Early 2004 iBook G4 (1GHz, 12") grey screen

[FinnaYeet]

Some specs: 1.07GHz PowerPC G4, ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 (32MB VRAM) and 768MB of RAM.

I downloaded the MacOS 9 image for previously unsupported macs, burned it to a CD using a Mac, and after failing to get anywhere with my 2005 PowerBooks, I tried it on the iBook. I got the same error as the PowerBooks: a grey screen and no progress. I think I saw a thread here claiming that the Radeon 9200 was supported and the issue was with the 9700, but I can't seem to find that thread again.

I've got a PowerMac (1.25GHz, MDD) but that thing is loud, hot and honestly more trouble than it's worth. I'd love to have MacOS 9 in a smaller package...

[os9er]

I have the same machine, and have been having exactly the same problem. When I try to boot from the burned CD via OpenFirmware by typing the following:

Code: [Select]

boot cd:,\\:tbxi it prints status messages up to the line:

Code: [Select]

DO_QUIESCE finished and then seems to hang there. Maybe this can be of some help to anyone who might try to fix this issue...

[darthnVader]

The early iBook G4's are fine OS 9 machines, if you can live without power management and sleep, but no one has made an install CD just for them like was done for the Mini and MDD.

It takes a little tickling with the Mac OS ROM to get them working correct, and the drivers I made for the 9200 Mobility.

Sound works from the internal speakers, but the builtin Mic will hang the system if a program tries to access it.

Sleep no worky.

USB is 1.1 only.

Airport doesn't work.

The later iBooks with the Radeon 9550 have non standard USB trackpads that won't work with OS 9, until someone makes a driver.

The last Powerbook 12" also has the trackpad issue, and no 'NDRV' for the Geforce5200Go.

Neither has working sound.

15" and 17" Aluminum Powerbook support is somewhere between these two, and I've never had one to tinker with, so I can't say all the issues one will encounter.

 

[os9er]

... but no one has made an install CD just for them like was done for the Mini and MDD.

That's not exactly good, because my issue has been with booting from the "for unsupported G4s" CD, and I don't know how to change things in the Mac OS ROM to get it to work. Which is why I'm hoping someone with more knowledge can offer a fixed version of the ROM, at the very least.

[os9er]

It takes a little tickling with the Mac OS ROM to get them working correct

Would you use ResEdit to edit the ROM file? And if so, what bits specifically would need to be edited?

I've used ResEdit a few times before, so all I'd need is a bit of guidance on what to edit.

[darthnVader]

It takes a little tickling with the Mac OS ROM to get them working correct

Would you use ResEdit to edit the ROM file? And if so, what bits specifically would need to be edited?

I've used ResEdit a few times before, so all I'd need is a bit of guidance on what to edit.

No we use a program Elliot Nunn wrote for us to decompile the Mac OS ROM file into something we can edit and hack.

https://github.com/elliotnunn/tbxi

I forget how you install it tho, do something with the setup.py, anyone?

Anyway, here is a little diddy I put together for the early iBook G4's, I call this :tbxi15( AKA the Mac OS ROM ), while it's not yet a masterpiece, you may find it helps you along your way to becoming a apprentice Mac hacker.

And the source for that binary:

Mostly you'd be interested in the  /tbxi15.src/Bootscript.

Happy hacking, don't forget to remove the Multiprocessor Extension, and check out the Video Card section for drivers for the Mobility,9200.

http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4319.0.html

[os9er]

Mostly you'd be interested in the  /tbxi15.src/Bootscript.

Actually, I found another way to edit the bootscript, as follows. This assumes you have a PPC Mac with Mac OS X, and a 9.2.2 installation on the hard disk for use with the Classic Environment:

1. Boot up any OS X system you may have installed on your PPC Mac.
2. Find the Mac OS ROM in the OS 9 System Folder using the OS X Finder.
3. Ctrl+Click on the ROM -> Open with -> Other...
4. Find TextEdit via the "find" dialog that pops up, and click Open. The first couple of pages in the resulting TextEdit window will be the bootscript.

I did this under OS X v10.4.11. I encourage others to try, and let me know whether this method works for them, in terms of enabling editing of the bootscript.

QUICK EDIT: I used this method to manually incorporate the changes @darthnVader made to his bootscript into the Mac OS ROM that is already on my iBook G4's hard disk, and now the error I get in OpenFirmware is "no active package", which I assume has to do with the portion of the modified bootscript that ascertains the CPU type (at least I think that's what it does...?). How might I fix this? I have made sure I typed it all correctly.

[darthnVader]

You can load the :tbxi15 file I gave from the hard drive or removable media USB/FW and boot any blessed OS 9 Systems Folder connected to your Mac.

Such as load the :tbxi from the HD and boot from the OS 9 for unsupported Macs CD.

Once you load the :tbxi it will scan all media for a blessed System Folder.

You could boot from an unmodified OS 9 install CD, but you won't be able to run the installer, because it will fail the installers model check. Best to use one of our custom restore image installers.

[os9er]

Hot damn, it's actually working!
Thanks much @darthnVader 

[darthnVader]

Hot damn, it's actually working!
Thanks much @darthnVader 

Keep in mind that all iBook G4's and powerbook G4's with the 7447a boot at DFS mode low, what that means for OS 9 is the CPU is running at 1/2 speed, as OS 9 has no power management for the 7447a.

It's easy to set the CPU to full speed in Open Firmware before boot, with this code:

Code: [Select]

dev /cpus/@0
set-dfs-high
boot
If you want you can add that code to the boot-command or the nvramrc and it will happen automatically each boot up.

[os9er]

It's easy to set the CPU to full speed in Open Firmware before boot

Just did that manually to test (i.e., no nvramrc or anything), and the system boots noticeably faster, thanks for the info 
I'd also like to request permission to upload your tbxi file to archival sites such as Macintosh Garden, so that anyone who needs it can find it easily.