Mac OS 9 booting on: Mac mini G4 (Detailed Posts)

[Jubadub]

Here is the bootable toast file. I burned it from High Sierra on a Mac Pro and I used it to install perfectly on my Mac mini G4 (1.42).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zxHj55T83Wn9US-9RAQPga_XAOj37UCn/view?usp=sharing

Tell me if that is a public link, and if you try this let me know if it worked or not.

I downloaded and burnt it successfully, and used it on my Mac Mini 1.5 GHz. Held "C" on my keyboard, and it completed the entire boot sequence successfully. Awesome! But then a few issues started popping up:

- After the Desktop started loading, the screen seemed to try to adjust its resolution. I used a 1080p Samsung LED monitor/TV and, while I expected the screen to go dark from what I read happened to others, mine didn't. But the text on the desktop was completely messed up. Unreadable, save for a few letter combinations (barely). I tried adjusting monitor/resolution/color settings, but to no avail. I also noticed the control strip was missing, not sure if its extension was purposefully removed or if it just failed to load. All icons were such a blurry mess that I couldn't tell;

- Despite the aforementioned issue, I tried proceeding with installing OS 9 anyway. So, I ran what I believed mounted the image of the to-be-installed instance of Mac OS 9. That image was, seemingly, mounted successfully. When I opened the image's folder, I saw 3 folders and 3... blank icons, with some gibberish text underneath (again, probably because of my monitor: I don't think the actual text data was incorrect). I figured one of the 3 blank icons were supposed to handle the installation, but trying to open any of the 3 of them gives me an error. I couldn't read the error's message text.

And that's how it went for me. Not sure if any of that input of mine is of any use.

[RossDarker]

Here is the bootable toast file. I burned it from High Sierra on a Mac Pro and I used it to install perfectly on my Mac mini G4 (1.42).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zxHj55T83Wn9US-9RAQPga_XAOj37UCn/view?usp=sharing

Tell me if that is a public link, and if you try this let me know if it worked or not.

I downloaded and burnt it successfully, and used it on my Mac Mini 1.5 GHz. Held "C" on my keyboard, and it completed the entire boot sequence successfully. Awesome! But then a few issues started popping up:

- After the Desktop started loading, the screen seemed to try to adjust its resolution. I used a 1080p Samsung LED monitor/TV and, while I expected the screen to go dark from what I read happened to others, mine didn't. But the text on the desktop was completely messed up. Unreadable, save for a few letter combinations (barely). I tried adjusting monitor/resolution/color settings, but to no avail. I also noticed the control strip was missing, not sure if its extension was purposefully removed or if it just failed to load. All icons were such a blurry mess that I couldn't tell;

- Despite the aforementioned issue, I tried proceeding with installing OS 9 anyway. So, I ran what I believed mounted the image of the to-be-installed instance of Mac OS 9. That image was, seemingly, mounted successfully. When I opened the image's folder, I saw 3 folders and 3... blank icons, with some gibberish text underneath (again, probably because of my monitor: I don't think the actual text data was incorrect). I figured one of the 3 blank icons were supposed to handle the installation, but trying to open any of the 3 of them gives me an error. I couldn't read the error's message text.

And that's how it went for me. Not sure if any of that input of mine is of any use.

I know the 1.5ghz models have double the vram of the others. Doubt that caused anything though but it might have done. I am using a Cinema Display 20" over DVI at 1680x1050 and I think 1080p might of had an issue(not sure). Maybe if you are using your TV with a DVI to HDMI adapter, use DVI to VGA instead. Or just a native DVI monitor. The three blank icons are just labels that read "Drag the 3 folders in to the root of your destination disk", they don't control the installation and are just in the disk image to guide you. Yeah so don't open the blank icons they won't do anything, you just drag the 3 folders above them to the root of a destination disk. If you have any other monitors at all, be sure to try those, see what happens.

Also, about the control strip, it is not included on this CD image, but it is on the image, inside of this image (it's in the copy that you install, just not on the CD)

Have a look at:
https://imgur.com/e3z5dYM

https://imgur.com/DJE5Kpq

(This is what it should look like when you have booted off the CD and mounted the image by running the Application)
You could try booting the CD and holding shift when you see the small Happy Macintosh to turn off extensions.
You could also try to copy the 3 folders from the Disk Image you mount to an erased Hard Disk with os 9 drivers (with drive setup) and reboot. If still same errors, try reset the PRAM. Maybe delete the Preferences folder from System Folder on the install copy and reboot. See if this gets you anywhere, else try a different monitor if you have one and report back.

[DieHard]

Things seem to be going well for the Mac mini, so I have made this Disk Image that you can burn to a CD.

Boot the Mac mini off this CD once you have burned this disk image, and you can setup your drive and install Mac OS 9.2.2 onto the Mac mini, from the CD.

When new ROMs are out and stuff and things need changing, it should not be too hard to change this disk image, because I have kept the read/write base system (uncompressed). The image inside of this disk image is a compressed version of that read/write one, so it becomes read only, and it fits on the disc.

2 Minis arrived yesterday, I will Test CD Install

Ross, Which modified ROM version did you use ?,  Please make some notes. I will post it for the entire forum

[RossDarker]

Things seem to be going well for the Mac mini, so I have made this Disk Image that you can burn to a CD.

Boot the Mac mini off this CD once you have burned this disk image, and you can setup your drive and install Mac OS 9.2.2 onto the Mac mini, from the CD.

When new ROMs are out and stuff and things need changing, it should not be too hard to change this disk image, because I have kept the read/write base system (uncompressed). The image inside of this disk image is a compressed version of that read/write one, so it becomes read only, and it fits on the disc.

2 Minis arrived yesterday, I will Test CD Install

Ross, Which modified ROM version did you use ?,  Please make some notes. I will post it for the entire forum

I am using the ROM that doesn't enable the mini to sleep at all, it will just say you have to shut down or cancel if you try to sleep. I chose this because it is not quite right if people put it to sleep and have to reboot to wake it up, so I will wait for some more progress on the ROM to update it. Think I am using the ROM from Post 267. Ignore the attachment I attached, on this very comment as it has not been stuffed.

[Jubadub]

Alright Ross, I'll follow all of these directions and report back accordingly. I do have one CRT monitor to dust off, so I'll do that tonight. I'll also try connecting the Mini with a VGA adapter onto the TV/monitor's VGA slot instead of the HDMI one (as you have guessed, I did use a DVI-to-HDMI connector at first). That's a pretty good suggestion... I should have thought of that!

So excited to try this out! Also, somehow, only now I took notice of how you guys pointed out there are Mac OS 9 drivers for the Mini's GPU! That's awesome!
(I assumed this wouldn't be the case! I thought it'd be like the 1.67 GHz Aluminum PowerBooks... Which still make me wonder if their GPUs could be flashed with an earlier ATI GPU's ROM, slightly modified, that has OS 9 drivers...)
And, man, OS 9 looks so sexy on that 20" display... I'm green with envy! So awesome! Haha.

[RossDarker]

Good luck. I must say by the way that I have only used a drag and drop installation method because I could not get Apple Software Restore to like the image file. Its on the toast image, in the System Folder, called OS9Base.img
It kept saying something like outdated checksum. Edit: if you did use Software Restore, not sure if it would work anyway because that base image does not have OS 9 drivers in. That is why you are taking the folders and putting it onto a Mac OS 9 driver formatted drive you can make with drive setup, instead of a full restore. Then boot from the drive. Works fine as it is.

Also, hint: To mount that OS9Base image on High Sierra or just any new OS X, it will say needs to be converted, but you can type in terminal:

hdid -nomount /Volumes/Mac\ mini\ G4\ OS\ 9\ CD/System\ Folder/OS9Base.img
 (then look at what is listed and type)
diskutil mount /dev/diskX
 (X being the number that was given to you)
(The layout of the blank icons and folders will look all messed up in OS X)

[Jubadub]

I'm posting this from my Mac Mini, on OS 9. Ross, everything worked as planned. I didn't need to bring my CRT monitor along, afterall: picking up a VGA cable to plug directly on the monitor was all I needed. A DVI-to-VGA converter was used on the Mini's end.

(Note: At first I tried using the converter on the monitor/TV's end, combined with an analog-signal-capable DVI cable, but then the cable wouldn't have enough room to be plugged on it, due to the way it's physically constructed! That's why I had to switch the converter and cable around like I did.)

Also, as reported by others, no sound works at all, currently. Out of curiosity, I did try following DieHard's tip and partially plugged a pair of earphones, expecting sound to finally work, but no matter how much of it I plugged in or left unplugged, no sound came from either the Mini nor the earphones.

By the way, this LED monitor of mine really doesn't seem to be well-suited for anything other than HDMI, but, despite an odd "blur-to-the-right" shadow kinda thing, Mac OS 9 on the Mini is perfectly usable with it, visually. I'm currently using it at 1920x1080p 60Hz with Millions of colors pre-set, and it works just fine. The blur would be a bother for the eyes for daily use, so I think I'll dust off my CRT monitor anyway, but this is still pretty acceptable.

Again, I take my hat off to you guys' success on this. What an accomplishment, what a feat. With the respectful clock rate, and a driver-compatible GPU, it's as if the Mini was DESTINED to be mainly an OS 9 machine. This runs so juicily!

[RossDarker]

@Jubadub

Great you got your Mac mini to boot OS 9 and run it well. I have also had problems with HDMI to DVI.

To get sound, try and connect the Mac mini to a speaker that has a volume control on, for example: Digital Keyboard, Amp, hifi, radio. Because the Mac mini will only output its volume at a certain volume, you would use the volume control on the speaker to raise/lower the volume. My mini is connected to a hifi and has sound.

If you have been testing the platinum sounds (like when closing, moving, expanding windows) you will have to enable them in Appearance Control Panel.

[Jubadub]

Ah, yes, a device with volume control, I knew I was forgetting something. I'll try out a pair of speakers with volume control tonight, thanks for the heads up.

[MacTron]

... With the respectful clock rate, and a driver-compatible GPU, it's as if the Mini was DESTINED to be mainly an OS 9 machine. This runs so juicily!

That's what I always thought, I had one at its time and after failing Mac Os 9 booting using the mythical Custer ROM, I sold it. 

BTW: Can the Mac Mini unique RAM slot work with a 2Gb DDR RAM DIM?

[Jubadub]

Every source I read stated 1 GB being the absolute maximum, but I guess it couldn't hurt to try, if anyone has both a PPC Mini and that particular DIM...

[LightBulbFun]

a pair 2GB DDR1 UDIMM is something I have been looking for, for a long time

the RackMac3,1 (Xserve G5) the 2005 one was compatible with them.

the thing is there are plenty of 2GB DDR1 RDIMMs out there registered DIMMs dont work in PPC macs, you need un-registered DIMMs and 2GB ones are neigh on impossible to find (for cheap anyway) I have never seen any on ebay

although kingston did make a kit for the Xserve (they are ECC but not registered) I have not been able to track down any,

as well testing a 2GB UDIMM in a MM G4 I would love to try them out in my PowerMac G5 7,3s (both my 2004 one and 2005 have the U3 heavy memory controller which supports ECC RAM and im hoping the 2005 PowerMac7,3 can boot with 2GB DDR1 sticks and max out at 16GB Just like how the 2005 Xserves do) the Kingston kit in question is the kta-g5400e/4g (a kit of 2 2GB ECC DDR1 UDIMMs)

[DieHard]

From Mactron...

BTW: Can the Mac Mini unique RAM slot work with a 2Gb DDR RAM DIM?

I was at this all day today, trying all sorts of RAM in the single slot of both the Mini 1.25 and Mini 1.33 that I got on eBay... 1 GB is the max.

I burnt the CD from Ross via the finder in a Mac Pro 3.1 with el cap... neither MINI will boot to it, So I ran the mini in target mode and transferred the folders from the "Ross" image... still a blinking folder with no boot    Have to give it more that 30 minutes tomorrow

[RossDarker]

From Mactron...

BTW: Can the Mac Mini unique RAM slot work with a 2Gb DDR RAM DIM?

I was at this all day today, trying all sorts of RAM in the single slot of both the Mini 1.25 and Mini 1.33 that I got on eBay... 1 GB is the max.

I burnt the CD from Ross via the finder in a Mac Pro 3.1 with el cap... neither MINI will boot to it, So I ran the mini in target mode and transferred the folders from the "Ross" image... still a blinking folder with no boot    Have to give it more that 30 minutes tomorrow

Diehard are you definitely burning the whole image instead of just the HFS volume. Make sure you don't mount the toast image and just right click the toast image and choose "burn disk image to disc" because there are the other mac os 9 drivers on that disc image required. Also if you just transfer the files from the base image make sure your mini's internal disk has os 9 drivers and if its blessed. Otherwise not sure because Jubadub and I have it working. Do your minis boot of an X disc?

[grhmhome]

Things seem to be going well for the Mac mini, so I have made this Disk Image that you can burn to a CD.

Boot the Mac mini off this CD once you have burned this disk image, and you can setup your drive and install Mac OS 9.2.2 onto the Mac mini, from the CD.

When new ROMs are out and stuff and things need changing, it should not be too hard to change this disk image, because I have kept the read/write base system (uncompressed). The image inside of this disk image is a compressed version of that read/write one, so it becomes read only, and it fits on the disc.

Here is the bootable toast file. I burned it from High Sierra on a Mac Pro and I used it to install perfectly on my Mac mini G4 (1.42).
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zxHj55T83Wn9US-9RAQPga_XAOj37UCn/view?usp=sharing

Click "Download Anyway" after you have clicked Download.

Tell me if that is a public link, and if you try this let me know if it worked or not.

Wow, thank you. I am going to give this a try on my Mac Mini. Cheers!

[RossDarker]

Wow, thank you. I am going to give this a try on my Mac Mini. Cheers!

Good luck. Just remember to burn the image by right clicking the toast file and select "burn disk image to disc"

Don't burn the HFS volume on its own. To test if it has burned right (whole image) put the CD back in the OS X machine, pull up a terminal and type "diskutil list". If multiple partitions are shows under the CD, including Apple_Partition_Map, and others ASWELL as the HFS+ partition, then you have done it correct.  (Only HFS partition will mount, but the others HAVE to be on the CD.)

[grhmhome]

Good luck. Just remember to burn the image by right clicking the toast file and select "burn disk image to disc"

Don't burn the HFS volume on its own. To test if it has burned right (whole image) put the CD back in the OS X machine, pull up a terminal and type "diskutil list". If multiple partitions are shows under the CD, including Apple_Partition_Map, and others ASWELL as the HFS+ partition, then you have done it correct.  (Only HFS partition will mount, but the others HAVE to be on the CD.)

I got it to work by converting .toast to .iso with Windows. The only issue I had was that 2 of my USB mice wouldn't work, but I found a older USB mouse that I thought was broken, but it works. The first mouse that I used is one that I use all the time, but when the drive setup window appears the mouse freezes. The 2nd mouse will work, but when the drive setup window appears, it will float to the bottom of the screen. The 3rd mouse which I thought was broken, works with no issues. Thanks again. I'll report back to this thread if I find any issues. Specs: I'm using a G4 1.33 GHZ Mac Mini with 1GB of ram, USB Magic Keyboard, and a Samsung 1920x1080 monitor.

Edit: I was able to use my ethernet out of the box. I installed Classzilla and am going to get GraphicConver US Classic to work since very old versions are now free to use. I'm using that so I can convert my screenshots to png or jpg. So much nostalgia to be had. Now, I just need some retro themes to pimp my classic mac desktop. I did find one issue, but not a serious one. When I downloaded the .sit file for the image converter, I tried opening the .sit file from Classilla's download manager and it almost froze the desktop. I got a message where I couldn't open the .sit file, so I had to open stuffit expander 6.x. Fortunately the desktop didn't crash.

[DieHard]

Mystery figured out, I was multitasking and did not realize that the Mini had 250GB hard drives.... that's what I get for being old and working on too much at once, so the boot partition was too large for OS9, re-partitioned into 2 and voila, image works fine

Can't wait to test it out later on

[RossDarker]

Edit: I was able to use my ethernet out of the box. I installed Classzilla and am going to get GraphicConver US Classic to work since very old versions are now free to use. I'm using that so I can convert my screenshots to png or jpg. So much nostalgia to be had. Now, I just need some retro themes to pimp my classic mac desktop. I did find one issue, but not a serious one. When I downloaded the .sit file for the image converter, I tried opening the .sit file from Classilla's download manager and it almost froze the desktop. I got a message where I couldn't open the .sit file, so I had to open stuffit expander 6.x. Fortunately the desktop didn't crash.

Nice try getting Stuffit Deluxe from here: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1280.0.html

Extract the sea file before getting rid of Stuffit 6 just incase.

After extracted, remove all programs related to and including Stuffit 6

Then install stuffit deluxe 7.

[RossDarker]

Mystery figured out, I was multitasking and did not realize that the Mini had 250GB hard drives.... that's what I get for being old and working on too much at once, so the boot partition was too large for OS9, re-partitioned into 2 and voila, image works fine

Can't wait to test it out later on

Great to hear.