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

[RossDarker]

Any chance for an upgrade package, so we dont have to wipe our HDD's with an earlier version (not to mention files and software)?

Is this what you mean, or something else?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17n20BaT_bLgBtsGJwS0D-6sNWJ-Kuluh/view

[IIO]

you dont need to wipe, booting and formatting is kind of only an extra feature of ross´ CD.

if you already have OS9 drivers on a disk, you can just copy the system folder from the CD over to install a new or repair an existing system.

or why dont you make your own: just make a backup of your system from a fresh install and put it on CD. bootable or not.

[torvan]

Am seriously looking at a Mini G4 1.5Ghz that is listed for less than $50 with shipping.

But before I make the plunge, I assume this model will not be any different than the successful OS 9 install on the  1.42 and 1.25 models?  I mean looking at the respective models on Everymac.com, the only difference outside of processor speed is the larger memory on the ATI 9200, USB 2, faster standard HDD, Bluetooth 2, and Airport G. 

Or am I spelling "assume" as a short name for the sentence? :-)

[Daniel]

Am seriously looking at a Mini G4 1.5Ghz that is listed for less than $50 with shipping.

But before I make the plunge, I assume this model will not be any different than the successful OS 9 install on the  1.42 and 1.25 models?  I mean looking at the respective models on Everymac.com, the only difference outside of processor speed is the larger memory on the ATI 9200, USB 2, faster standard HDD, Bluetooth 2, and Airport G. 

Or am I spelling "assume" as a short name for the sentence? :-)

The current state thread claims all speeds will work. Though really you can buy just about any G4 system you want: the "Dream Team" is good enough to get it working if they have someone available to test stuff.

[FdB]

Hey T.

I assume this model will not be any different than the successful OS 9 install on the  1.42 and 1.25 models?

Working? With power supply? Go for it!

Have 3 out of the 4 “flavors” here and they all accepted the “New Nine”. (Yet to acquire a 1.33 GHz.)
Understand that the 1.42 is relatively easy to over-clock to run @1.5 …should one so-desire,
but still very nearly as fast… without the bother.

Installed an SSD & adapter sled in one 1.5GHz here, which works very well (even two-partitioned
with OS X - 10.4 resident). Absolutely great little machines and the only things I look out for now is
scarred cases (per Neanderthal-like attempted case entries) and the 1GB maximun RAM installed.
(Still inexpensive to purchase and easy to install.) If you get Bluetooth and WiFi too,
well those are added pluses.

If you get one with a less-than the optimum “white” plastic top, or a scarred case… they can be
painted to conceal such things …and there are many varieties of complete top cover “stickers”.
My OCD and a desire to better dissipate heat prompts me to clean the rubber bottom and then
apply four small adhesive (1/8" feet) to the rubber bottom "corners" for airflow / cooling.

Only real task I’ve yet to do, is to replace the heatsink paste but with Winter here and the fact
that the nylon “keepers” can be replaced on the heatsink’s with new / small, threaded nylon
nuts and bolts (from the hardware store if necessary)… that may also happen here, soon.

You like your G4 iMac?… you might just love a little Mac mini with a nice DVI monitor.
(I do... I have freakin’ seven of them now!)
All hail the "Dream Team"! 

[IIO]

Am seriously looking at a Mini G4 1.5Ghz that is listed for less than $50 with shipping.

you are right, it is thhe same machine like the 1.4 , main difference is the 64 VRAM.

[ELN]

Teensy hint for a poster way back: the best way to make a mini boot 9 by default is to put 9 on a partition closer to the start of the disk than your X partition. Fiddly otherwise.

[IIO]

closer to the start means that you have to look for the technical name of the partitions, because their order is often upside down when you create 2, right?

[devils_advisor]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grbd4cI7z8M

[SabithaSuki]

Any chance for an upgrade package, so we dont have to wipe our HDD's with an earlier version (not to mention files and software)?

Is this what you mean, or something else?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17n20BaT_bLgBtsGJwS0D-6sNWJ-Kuluh/view

Yes thank you ross! Sorry for the delayed response.

[thatguychad]

Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter for Windows and Mac. Plug and play No drivers Needed. (AU-MMSA) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IRVQ0F8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SdSTBbD8T28YY

I bought one of those. Worked, as it says, without installing anything. On Mac OS 9. But FYI, it seems a little flaky/strange at times, as it has some strange quirks. For example, the volume isn’t controllable.

I bought three of these on this recommendation but it doesn't seem to be working for me with the default install. Do I need to do something else? Sound control panel only shows Built-In and there's no sound.

[torvan]

Well, total success on my G4 Mini with it's 80GB HDD.  Now to look at a larger drive to put in her!

[dobber]

My 1.42GHz mini is booting now as well.  Thanks everyone -- I was really wanting to get a Mac running something of the old era, and this does the trick.  I was going to resort to running it in an emulator on a Raspberry Pi, but this is much better.  I even have it triple booting to Leopard and Tiger, which helps if I want to transfer stuff to it.

I've got a Sabrent USB External Stereo Sound Adapter on the way, so I'll update thatguychad if that works as well.  [Update] No-go on this -- it doesn't appear to give me any system sound.  I wonder if it matters if it's plugged directly into the mini -- I had it plugged into a USB hub.  I also clicked on a checkbox in the 'input levels' of the sound control panel and it locked the system up while cranking the fans to full blast -- don't recommend that.

[arnyekveto]

Hi, I recently grabbed a Mac Mini G4 1.25 GHz from flea market for 40 EUR. I burned the V8 installer of OS9 from here. The mini has maxed out setup, working optical drive and bluetooth + airport in it. What is surprising for me it "accidentally" detected my Rapoo bluetooth mouse during boot from the freshly burned OS9 installer CD, also via airport IP address was assigned in OS9. Though the bluetooth mouse have serious glitch, it seems vertical movements are interpreted fine, though horizontal movements are overamplified, moving mouse up-down slightly 1 mm will make the cursor immediately bump the top or the bottom of the screen, so it seems unusable as of now.
I did not installed OS9 permanently on the mini, it is waiting for a msata-to-2,5ide adaptor ATM (it still has a shitty 40GB HDD in it), currently it has 10.4.11 Tiger installed. I use it with VGA adapter due to resolution issues and screen blankouts, though OS9 boots from CD in 640x480 resolution, I am not sure if I can bump it up to my 1680x1050 monitor. (under 10.4.11 it was set with SwitchResX).

But anyway, it seems mini grabs my bluetooth mouse signal during boot and in a glitchy way that initialization lasts while it boots the OS9 v8 disc.

[torvan]

I will say that while mine was successful as I mention above, there are times on a reboot where the video is fraked up and require a power cycle reboot to address.  It is a series of blocks and lines.  But still, just a simple reboot fixes it!

Yeah, the sound is loud, good thing the BEM speakers have volume control on them!  If one thing could be on my wish list, it would be to control the sound in the OS.


Mac Mini G4 1.25/1GB RAM/ 120GB SSD IDE   20" Aluminum DVI Apple Cinema.

[tommi]

hi everybody,

success with my 1,33GHz mini as well.......
i have to admit all your efforts  leave me speechless..... now my mini is alive with OS9, wow
great, great job, thanks to all.

i can confirm that when checking the check box in sound control panel the system would freeze as well, but that freeze vanished in the air after installation of driver for m-audio transit usb (just the driver, hardware not plugged in), which is still available at their suppot site.

[DieHard]

I can confirm that when checking the check box in sound control panel the system would freeze as well, but that freeze vanished in the air after installation of driver for m-audio transit usb (just the driver, hardware not plugged in), which is still available at their support site.

Wow, that is very interesting, we should probably include that software and make some notes

[xchris]

Really EPIC release guys! many thanks for this!!

Its just a couple of months that a friend of mine gave me his old mini @1.4Ghz (alas no BT/WIFI card, he canibalized it sometime at the past), OS9 runs like like a champ there, I only had some issues to make it boot , looks like corrupted NVRAM, I had to reset it, then everything went fine.

Added bonus: I even can browse/format/edit 3.5 floppy disks via a Dell floppy drive module (is USB too, model nr FDDM-101).

cheers

chris

[macStuff]

i might have the same floppy drive i grabbed from a thrift store for 5$ its a dell too
 

[RossDarker]

Since this is the first thing that comes up when you search "mac mini g4 os 9", someone should add this link (http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4365.0.html) to post #1. Don't remove anything from the first post though, just add it on somewhere. Even though this is a great thread too read through, it might take someone a while to find, since the link is probably buried in one of the pages.