount point, 
though.

If so my guess is that I would have to reformat my sdb1 slice (currently a 'PPC PReP Boot' fs type) as a FAT16 so that I 
would be able to use it as the /boot/grub mount point?

Would it be what I have to do or would I have better to follow 
<http://grub.enbug.org/TestingOnPowerPC>?

Thanks in advance for further advise/help,
        r.