Mac OS 9 Lives
Mac OS 9 Discussion => Mac OS 9, Hacks & Upgrades => Mac OS 9 on Unsupported Hardware => Topic started by: MacTron on June 13, 2014, 08:11:29 AM
-
After the success on Mac Os 9 boot on the unsupported MDD FW800:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=762.msg4520#msg4520
This thead is open to discuss the Mac Os 9 boot on the unsupported iMac G4.
A good starting point may be from this post on 68kmla:
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/21515-os-9-on-ibook-g4-findings/
-
Posting here to chime in as I've got an iMac G4 Globe (aka: iLamp) that I want to run Mac OS 9. It's the 1GHz 17" model.
I haven't quite wrapped my head around what's needed to be done just yet. Firmware update/flash or Mac OS Rom hack? (Mac OS Rom is loaded from bootable media, is it not?)
-
Mactron...
Can you ask iMac600 to post the Modified ROM taken from the OS9General.dmg ?
I think he did great work there, but dome newbies may be a little scared doing file Hex Edits...why re-invent the wheel if he can provide the modified ROM file.
We can repackage and make a "Beta Test OS 9 General" for testing on unsupported models (that are close in hardware spec. to approved models)
-
I'm currently creating install media for OS X 10.4 to properly check my specs on my iMac G4. I don't mind doing some tests, especially if it helps the rest of the community.
-
Here are my, relevant, specs:
Machine Model: PowerMac6.1
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 3.3
CPU Speed: 1GHz
Memory: 768MB
Bus Speed: 133MHz
Boot Rom Version: 4.5.9f1
Graphics: Geforce4 MX
-
Mactron...
Can you ask iMac600 to post the Modified ROM taken from the OS9General.dmg ?
I think he did great work there, but dome newbies may be a little scared doing file Hex Edits...why re-invent the wheel if he can provide the modified ROM file.
We can repackage and make a "Beta Test OS 9 General" for testing on unsupported models (that are close in hardware spec. to approved models)
well... I'm gonna try to contact iMac600 ...
but I'm not optimistic about him posting the Modified ROM.
In 68kMLA are extremely banned any kind of software sharing.
Long time ago I've posted there a small app that I wrote by myself, and they were more worried about the license of the libraries I'd used than gimme to me the thanks for sharing my two months work. Thankfully everything was OK...
-
I've only seen this OS9General mentioned alongside the MDD systems.
Would this OS9General work on a _supported_ iLamp system without a modified ROM?
-
well... I'm gonna try to contact iMac600 ...
but I'm not optimistic about him posting the Modified ROM.
In 68kMLA are extremely banned any kind of software sharing.
Long time ago I've posted there a small app that I wrote by myself, and they were more worried about the license of the libraries I'd used than gimme to me the thanks for sharing my two months work. Thankfully everything was OK...
68kmla can be a bit funny but they are reasonable people if u explain your intentions! i beleive anyway
-
Currently I am doing this experiment on a MacMini 1.25 Ghz following the 68KMLA thread but until now it didn't work, the OS9 partition is still not bootable.
I have formatted the internal HD connecting the machine via firewire to my MDD and here I have discovered that "target mode" works only between onboard FW port while PCI firewire cards are not supported and if used for this purpose they tend to stop the machine from boot.
Using Disk Utility under 10.4.11 on MDD I have partitioned the MacMini HD in three parts paying attention to install the OS9 drivers too.
Then I have copied the files from OS9General.dmg image of my MDD's restore disk to the first partition of MacMini (all done through firewire connection) and proceed to modify the ROM file in System Folder.
The hex editor I used is HexEdit, I prefer it against HexFiend, in this case the byte lenght of edited file is shown in hexadecimal value instead of decimal. I do not like the way the Hexfiend screenshot are shown on 68KMLA because the ASCII part is too much simplified, it does not show for example the differences beween x00 and x20 that are rendererd both as a blank space, while of course they aren't.
However I have carefully performed the edit suggested, everytime unmounting the target volume before to reboot the MacMini but so far I have not luck in booting OS9 on that machine.
I have done the modification using two different ROMs:
9.5.1 from MDD's OS9General.dmg
10.2.1 from Classic installation included in OSX 10.4 Install Disc Set
Both ROMs comes from original discs I have, I am sure they are 100% Apple genuine, unmodified before.
I am not a programmer but looking at the code I see that the first part is nothing different to what various Unix bootloader do for allow the Mac to load a non-Apple OS, simply adding MacRISC3 and MacRISC4 to the MacRISC Compatibility string. This make sense and is a step in the right direction.
Then the right machine check is extended to "macrisc3" and "macrisc4" duplicating the case handled by the "macrisc" string.
Finally the "abort" command is replaced by the "clear" one and some characters in a subsequent empty space have to been cleared to rebuild the correct byte lenght of the file.
All this seems correct but also too much easy in my opinion :-) I wonder if this is really the only check done from the ROM to allow the OS9 environment to load, I mean in a modified ROM that want to work universally on every Non-OS9 PPC machine.
Maybe the modifications above are enough to cheat an iBook (if the reported steps on 68KMLA guide are complete) but not for the MacMini and maybe other machines.
I agree that the ROM to use is the 10.2.1 because is the more "neutral" since it is provided for Classic environment that runs both on G4 and G5 (but this do not mean that OS9 will ever run natively on PPC970 machines, the hardware resources are too much different).
I have done some reasearch on Google but wihout much success, how I can determine if a PPC machine is a MacRISC, MacRISC2, MacRISC3 or MacRISC4 ? Is there a reference table for that?
-
Have you tried the 9.8.1 from the "custer cd"?
http://www.sunrisepage.com/computers/macclassic/macos9.htm
Also, how can I determine the Mac OS rom version from the file alone?
I've only managed to do some minor tests myself without luck. I created a Mac OS 9.2.2 install usb drive from the 9.2.2 install disk that comes with the Flat Panel iMacs that support 9.2.2.
I figure I can't boot from it but perhaps it's the easiest way to see if it'll show up in the boot menu (alt) at startup.
It shows up on my G4 Cube but not my G4 Globe (it reads the drive but ignores it, OS X from the same drive works just fine)
I've also tried copying the Mac OS ROM from the Custer image, but I have yet to verify any Mac OS ROM versions since I don't know how to read it =S
-
I have tried with the famous 9.8.1 Mac ROM from the diagnostic CD you mentioned but no luck again... however it comes at handy for future modifications because it already include in the initial part two extra Mac models that are:
PowerMac4,2 (iMac G4/800 MHz - 7450 CPU)
PowerBook4,3 (iBook G3/900 MHz - 750fx CPU)
There's a thing that I suspect: the Diagnostic CD for G4 MacMini does not more contain a regular (modified) OS9 partition but another type of boot sequence, very similar to the one for the G5 machines and this lead me to look to what kind of processor is inside the OS9 PowerMacs...
Well, putting together the informations from the 68KMLA thread and the MacTracker database I discovered that...
NONE OF THE G4 POWERMACS WITH A 7447A/B CPU CAN BOOT OS9 NATIVELY!
So, what permit to the iBook 800 user in the other thread to boot os9? Simple: althought Apple disabled for this model (that has an ID equal to PowerBook 6,3) the OS9 support they build this machine with a 7455 inside and this is enough for the modified MacROM to load.
So, in the end, to have a universal MacROM file running on every G4 (and maybe G5) the real challenge is disable in the code the CPU check because THIS is the real issue in booting OS9, the text string in the beginning of MacROM it is only the first barricade, once removed all the G4 Macs with a 7455 CPU should be able to run OS9, but the 7447A/B Mac based needs to wait until someone really smart in PPC assembly can patch the ROM to disable this check.
At this point the only lucky users that benefit from the Mac ROM modding could be the iMacs users... this Mac family never adopted a 7447 CPU so the chances to have success in booting OS9 are higher than later PowerBooks, for example.
-
Sweeeeet. So you're saying that my system stands a decent chance at least? (iMac G4 Globe, 17"/1GHz, 7445 CPU)?
If you don't mind, could you ... the file.. .to me.. Shoud I simply use it in conjunction with the os9general (used with the mdd) or the custer? I can have a go at it fairly quickly =)
-
No problem :-) I have just done the modification using the 10.2.1 as base and 9.8.1 as reference for the right syntax during editing, I have a MacMini (7447) so this ROM does not work for me but I hope you will have better luck ;-)
Here is the link for the download
http://www.mediafire.com/download/a6ajgzsk346dzwa/MacOSROM_1021mod.zip (http://www.mediafire.com/download/a6ajgzsk346dzwa/MacOSROM_1021mod.zip)
Please report your results here! Have fun! ;-)
-
Thanks, I'll try it. I just need to copy it into the system folder, right? =)
My first attempt will be with the 9.2.2 that supposedly comes with the compatible flat panel macs.
-
!
Well, it shows up in the boot menu now! (My USB drive prepped with OS 9.2.2 install).
Naturally it won't boot though. I doubt OS9 can even be booted from USB? I tried that on my G4 Cube without any luck.
I guess I have to try to make a bootable CD. Good thing I've got media to spare. Just hope it's compatible.
-
Holy sh*tballs Batman! It booted from the CD!.. Or well, the DVD.. Since the burner was REALLY moody. None of my CD-R media worked, the DVD-R media I had worked though. Botched the first run.
Used Toast 7, mounted disc image. Replaced the Mac OS Rom. Ejected image. Burned image to DVD, rebooted with the option key held and there it was!
Now we'll see if it installs...
-
First problem was that it didn't see the drive. I had to use the Drive Setup and create 2 partitions (just to be safe, not sure how well OS 9 and OS X will play together. OS X is nice to have for network transfers after all)
Then it tells me that "This program cannot run on your computer" when I try to launch the installer =S
I guess I either have to install using Target Disk Mode or try to make a new boot cd based upon the OS9General ?
-
Further success. Now I simply reinstalled Mac OS 10.4. Then I installed Classic Mode support through a DVD that contains multilingual versions and then i replaced the Mac OS ROM. It boots just fine into Mac OS 9.2.2 and classic mode, albeit only 256 colors and without the typical OS 9 apps.
Next step is trying to get a more functional install into it.
-
I Installed the OS9General release on top of the plain classic stuff and it worked like a charm. Now I got a standard system up and running!
However I still only get 256 colors and sound doesn't seem to work. I'm guessing it's a fairly easy fix but I've got no experience whatsoever with OS 9 "drivers". Any takers? =)
Thanks SO much for the ROM file, this really got stuff rolling.
-
Great! :-) Later this day I will post the mod also for 9.5.1 and 9.8.1 Mac ROMs, I don't think there will be changes about the 256 colors issue but best to give it a try.
Please also check if the I/O port works as they should, I mean USB, Firewire and Ethernet.
At this point I regret to have flashed my FW800 MDD because at present I have in house no other 7450 machines to experiment with... :-(
-
Sweeet =)
I tried installing from the 9.2.2. thats _supposedly_ for iMac G4 (flat panel) but it said it wasn't compatible. Any way around this?
OS 9-compatible "iLamps" have Geforce 4MX cards, just as in my model, so that in itself shouldn't be an issue. I haven't been able to find anything about the audio chipsets just yet though.
I did find some Nvidia Driver update and an Apple Media update but both refuse to install saying they're not compatible with my machine.
I'm guessing extensions and drivers are pretty much the same thing so if I can get the extensions from that install cd it might work. I'm guessing they might be hidden in one of those "tome" files?
Or perhaps it's just a Mac ROM issue. I'd be happy to try out anything you throw at me =)
And I'll try to check the other things as well. I've got no firewire equipment or cables to test with but USB and Ethernet should be simple enough.
-
great work guys 8)
-
I heard from another user that Mac OS ROM can indeed affect drivers. I have yet to experience this myself. Albeit he claimed to have used a newer rom and from what I've gathered that 10.2.1 is the latest?
-
Oh, I found another 9.2.2. install cd that's supposedly for iMac, it doesn't yell at me when trying to install so I'll have a go with it.
It comes with the Mac OS ROM 9.1.1
-
NONE OF THE G4 POWERMACS WITH A 7447A/B CPU CAN BOOT OS9 NATIVELY!
Yes, but this is more a Firmware restriction than a Mac Os 9/ Mac Os ROM problem. The 7447 and 7448 upgrades usually patch the Firmware not Mac Os 9/ Mac Os ROM to properly work.
I heard from another user that Mac OS ROM can indeed affect drivers. I have yet to experience this myself. Albeit he claimed to have used a newer rom and from what I've gathered that 10.2.1 is the latest?
This is definitely a central point. That's the Mac Os ROM 10.2.1 is the way to go because it can startup most if no ALL of the Macs that can run Mac Os 9 and this show us that this rom has the wide range of drivers for a computer startup Mac Os 9...
In fact Mac OS 9.2.2 was released in December 5, 2001. And what did Apple to enable Mac Os 9 in later computers models? : upgrade the Mac Os ROM, until they decided to stop of doing it...
You can startup without Audio or Video drivers (Video cards usually have a very slow "compatible" mode without drivers), but what do you think would happen when the SO try to initialize some motherboard chips with different behavior than expected... by example, a unknown Uninorth (may be the case of Mac Mini) or ATA 133 after a weird bridge (the case of a G4 Server) or a completely unknown Motherboard (the case Of G5)
What happens is a completely system crash.
... and by the way: congratulations for your success.
Don't forget to try the very last nVidia drivers:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=1100.0
-
Well, as promised here are the MacOS ROMs I have edited so far accordingly to 68KMLA instructions, I hope we now have enough material to experiment with :-)
MDD FW400 (from OS9general.dmg)
http://www.mediafire.com/download/12u48n55hhk82dh/MacOSROM_951mod.zip (http://www.mediafire.com/download/12u48n55hhk82dh/MacOSROM_951mod.zip)
Apple Diagnostic CD (March 2003)
http://www.mediafire.com/download/jada8sziwenyadf/MacOSROM_981mod.zip (http://www.mediafire.com/download/jada8sziwenyadf/MacOSROM_981mod.zip)
OSX 10.4.11 Classic Install package
http://www.mediafire.com/download/a6ajgzsk346dzwa/MacOSROM_1021mod.zip (http://www.mediafire.com/download/a6ajgzsk346dzwa/MacOSROM_1021mod.zip)
About the audio problem I think it may be essentially a driver issue, for example if I throw to my MDD a generic 9.2.2 installation I have no audio because the chip in this machine is different from the previous so trying different drivers (in this case it is more appropriate talking of Extensions) from different packages can activate the audio again on a particular PowerMac. It is only a matter of trial and error until some result comes up.
About the iMac (non OS9 factory enabled) refusing to install a 9.2.2 it is normal: if I try to install a 9.2.2 to my MDD via the normal CD it simply does not go ahead because it is not a recognized machine, in fact the only way to have OS9 on a MDD is to copy the whole structure of OS9general.dmg in a blank partition, no Installer required.
The OS9 for MDD is a custom install but maybe the most recent environment of this kind we have, definitively a good point to start and customize further to be full working for a particular PowerMac.
-
Yes, but this is more a Firmware restriction than a Mac Os 9/ Mac Os ROM problem. The 7447 and 7448 upgrades usually patch the Firmware not Mac Os 9/ Mac Os ROM to properly work.
Mmmmm... maybe this mean that IF we can apply a firmware patch from the various CPU upgrades manufacturer on a 7447 PowerMac MAYBE the OS9 would be bootable (with the help of a modded MacOS ROM of course) on unsupported machines? ;)
-
Well, as promised here are the MacOS ROMs I have edited so far accordingly to 68KMLA instructions, I hope we now have enough material to experiment with :-)
Your files were destroyed by a zip compressor.
Can You please compress it with Stuffit and upload it again?
Small files like those, can be attached to post, so no mediafire needed.
Thank You.
-
Your files were destroyed by a zip compressor.
The ROM files were compressed under OSX 10.5.8 (PPC) with the default archiver, they expands well under X. I've just seen that Stuffit under OS9 does not decompress them correctly, the end size is wrong. I'll see what I can do :-)
-
Ugh. I managed to break my OS 9 install completely. Can't get it to work at all now. Despite redoing my previous steps (disk setup in OS 9 in case the OS 9 drivers broke) =S
Not sure what's up with that.
Edit: Apparently it lost it's blessing. Which is strange considering I reinstalled from scratch. Whatever, it was solved by simply browsing the system folder using one of my 9.2.2. startup discs O o
-
Here are the ROMs above compressed with Stuffit 5.5 in OS 9.2.2 on my MDD. Enjoy! :-)
-
Finally got everything set up properly again. Tested 9.8.1 ROM, boot just fine but still no audio (mic seems to work, mind you)
Installing updated NVidia drivers didn't do anything either, how can I check if they're loaded (system includes ATI drivers as well).
Gonna try the 9.5.1 ROM =)
Edit: 9.5.1 ROM boots just fine as well, no driver difference.
Edit 2: I've thrown out the ATI extensions and I've checked my extension versions with System Profiler. I've got Apple Audio Extension 2.1.1 and it's enabled.
Edit 3: Welp! Apparently audio works just fine if I plug in earphones. The stock speakers won't work however. Hmmm. Is there any difference in hardware between the 1GHz models and oldes ones?
Edit 4: Oh, and I almost forgot. Ethernet and USB is working just fine under OS9.
Would you mind trying to modify the 9.1.1 ROM? I can provide it for you if you need it. It's the one that comes with the CD I've used.
MacTron: Is a newer Mac OS ROM _always_ preferred? I mean, in my case is there even the possibility that the 9.1.1 ROM actually supports my hardware better?
Can't really see why I wouldn't get sound and graphics working properly =S
-
It occurred to me to test the USB-based speakers that comes with the G4 Cube, and those just works!
Mind you, the only output device I can ever choose is "Built-in", but when plugging in headphones or the usb speakers the icon on the "speakers" tab correctly changes.
For me, personally, this is a viable solution. For the community however I would like to see it solved. My main issue at hand though is the graphics =S
-
Would you mind trying to modify the 9.1.1 ROM? I can provide it for you if you need it. It's the one that comes with the CD I've used.
No problem, send me via PM the unmodified Mac ROM (compressed with DropStuff) and I'll apply the edit. Also I have found two extra ROMs to play with, the 8.4 from OS 9.2.1 update and the 8.7 from the 9.2.2 update, I'll post them later this afternoon.
-
As promised here we have two new additions to the modded Mac ROMs collection, in detail:
Mac OS ROM 8.4 from OS 9.2.1 Updater
Mac OS ROM 8.7 from OS 9.2.2 Updater
They are attached to this post. Enjoy! :-)
-
8.7 ROM didn't even allow it to boot =P
I kinda figured as much though ^^
Anyways, what do you think about the theory that the NVidia drivers might have to be hacked? I'm nowhere near as skilled with the internals of OS9 to know how to check if a driver is even loaded. I can see that the extension is enabled, but that's hardly the same thing as it detecting the hardware/system =)
-
I don't know anything about hacking the graphics drivers, the only case I am aware of is the notorious set of modified ATI extensions that enable the use of Radeon 9250 cards under OS9, otherwise the GPU acceleration would not been enabled since the card ID is not recognized by OEM and retail drivers.
-
Okay, so now I've tested 9.1.1 and 9.7.1 ROMs as well, thank you!
Boots just fine but doesn't seem to make any difference to the system, at all.
To my knowledge there isn't any ROM newer than 10.2.1 either is there?
Maybe we just got to be patient and see if anyone else chimes in. It would seem like they were stuck at the same point as me/us in the 68kmla-forums so I posted there before hope that someone would have taken it further.
-
... only case I am aware of is the notorious set of modified ATI extensions that enable the use of Radeon 9250 cards under OS9, otherwise the GPU acceleration would not been enabled since the card ID is not recognized by OEM and retail drivers.
¿?
Can you please open a thread and explain this?...
I'm very interested in this one :)
Thank You in advance.
-
why are you guys worried about the rom version
its the openfirmware that was the fix
-
seriously did u guys all just give up on this..
im reading the responses here again.. and i cant believe what im reading
-the success of the g5 booting os9 had nothing ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with a "mac so rom" file..
so all this talk of rom file.. and installation medias.. + custer cds.. is all wasted time + effort
what u guys SHOULD have been talking about is
A) which target mac you are trying to make boot os 9 (that doesnt have support for it already)
B) which similar mac model you are going to copy the firmware from (done inside openfirmware with an NVEDIT script)
C) how exactly to use openfirmware to copy the FIRMWARE...
D) how exactly to use openfirmware to flash the working os9 FIRMWARE
we have referred to the machines firmware as the machines rom.. u guys have gotten all confused
this does not mean the operating system "mac os rom"
u need to change the firmware of the machine to allow it to recognize the //:tbxi toolbox image CHRP script as valid
open firmware is not the same thing as the machines FIRMWARE
-
there is 5 models of osx boot only imac g4s to "operate on" to convert to mac os 9 bootable
all imac g4s:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_700_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_17_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp_macosx.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_15_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.25_17_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.25_20_fp.html *
if anyones going to respond to this thread
first thing u should tell us is which model you are going to make an attempt with
in order to be successfull with this we need first someone to copy the 700 / 800 or 800 17" imac's firmware file
or a upgrade firmware for these 3 models needs to be found online (in the same way that one was found for the g4 mdd)
this is where the magic happens:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHTorQfpxIQ[/youtube]
here we have some firmwares posted by apple:
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1395
lets take a look
and there is no luck here
iMac (USB 2.0) no update needed
iMac (17-inch 1GHz) no update needed
iMac (17-inch Flat Panel) no update needed
iMac (Flat Panel) no update needed
-
http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/9702/apple-imac-superdrive-updater-x
this might be it ;D
yes.. houston.. we have lift off!!
15" Flat Panel iMac, SuperDrive
there is a chance its for the later mac os x 15" model
but i doubt it..
its most likely a superdrive update for the older models.. to match the cd/dvd support to the newer models
so if thats the case..
then this is the mac os 9 bootable firmware for the imac g4!
download the firmware
then follow the instructions for forcing the firmware flash (because the version is lower then what u have)
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=762.msg3962#msg3962
same instructions as for the g4 mdd
but this time with the attached firmware i have attached
- Open the bundle by right-clicking (or control-clicking) on the PMG4FirmwareUpdate.app file inside /Applications/Utilities and choosing "Show Package Contents."
- Navigate to Contents/Resources and drag the "Firmware" file to the root of your startup disk.
- Make note of the partition number of your startup disk-- this is important for the next steps. On a freshly-formatted drive with OS 9 drivers, the first visible partition is 9, which in my case meant my second visible partition with OS X installed was partition number 10.
- Reboot the Mac and hold down Command-Option-O-F to boot to Open Firmware.
- Enter the following two commands, substituting your partition number after the "hd:"
load hd:10,Firmware
go
- With luck, the white Open Firmware prompt will disappear and you'll soon see an OS 9-style progress bar at the bottom of the screen as the Boot ROM is being flashed.
- After the Mac automatically restarts, install OS 9 using the special version for the MDD FW400 (OS9General.dmg). The OS 9 System Folder should be visible and selectable using the Startup Disk preference pane.
- Enjoy. :)
-
ok wait. that firmware might only be for the actual cd/dvd drive..... which means that the firmware would have to be extracted from one of the 3 that work..
or else found somewhere else online
my mistake i thought it was a firmware update for the actual computer itself
-
i read of a guy named "Pareis" who is a super pro at open firmware
http://pareis.wordpress.com/
i read of this guy here:
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/5527-macos-86-on-sawtooth-g4/page-2
in a msg from "ccmac"
-
-the success of the g5 booting os9 had nothing ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with a "mac so rom" file..
so all this talk of rom file.. and installation medias.. + custer cds.. is all wasted time + effort
...Give me a Mac Os 9 ROM with support for the G5 motherboard components and the Firmware/Open Firmware tricks will be a little walk in the park on a sunny day .... LOL
-
LOL typo.. g4;)
my bad
-
...Give me a Mac Os 9 ROM with support for the G5 motherboard components and the Firmware/Open Firmware tricks will be a little walk in the park on a sunny day .... LOL
you only need to take the 64 bit version of OS9 and install the quad processor enabler extension. not.
-
lets not get offtopic
we need a few good minds on this and we can crack it
where focus needs to be put :
how to save the firmware of an existing os9 bootable version imac g4 to a file
there was talk on this thread about getting 8.6 on a sawtooth about using the utility from a 3rd party cpu
that had the ability to save the original firmware because the 3rd party cpu needed to patch or write a modified firmware to properly support the 3rd party cpu
For example, in a discussion on the apple support forums I found a Sawtooth owner who had a corrupt boot rom who wanted to reflash it with a fresh copy of the firmware. He stated that Sonnet sent him a utility he called the G4 ROM Utility that had the ability to both save a copy of the boot rom and reflash it -- (https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/5527-macos-86-on-sawtooth-g4/page-2)
dont get confused this thread above was about getting a working 8.6 mac os install on a sawtooth.. these guys were trying to hack it because they didnt have the cd,.. and the one guy almeath who did have the cd, he had the wrong type of mac.. he thought it was a sawtooth but it was a 4pci slot gigabit ethernet model.. ccmac was talking about reverting the firmware but it turned out this was not neccessary all tht was neccessary to boot 8.6 on the sawtooth was having the original cd which contained the 2.5.1 rom - but the comments he said about saving out a copy of the firmware are whats relevant to this thread and also his comments about this guy, pareis + his openfirmware abilities.. he wrote a script to flash firmware of a mac directly from mac os x called "fwupdater" http://pareis.wordpress.com/2008/02/19/running-firmware-updaters-from-mac-os-x/ AHA! here is his blog: http://4thcode.blogspot.ca/ see ?? FORTH CODE.. hes made it "4th" but macforth is the name of the languae of openfirmware...
hence the nam,e of this guys blog. 4th code.. forth code.
maybe this is the thread?
There is a utility called PM G4 ROM UTILITY (the guys from SONNET sent it to me) what can read out & write a G4 firmware. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/536041?start=0&tstart=0
WE NEED THIS THING TO USE TO SAVE FIRMWARE FROM OS9 BOOTABLE MACS AND WE ARE HOME FREE!
but thats just one way, there should be a way to do this RAW in the openfirmware itself if you are skilled with programming + writing openfirmware's own language .
which is the forth language i think another key diffference between the structure of this language and most other languages
as i pointed out on the other downgrade mdd g4 thread was the structure of writing commands in this language is backwards from normal languages
we are used to [command] [values] [switches]
and this language's structure, as illusrtated in the above quote...
is set up like this: [values] [command]
totally backward http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=762.msg4676#msg4676
in order to save a mac os 9 bootable firmware we need someone who has one of these os9 bootable imac g4s..
and who has the intelligence to figure out how to save the firmware to a file
in openfirmware or using a 3rd party utility to do the work instead
so there is two ways to proceed
1) find the pm g4 rom utility from sonnet or another similiar utility from a 3rd party cpu and use it on a os9 bootable imac g4 + save the firmware to a file to copy to the other models
2) figure out how to save the firmware using scripting RAW from openfirmware "by hand"
or 3) we find pareis and ask him for his help to accomplish this task
or 4) we find another skilled forth programmer to assist in saving the firmware to a file
-
http://www.kijiji.ca/v-desktop-computers/mississauga-peel-region/apple-imac-g4-700-lampshade/1021684051?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
well well well look what i found;)
-
who has a sonnet upgrade g4 cpu? whoever has this should have the g4 rom utility that we need it comes with the encore ST cpu upgrades
ANYONE of our users who have a 3rd party g4 cpu should have a similar utility provided on the cd that comes with these 3rd party utilities
COME ON PEOPLE WAKE UP
-
Wait? What? What's new? I've got a non-os9 compatible imac. I can hack OS9 into it but without proper sound and graphics support.
I know people with OS9-compatible iLamps. If software can be provided I'm sure I can get them to do firmware dumps.
-
I know people with OS9-compatible iLamps. If software can be provided I'm sure I can get them to do firmware dumps.
Like me? ;)
I'll have a look at it if someone can provide the software needed.
-
Like me? ;)
I'll have a look at it if someone can provide the software needed.
Haha, Yes, and another guy we "know". He's probably not as technical though but I'm pretty sure he's got an OS9-compatible flat panel.
-
i will see if i can aquire the one for sale in my area.. it is mac os 9 bootable. only a 700mhz model but whatever..
i think i could extract the firmware if i can get my hands on one
you two guys know each other?
-
Wait? What? What's new? I've got a non-os9 compatible imac. I can hack OS9 into it but without proper sound and graphics support.
this is because u dont have the proper firmware on it yet!!!!!! i really believe that we can solve this though.
-
all imac g4s:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_700_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_17_fp.html 9 capable
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp_macosx.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_15_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.25_17_fp.html *
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.25_20_fp.html *
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht2643
original motherboard style ports:
(http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/51/867931095672837/www.info.apple.com/images/kbase/86793/86793_5.jpg)
revised motherboard style ports:
(http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/51/867931095672837/www.info.apple.com/images/kbase/86793/86793_6.jpg)
based on this info here, it seems that the motherboards are in fact totally different ;( so it may be risky to do a firmware downgrade to the 700mhz type firmware...usb ports in different places.. risky.. like losing usb functionality totally could screw the machien totally.
the article in summary:
revision 1: 15 inch imac g4 (700mhz, 800mhz)
revision 2: 17 inch imac g4 (800mhz)
revision 3: 17 inch imac g4 WITH NEW MOBO (1ghz)
revision 4: 15,17 + 20 inch screens imac g4 WITH NEW MOBO (1.0ghz + 1.25ghz)
-
this is because u dont have the proper firmware on it yet!!!!!! i really believe that we can solve this though.
Well, yeah. I remember reading a theory about downgrading the firmware, but nothing conclusive. At least not on the iLamp. Only working hacks I've seen are the Mac OS Rom hacks.
I wouldn't count my eggs until I've seen the firmware hack actually working. I'm pretty sure there are risks involved with that too, they're physically different machines after all.
-
reading the original ibook thread i saw that there was possible a mac boot of os9 but with limited graphics + problems
did any of u doing the mac os rom hack use an original mac os rom from an imac g4 restore cd?????
frm what i read u guys all used 10.2.1 rom + generic roms from the 9.21 + 9.22 updates..
maybe u could have sucess if u modified a real mac os rom for the actual x only imac g4
(ie a copy of mac rom version whatever came on the imac g4 restore cds)
http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/macintosh-system-922-1021-power-macintosh-g4-mirrored-drive-doors-mdd
(http://s14.postimg.org/a77u0ljoh/i_Mac_G4_15_Flat_Panel_003.jpg)
the restore cds are all available here:
https://www.mediafire.com/?315vwcwj9tngx
except these cds are for a 15inch imac g4..
which version?? there was 15 inch X only models.. as well as os9 booting models..
not sure which these discs is for.. based on "Cd version 1.0" i would say its for the first 700mhz + 800mhz versions
also because my qs 933mhz cd restores X v10.1.3 + 9.22 and this one says X v10.1.4 so its clearly not
long after the 933mhz model that the model of imac g4 that the cds was for was released..
the qs933 being from 2002... based on my info (http://www.oldschooldaw.com/forums/index.php?topic=389.0)
between january + august 2002 and the fact that jaguar was released in august 2002
means these cds are for early 2002 imac g4s..
i have renamed these files (to indicate 2002 models) + backed them up on my own account here:
https://www.mediafire.com/#73d27z04q2int
the x only imac g4s were only released in 2003
2002
http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_year/macs-released-in-2002.html
iMac G4/700 (Flat Panel) 700 MHz PowerPC 7441 (G4)
iMac G4/800 (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
iMac G4/800 17-Inch (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
2003
http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_year/macs-released-in-2003.html
iMac G4/800 - X Only (Flat Panel) 800 MHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
iMac G4/1.0 17-Inch (Flat Panel) 1.0 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
iMac G4/1.0 15-Inch "FP" (USB 2.0) 1.0 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
iMac G4/1.25 17-Inch "FP" (USB 2.0) 1.25 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
iMac G4/1.25 20-Inch "FP" (USB 2.0) 1.25 GHz PowerPC 7445 (G4)
here we go - its so clear.. all imac g4s from 2002 boot os9 ..
all imac g4s from 2003.. dont - and the hardware is PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT... :/
so i would think to do a os9 "mac os rom" hack for these that supports the hardware properly..
u need to hack the right "mac os rom"
that is for that specific motherboard from the restore discs that came with the 2003 models
ok u dont *NEED* to do anything;) but it may be a good thing to try.. different from whats been tried already
the above cds will contain a rom verson .. i will open it up and see which mac os rom it contains for the 2002 imac g4s
-
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/imac-g4-flat-panel-faq/differences-between-spring-2003-imac-g4-flat-panel-models.html
so apparenly this 800mhz "X only" 2003 model has the same motherboard as the 2002 models..
so THIS MODEL FOR SURE CAN BE HACKED
but unfortunately it only has 100mhz bus...
and all the other x only 2003 models have DDR ram + 133mhz bus
-
When shipped, these models were configured with MacOS X 10.2.3 pre-installed and neither can boot into earlier versions of the MacOS. Each can run MacOS 9 applications within the "Classic Environment" provided by MacOS X 10.4.11 and earlier, however.
cloaked alien: i think it migth be worthwhile to find the imac g4 restore cds that have 10.2.3 on them.. and then try the mac os rom trick again.
-
cloaked alien: i think it migth be worthwhile to find the imac g4 restore cds that have 10.2.3 on them.. and then try the mac os rom trick again.
I'm not 100% sure but I'm fairly sure we already tried that, look at my earlier posts.
Edit: It's the Mac OS ROM from OS 9 that's the file you mod. It's version should not be confused with the OS version. Where should we find that on the OS X cd? ^^
I THINK I hunted down the restore CD from the supported G4 iLamp and had the OS 9 rom modified.
-
Edit: It's the Mac OS ROM from OS 9 that's the file you mod. It's version should not be confused with the OS version. Where should we find that on the OS X cd? ^^
I THINK I hunted down the restore CD from the supported G4 iLamp and had the OS 9 rom modified.
originally i was talking about modifying the machines firmware..(via openfirmware) becuase this is the method that was used to have the success with the g4 mdd fw800 that we all witnessed on this board..... but now im talking about your approach.. the mac os rom mod approach.. my thoughts being that there could be "machine specific" versions of the 'mac os rom' that more properly support hardware differences.... some have explained that u cant use an older rom with a newer computer, because support for that hardware couldnt possibly be included.. well perhaps this is true, but also that they made different specific versions of the same rom version
ie: maybe there was mac os rom 10.2.1 for ibook, mac os rom 10.2.1 for imac, mac os rom 10.2.1 for mdd all appearing as "10.2.1" "mac os rom" file but in fact having slight differences in the code inside??? we dont know for sure.. so what im suggesting is. TRY THE HACK WITH THE ROM ON THE RESTORE DISCS FOR THAT SPECIFIC MAC
the 'mac os rom' file would still have to be on the 2003 imac g4 restore discs to support the classic environment.... but to get it out of the disc u would *HAVE* to do a system restore i think.. or you could find the ".img" restore hard drive image on the disk and click to mount it in osx and find the mac os rom file inside somewhere...this is in contrast to the 2002 restore imac g4 discs that would have a system folder with the rom sitting 'out in the open' on the bootable system folder of the actual restore disc.. (as well as inside the hd restore.img file)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Toolbox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_World_ROM
VS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firmware
VS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Firmware
3 different things
-
i have just now opened the imac g4 2002 restore cds and confirmed that its mac os rom version is : 9.1.1
dated april 8th 2002
lol i see your post above: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=1173.msg4626#msg4626
so u tried this version? but which imac g4 do u have??
>>> 1GHz 17" model. (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html)
because if its a 2003.. that might explain the problems.. u used the 2002 rom on 2003 machine.. with different hardware..
as i showed above there was essentially 2 different motherboard types for these... 2003 x only macs have different hareware cloaked allen is obv aware of this as he pointed out above that they are different hardware..
but yes. back to my suggestion
i suggest finding the mac os rom for the imac 2003s restore disc.
i dont know the version of this file
(http://www.oldapplestuff.com/Images/InstallSoftware/IMG_7604.jpg)
this is what it looks like if this page (http://www.oldapplestuff.com/InstallSoftware.html) is correct
we need to find this restore that has X 10.2.3 + os 9 (classic support)
specifically we only need this orange "restore" cd in the middle
actually the install should have the same rom on it aswell
but i mean to say one copy is enuff we dont need all cds
"we" meaning one of us, anyone of us..
but this page (http://www.oldapplestuff.com/InstallSoftware.html) also lists 10.2.7 + 10.3 imac restore discs
(http://www.oldapplestuff.com/Images/InstallSoftware/IMG_1429.jpg)(http://www.oldapplestuff.com/Images/InstallSoftware/IMG_1429.jpg)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2191?viewlocale=en_EN
(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1173.0;attach=1211;image)
SO according to this chart the orange disc 10.2.3 restore discs is for the 1ghz 17" that u have cloaked alien
whether or not this cd contains version of mac os rom vital to best performance of your hardware
is a controversial subject here ;D but its worth a try
-
ive found another g4 restore disc im downloading now.. 8) from max
hopefully its the 2003 10.2.3 version
annddddd its not.. its the same 2002 imac g4 restore cds..
containing mac os rom 9.1.1 version...
-
ok!!!!
ive located the "mac os x install cd" for the imac g4 800mhz .. presumably the "x only" model..
downloading now and i will open the sucker up and try to find the mac os rom hidden deep within :D
if it even includes the os9 system folder..
did they stop including os9 in 2003?
-
ok!!!!
ive located the "mac os x install cd" for the imac g4 800mhz .. presumably the "x only" model..
downloading now and i will open the sucker up and try to find the mac os rom hidden deep within :D
if it even includes the os9 system folder..
did they stop including os9 in 2003?
There are two 800mhz models that support OS9, so you must be more specific ;).
I bet you mean M9105, right?
-
im not sure im guessing its for the X only model
will find out in a sec
wow someones a real genius
this was an upload to max ftp
someone just zipped the folders of the imac g4 os x install cd instead of making a cd image LOL
wow what a fail ;)
anyway theres no rom file anywhere on the disc at all that i can see.
the chart above clearly shows 9.22 on the restore disc tho..
-
Who has a 3rd party CPU??????
Who has a 3rd party utility for saving original firmware???????
who has sonnet encore ST?
who has the G4 ROM Utility made by Sonnet?
wake up wake up
-
I have the NewerTech firmware patch. It allows a G4 7448/7447 CPU upgrade run Mac Os 9.2 or Mac os X on a Sawtooth...
-
what im talking about is a utility that allows u to save the original firmware for doing just such a patch....
it reads the firmware + saves it to a file... enabling the user to be able to restore their original firmware in the event that
the cpu is uninstalled.
this is the utility to be used to take the mac os 9 bootable firmware from os9 bootable version of the imac g4 product line
to be able to attempt to take this firmware + write it to the 800mhz X only imac g4 (which has the same motherboard as the other 9 booting lowend models of imac g4)
and.. for someone brave enough.. to try this on the models that followed that had a significantly different motherboard (at a risk) to gain os9 bootability.
newertech + powerlogic + sonnet are all said to have these types of "rom saving" utilities to facilitate patching + unpatching for 3rd party cpu
the software packages that came with these 3rd party cpus is where someone needs to look to find this or possibly a download from a web backup of their sites.
-
I'm not following this thread. But, you are trying to boot a iMac G4 800 in Mac os 9?
What type of screen it have: 15 inch or 17?
The Apple iMac G4/800 - X Only (15 inch Flat Panel) is te easiest to boot into Mac Os 9 again ... LOL
-
I'm not following this thread. But, you are trying to boot a iMac G4 800 in Mac os 9?
i give up.... ;D
you are the one who started the thread!!!!!!!
-
I'm not following this thread. But, you are trying to boot a iMac G4 800 in Mac os 9?
i give up.... ;D
you are the one who started the thread!!!!!!!
Yes. I started this thread, just to try to keep a bit of organization...
-
what im talking about is a utility that allows u to save the original firmware for doing just such a patch....
it reads the firmware + saves it to a file... enabling the user to be able to restore their original firmware in the event that
the cpu is uninstalled.
this is the utility to be used to take the mac os 9 bootable firmware from os9 bootable version of the imac g4 product line
to be able to attempt to take this firmware + write it to the 800mhz X only imac g4 (which has the same motherboard as the other 9 booting lowend models of imac g4)
and.. for someone brave enough.. to try this on the models that followed that had a significantly different motherboard (at a risk) to gain os9 bootability.
newertech + powerlogic + sonnet are all said to have these types of "rom saving" utilities to facilitate patching + unpatching for 3rd party cpu
the software packages that came with these 3rd party cpus is where someone needs to look to find this or possibly a download from a web backup of their sites.
I don't know if I have such tool...
But what NewerTech does, and probably other G4 CPU upgrade vendors isn't read and white or patch the Machine firmware, but they do change the Machine "setup" in the Open Firmware, all the changes are in volatile memory, and can be lost if you do a PRAM reset. Never they do a Firmware change. AFAIK
The firmware change is a "brute force method" and may work or render the machine unusable forever...
The best way is learn how to enable or disable some things in OF...
BTW, the Newertech scripts are done by Alessandro Levi Montalcini.
The Apple iMac G4/800 - X Only (15 inch Flat Panel) is te easiest to boot into Mac Os 9 again ... LOL
... because is a Mac Os ROM *only* question...
-
if they did the imac g4 lock out of os9 bootability the same way as the g4 MDD FW800..
the ability to recognize the toolbox image was just *disabled* at firmware level --that is -- the machines firmware
that is stored in flash ram accessed by "openfirmware" bios...
which is why this extra code (or lack of toolbox image handling code) was removed by flashing the machines firmware with the fw400 firmware
why would it be any different with the "X only" imac flat panel?
which makes me think of the question:
did anyone try to look at this firmware file with a hex editor?
the firmware of the fw400 g4 mdd?
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/10773/apple-g4-firmware-updater-x
"PMG4FWUpdate.dmg.bin"
The Power Mac G4 Firmware Update 4.4.8 will run only on Power Mac G4 computers with Mirrored Drive Doors. The Power Mac G4 Firmware Update 4.4.8 improves fan control behavior and reduces high speed fan cycling when running in Mac OS 9.
if it wasnt for this fan problem they would never have made this file available.
-
why would it be any different with the "X only" imac flat panel?
Because they had a little problem with Apple Harware Test for the iMac 800 15" Os X only ... LOL
-
just an update.. i found mac os rom 10.1.1 inside the bootable image for the emac 800mhz restore disc
-
just an update.. i found mac os rom 10.1.1 inside the bootable image for the emac 800mhz restore disc
Yes, this 10.1.1 ROM adds support for the emac.
The 10.2.1 MDD version don't adds support for new models, may be it is just a bug fix...
Probably both rooms boot the iMac 800 15" (Os X only), besides the famous Custer ROM.
-
i thought the whole purpose of this thread was to extend the same theory that made the fw800 g4 able to boot os9
via a machine firmware downgrade
the mac os rom played no part in enabling the fw800 to boot mac os 9..
i realize that some people have had some success by hacking the rom, but this was only partial success.
shouldnt the approach be focused on extracting the firmware from the 700mhz + 800mhz imac g4s that have true os9 support
and then on forcing a firmware flash of that firmware to the x only 800mhz imac g4 via openfirmware??
-
The main purpose of this thread is "Mac Os 9 boot on unsupported iMac G4 (Flat-panel)"
In some cases only the proper ROM is needed.
In others only some "unknown" settings in Open Firmware.
In other cases, a version downgraded firmware is needed.
And in other cases all of the above... and who knows what's more... LOL
-
my point is the rom file didnt work 100% ;D
but the firmware down grade of the fw800 -> fw400 did work 100%!
so its my opinion we should be trying 100% ;D to extract the firmware file from the working mac os 9 model!!
using any means neccessary
we alreadyknow how to force the firmware downgrade once we have the file..
so all we need is the extracted firmware file
the sources:
http://www.everymac.com/mac-answers/mac-os-9-classic-support-faq/last-macs-to-boot-startup-macos-9.html
if we could get all these firmwares from these machines in file format wed be rockin+rollin ;D
-
Sorry for reviving an old thread.
I'm actually hoping someone in this thread has restore discs for the OS 9-supported 17" iMac G4. The short-lived one that came with 9.2.2 and 10.1.5. I have a booting copy of OS 9 on it now, but it doesn't have the GeForce 4MX drivers, so OS 9 games are slow. (I'd like the whole restore disc set, as I do like to load a complete 'original' hard drive image on to systems - so I want the custom 10.1.5 build that it uses, too; since I can't get 10.1 to work on it for anything.)
Thanks in advance!
-
Sorry for reviving an old thread.
I'm actually hoping someone in this thread has restore discs for the OS 9-supported 17" iMac G4.
Thanks in advance!
(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1173.0;attach=1826;image)
(http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1173.0;attach=1828;image)
i think this is what you are looking for
DOWNLOAD LINK: https://www.mediafire.com/folder/yn2amtrfasm3s/2002_imacG4
as the file indicates its the original install/restore discs from the 2002 imac g4
Please note: ***these are zip files which i believe were packaged on a modern version of mac os x.. + therefore i reccommend they first be extracted on mac os x (tiger, leopard, snow leopard or higher) (not mac os 9) and then burned to cds***
checking everymac.com for every mac from 2002 we see:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_year/macs-released-in-2002.html
which includes 3 models of flat panel imac g4 from 2002:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_700_fp.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_17_fp.html
not sure which of the 3 this is from, perhaps its universal between these 3
and perhaps it will also work fine with the 2003 flat panel models aswell which include:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_fp_macosx.html
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html
if your model is the imac 800mhz 17" :
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_800_17_fp.html
then these files should work for you 100% ;D
-
Well, an update of sorts.
I used the Unsupported G4s ISO and it does boot my iMac G4 1 Ghz flat panel.
The only issue is I have no sound at all. No fraking with the Sound control panel and the volume is turned up.
I still get the startup chime though. the nVidia chip has no issues.
Would be nice though to have some sound. . . . .
-
easily fixable by using any addon sound card ... usb or firewire !
congrats
-
Well, yeah, I suppose so. Just unfortunate it does not work with the internal speaker! Especially when I have replacement Pro speakers on the way after my 15" iMac died a smoky death.
-
u mean the speakers that connect digitally via a 3.5mm jack on the back?
i never had a pair of those..
they work with the Digital Audio / Quicksilvers + MDDs only i think (other than the imac that is)
not sure if any laptops supported those speakers i cant remember
-
u mean the speakers that connect digitally via a 3.5mm jack on the back?
i never had a pair of those..
they work with the Digital Audio / Quicksilvers + MDDs only i think (other than the imac that is)
not sure if any laptops supported those speakers i cant remember
The white iBook G3's did IIRC.
-
Well, an update of sorts.
I used the Unsupported G4s ISO and it does boot my iMac G4 1 Ghz flat panel.
The only issue is I have no sound at all.
did you have the same issue if you startup from HD with a full system folder? (with the iMic ROM ofcourse).
-
Yes I did. No sound when booted from the hard drive with a full OS 9 installed. At least I assume it was a full install, as I followed the directions exactly when I booted with the Unsupported G4 CD Diehard posted at http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=2143.0.
Just to make sure, I rerun Drive Setup and reinstalled a second time-still no sound.
Launching the Sound control panel, I noted that it is using the Built In but I cannot adjust any of the speaker volumes-the bar just does not want to move any higher than the very low setting it is in.
I would note sounds works fine in Tiger.
-
Yeah, the ones that plug in to the back of my G4 MDD FW800. The previous ones got shorted out when the 15" iMac I was running OS 9 on died it's smoky death.
u mean the speakers that connect digitally via a 3.5mm jack on the back?
i never had a pair of those..
they work with the Digital Audio / Quicksilvers + MDDs only i think (other than the imac that is)
not sure if any laptops supported those speakers i cant remember
-
Okay, tried it a total of four times. Still no sound. Think I will just give up.
-
Hello Everyone
After a week of trying I've finally booted my 1 Ghz 17" FP G4 into MacOS 9.
Firstly the Unsupported G4s 9.2 ISO would not boot on this computer (It would show up when option key booted, but flash with ? disk)
Secondly tried restoring the Unsupported G4s 9.2 ISO - Macos9lives.img to a separate partition on internal hdd (It would show up also when option key booted, but also flash with ? disk)
This is what finally booted.
1.
Changed nvram of computer using script from iMic and bleak originally i think
(https://www.thinkclassic.org/viewtopic.php?id=46&p=7)
-------------------------------
#!/bin/sh
echo Enabling OS 9 booting...
echo "You may have to enter your password"
# Use nvram command to setup nvramrc with script to make open firmware changes
sudo nvram nvramrc='" /" select-dev
" PowerBook4,3" encode-string " model" property
" PowerBook4,3" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC2" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC3" encode-string encode+ " Power Macintosh" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property
00000000 " graphic-options" get-my-property 2drop !
unselect
" /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0" find-package if drop " /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0" find-device 80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property then
device-end \ PLX-OS9-PATCH
'
# Enable use of nvramrc on boot. Change to "false" if you want to disable again. Or just clear/reset nvram.
sudo nvram "use-nvramrc?"=true
echo done.
----------------------
2.
Run this script then could format and partition hdd into 2 and install OS 9 disk drivers with Tiger installation disk. (This wasn't available before changing nvram!)
3.
Back in Tiger, restored the unsupported G4s macos9lives.img to the second partition which was created (That also had the OS 9 disk drivers installed)
4.
Restarted computer (option key) clicked onto OS9 partition (Again didn't boot, ? disk flashing)
5.
Rebooted Tiger, launched a "classic" application which initialised the "Classic" environment.
6.
Went to StartUp Disk in the Tiger System Preferences and was able to select OS 9 (This had not been an option before changing the nvram settings)
7.
Computer rebooted and to my surprise finally booted OS 9!!!
8.
It crashed booting up the first time, so I restarted the computer this time when OS 9 was booting holding down left shift to turn of extensions. It booted to a functioning state.
9. Restarted again, this time it booted successfully normally with all extensions.
I know this post is long winded however I'm trying to prevent someone giving up on booting OS9 (Like i nearly did!)
So far on this setup, looks like just 256 colors at 1440 x 900, no sound from internal speakers (Sound from headphone jack working)
-
We have a ROM available that will make the NVRAM script no longer required. (At least that is the intent hasn't been fully tested yet so word of caution).
You can download it from here.
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2727.msg19816.html#msg19816
It hasn't been integrated to any of the iso's yet.
-
It hasn't been integrated to any of the iso's yet.
NANOPICO has done some awesome work here, many hours of labor, his work will be integrated into a downloadable ISO as soon as we get testers and make any needed changes.
Unfortunately, I have been very busy the last 2 months modifying PHP files and SQL databases to get the site migrated to the new server. Now that we are running on a new platform, we will be faster and more stable for our multi-national user base.
I would like to thank ALL of you for all your hard work. After my brain and body (little sleep last week) get back up to speed, I will be focusing on broken content and adding NEW content in the downloads.
Lastly, domain has been renewed for the next 3 years; so we are Alive for a while !
-
It hasn't been integrated to any of the iso's yet.
NANOPICO has done some awesome work here, many hours of labor, his work will be integrated into a downloadable ISO as soon as we get testers and make any needed changes.
Thank you for the kind words.
-
Anytime... who knows... Santa may pay you another visit this year :)
Any luck on cracking UAD-1 ?
-
Anytime... who knows... Santa may pay you another visit this year :)
Any luck on cracking UAD-1 ?
Not a lot of time at the moment to work on this (primarily due to some remodeling in my studio (which also effects my development work area), but I have started looking through the drivers and control panels to try to find which memory address it reads/writes for the authorizations. I've also started poking random data to some addresses on the card. Though I need to be a little careful of that so I don't render the card useless.
The advantage I have right now is I have the Mackie card (thanks) and a non-Mackie card so once I find the location of the authorizations on the cards I'll have two to compare that have different plugs authorized.
Maybe I'll work on this more tonight actually. It would do my mental state some good to dig back into this.
-
Though I need to be a little careful of that so I don't render the card useless.
Diehard has about 4 or 5 of those laying around so hack away :)
-
Though I need to be a little careful of that so I don't render the card useless.
Diehard has about 4 or 5 of those laying around so hack away :)
Good to know. I've just been a little careful after bricking two iBook motherboards poking around at the firmware.
-
iMac 6,1 g4E 1Ghz, 1.25GB RAM. GeForceMx 64 MB http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html)
Installed the G4MDD version of OS 9, and it installed perfectly. There is no sound out of the iMac internal speaker once OS 9 boots, but plugging in a pair of speakers into the headphone jack, and we have sound.
I do not have a pair of Pro Speakers to test that particular jack, but I do not see why it wouldn't also.
Sure would be nice to have the internal speakers working, but hell, I am thrilled it just works!
Now though, it is time to install 59 GB of OS9 Apps. Sigh........(http://)
-
iMac 6,1 g4E 1Ghz, 1.25GB RAM. GeForceMx 64 MB http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html)
Installed the G4MDD version of OS 9, and it installed perfectly. There is no sound out of the iMac internal speaker once OS 9 boots, but plugging in a pair of speakers into the headphone jack, and we have sound.
I do not have a pair of Pro Speakers to test that particular jack, but I do not see why it wouldn't also.
Sure would be nice to have the internal speakers working, but hell, I am thrilled it just works!(http://)
AWESOME!!!
I do recall this was roughly the same issue with audio on some of the later powerbooks (someone correct me if I'm wrong on this). It seems that all the machines that demonstrate this issue are the ones that use the intrepid chip for the north/south bridges. Those seem to be the ones that either sort of work or don't work at all.
-
Very nice! Is it running with graphics acceleration?
-
I am going to have to display my ignorance (as opposed to stupidity which is willful ignorance) and ask "How would I know?"
I can see that the NVIDIA Video Accelerator is loading in my Extensions folder and in ASP.
So I would appreciate learning how to tell!
-
iMac 6,1 g4E 1Ghz, 1.25GB RAM. GeForceMx 64 MB http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html)
Installed the G4MDD version of OS 9, and it installed perfectly. There is no sound out of the iMac internal speaker once OS 9 boots, but plugging in a pair of speakers into the headphone jack, and we have sound.
I have a very similar mac, and it seems to be getting really close to booting OS 9.
My iMac is: http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.25_17_fp.html
iMac 6,3
PowerPC G4 (3.3)
1.25 GHz processor
167 MHz bus speed
1GB RAM
I burned the image from here to a disk: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2143.0.html
Booted the mac holding down Option, the disk appears as bootable. Select it, start booting - happy mac!
...Then, before the 'welcome to mac os' screen appears, the screen goes solid black. The disk drive continues to make sounds (like the mac is reading from the disk) for another minute or two, then silence. Black screen remains. Perhaps the display moved to the external port? I don't have an adapter for that.
Doesn't seem to boot all the way to the desktop. After waiting for the disk sounds to stop, I types 'macos9' on the keyboard and pressed command-i. No disk reading sounds. Pressed random keys and enter and command-o. Still no sounds. Power key, followed by enter? Also nothing.
-
...Then, before the 'welcome to mac os' screen appears, the screen goes solid black. The disk drive continues to make sounds (like the mac is reading from the disk) for another minute or two, then silence. Black screen remains. Perhaps the display moved to the external port? I don't have an adapter for that.
Doesn't seem to boot all the way to the desktop. After waiting for the disk sounds to stop, I types 'macos9' on the keyboard and pressed command-i. No disk reading sounds. Pressed random keys and enter and command-o. Still no sounds. Power key, followed by enter? Also nothing.
The most common issue with this is the cpu version check. Which is probably the case for this machine.
You can go into open firmware and type
dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
That should get it booting. Once booted you can use the ROM found here
http://www.gnerder.com/files/rom.sit
So you don't have to type the code in open firmware and you would not have to use an nvramrc script.
-
You can go into open firmware and type
dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
Unfortunately, running these open firmware commands didn't get me any further in the boot process. Still happy mac then black screen.
And by the way, is there an install disc with the updated rom? That would make testing unsupported machines easier.
-
You can go into open firmware and type
dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
Unfortunately, running these open firmware commands didn't get me any further in the boot process. Still happy mac then black screen.
And by the way, is there an install disc with the updated rom? That would make testing unsupported machines easier.
I haven't put much effort into the iMac yet, but I decided to fire mine up and I get the same issue as you, so I will see what I can come up with.
I have the same iMac except that min is the 20" model.
-
You can go into open firmware and type
dev /cpus/PowerPC,G4@0
80010201 encode-int " cpu-version" property
Unfortunately, running these open firmware commands didn't get me any further in the boot process. Still happy mac then black screen.
And by the way, is there an install disc with the updated rom? That would make testing unsupported machines easier.
I haven't put much effort into the iMac yet, but I decided to fire mine up and I get the same issue as you, so I will see what I can come up with.
I have the same iMac except that min is the 20" model.
I got mine working.
I did a manual install (like I have been doing with all my machines) that has no extensions what-so-ever.
It booted to desktop with no issue.
It seems that out of the gate many of these unsupported machine has some issue with even the most basic extensions.
I think I'll make an cd image for the base test install I've been using. This can at least be used as a sort of live cd to validate if a machine can boot to 9. Then we can start adding extensions and see what breaks.
-
A quirk or two for mine (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html (http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac_1.0_17_fp.html):
Sound does not work internally, works with speakers using the headphone port. Sometimes you have to unplug and plug them back in to the headphone port to get sound out of them No pattern to speak of either.
Sometimes the happy chimes sound, but nothing happens boot wise. So I unplug it, wait 30 or so seconds, then plug back in and it boots. Happens any time the OS locks, but reboots are all good.
It is making me pretty happy, although I wish it was as error free as my G4 MDD FW800.
-
Well I have had success having my 17" iMac G4 1.25 Ghz running OS 9.2.2 WITH Sound (if I use the headphone jack). But I had to do it this way
- From OSX 10.4.11: Partition hard drive using Disk Utility, make a new partition no more than 190 GB.
- Reboot using the G4 MDD OS9 CD, install to the same partition you have OSX on. Speaker did not work for me, so I used Headphone and it works.
- Now boot into OSX. Fire up Terminal, issue the following command: bless -folder9 "/System Folder" -use9 and then reboot
Sit back and watch OS 9 boot up, the trash the OSX folders and files, empty the Trash, and enjoy OS9 on the 17" iMac G4 1.25Ghz, You might be able to not do the OSX install. But this so works for me!
-
Okay, I have to add one thing on the 17" iMac G4--for an unknown reason, video is limited to 256 colors when running the version of OS9 for the MDD. Does not matter how many times I run it, it seems like the NVidia MX4 drivers do not allow for running it any higher than that.
So:
- Video limited to 256 colors
- Sound does not work from Pro speakers, but will from speakers plugged into the headphone port
Guess it will be back to Tiger or Leopard for this iMac unless anyone has any idea.
-
Would this OS9General work on a _supported_ iLamp system without a modified ROM?
it should work on all supported systems.
-
Would this OS9General work on a _supported_ iLamp system without a modified ROM?
it should work on all supported systems.
I know I'm necro posting, but I had some luck getting the internal LCD of the iBook with Radeon 9550 to work in Millions of colors with OS 9, rather than 256 colors.
What you want to do is set some Open Firmware properties for your graphic card.
I don't have any nVidia cards handy, yet, I have one on the way, but you want to set the properties to a known supported nVidia card.
Manly the Device ID, and Subsystem ID, as well as the Name and Model of the parent( most cases dev agp/@10 )
Then on the children NDVA,Dispay@ you'll want to set the Name and the Compatible property.
Something like:
dev agp/@10
0000xxxx encode-int " device-id" property
0000xxxx encode-int " subsystem-id" property
" NVDA,Parent" encode-string " name" property
" NVDA,Geforce4MX" encode-string " model" property
dev agp/@10/@0
" NVDA,Dissplay_A" encode-string "name" property
" NVDA,NVMac" encode-string " compatible" property
dev agp/@10/@1
" NVDA,Dissplay_B" encode-string "name" property
" NVDA,NVMac" encode-string " compatible" property
That's not quite correct, we need the real values from a working OS 9 nVidia card, or better yet a few of them, or all of them, but that's the basic idea. replacing 0000xxxx with the device ID of a real nVidia card.
-
My iMac I posted about earlier died a capacitor blown death, and finding no one who could fix it without it costing 3.0 figure, I found this one for just $40.
iMac G4 1.25Ghz (3.3), PowerMac 6,1, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB Samsung EVO 860 500GB SSD (which I put in), and a newer DVD-RW which I put in. Video is GeForce FX 5200 (ugh--that may be a problem with my goal).
But a Terminal session with the Machine command reports a 7450 and not a 7445.
So tried the G4 MDD CD , and sure enough the CD is seen via the Option boot, but then a black screen once it is selected.
So I looked over the Think Classic article and was lost in a sea of iBook attempts as a solution.
I assume then part of the issue is the processor model number? I am open to ideas as I would rather run OS9 than Tiger or Leopard.. .....
-
The GF 5200 would likely be a no go, until someone figures out the 'NDRV' or native device driver.
I took a crack at it, with the Go5200 from a 12" PowerBook, but I didn't get anywhere with it.
At one time, many years ago I had luck using an 'NDRV' for a 5200 PCI card to get it to work with some versions of OS X that didn't support nVidia PCI cards.
However, I've been unable to find that 'NDRV' again, and I haven't much clue where I got it from in the first place, something from 10.2, I think.
Anyway, the 'NDRV' would only give basic screen resolution control and bit depth, there is never likely to be Graphics Acceleration for the 5200+ for OS 9. That would require someone to write drivers for not only the cards but also replace the entire graphics stack in OS 9, as Apple never made any public way to write drivers to conform with OS 9's Libraries.
FP iMacs with GF4MX should be doable, but I've not been able to get my hands on one to hack.
As far as the black screen, shine a very bright light on it, and I bet you would see the backlight is off, and the machine has crashed at some point in the boot process.
I know a little of the backlight control for ATI cards, hacking the Mac OS ROM may yield a working backlight.
Again, I'd have to get my hands on one to see what magic could be done.
-
I'm very new to all of this. I'll open a new thread if told to. This one was pinned. I have tried for a week now, reading a lot which is way over my head.
My iMac is manufactured in mid 2003, It's iLamp 800Mhz USB 1 with geforce 4MX 32MB. From what I've been able to find, it's an X only model. From MacTrons post, it's should be OS 9 bootable but I cannot. I have tried a ton of images but simply cannot get this machine to boot OS9. Can somebody please help me with baby english instructions? Almost goo goo gaga level.
-
Unfortunately, like me, you are stuck with X right now. We have no way yet to install OS9 with the GeForce video chips, just the ATI ones.
I'm very new to all of this. I'll open a new thread if told to. This one was pinned. I have tried for a week now, reading a lot which is way over my head.
My iMac is manufactured in mid 2003, It's iLamp 800Mhz USB 1 with geforce 4MX 32MB. From what I've been able to find, it's an X only model. From MacTrons post, it's should be OS 9 bootable but I cannot. I have tried a ton of images but simply cannot get this machine to boot OS9. Can somebody please help me with baby english instructions? Almost goo goo gaga level.
-
Unfortunately, like me, you are stuck with X right now. We have no way yet to install OS9 with the GeForce video chips, just the ATI ones.
I'm very new to all of this. I'll open a new thread if told to. This one was pinned. I have tried for a week now, reading a lot which is way over my head.
My iMac is manufactured in mid 2003, It's iLamp 800Mhz USB 1 with geforce 4MX 32MB. From what I've been able to find, it's an X only model. From MacTrons post, it's should be OS 9 bootable but I cannot. I have tried a ton of images but simply cannot get this machine to boot OS9. Can somebody please help me with baby english instructions? Almost goo goo gaga level.
There is not reason it can't work, the Geforce chips in these Mac's should be fully supported under OS 9, it just likely takes some hackery to get things going.
Really, your iMac 800 doesn't differ very much at all from the iMac 800 that fully supported OS 9 booting.
Start with the basics, install OS 9 in the Classic Env on a disk with OS 9 drivers on the Hard Disk( Easy way to do this is to boot the iMac in Firewire target disk mode and format the drive from a supported Mac, if you can't do it that way, I'll tell you how to do it from the OS X install CD/DVD, just ask(( WARNING YOU WILL LOSE ALL THE DATA ON YOUR HD SO BACK UP FIRST)), then boot Open Firmware and enter debugging mode:
dev / 3013FFF encode-int " AAPL,debug" property
Boot the Mac OS ROM, if it helps put an unmodified copy in a folder named ppc at the root of your OS 9 partition, then.
boot hd:9,:\ppc\:tbxi
In this example hd:9 is the ninth partition of your drive. To make sure your ppc folder is on the ninth partition do:
dir hd:9,\
That will list all files and folders on the ninth partition. If you have OS X installed, in the terminal do:
diskutil list
That will list all your partitions, find the name and partition number of the drive you put the Mac OS ROM in the ppc folder.
So if you have a drive named MacHD, and it is HFS+ on the tenth partition, and that is the drive you put the ROM in the ppc folder( you create this folder ).
Then you nee to boot the 10th partition:
boot hd:10,\ppc\:tbxi
:tbxi is just sort form for Mac OS ROM.
You'l get a bunch of debugging info, the last line will be "Off to Mac OS". Then your screen may turn it's backlight off, let me know if that happens, or doesn't.
If the backlight stays on, you'll enter the Nanokernel log while the system is trying to boot.
Let us know what happens, and we'll tell you how to proceed
-
darthnVader. Wow thanks a mil man. I only saw the forum post today. I'll give these commands a try this evening when I'm home to see what happens and give feedback. Just to correct my previous post, my G4 has the GF2MX not the 4.
Currently there is an 80GB HDD installed. The drive was partitioned to 2 40GB partitions, both are HFS but the partition reserved for OS 9 has journaling disabled. When setting up the computer, I booted 10.4 Tiger retail DVD and used Disk utility to make the two partitions as well as made sure the 'Install disk drivers' option was selected. Running 'info' on the drive shows this as correct when comparing to other screenshots I found online.
I have tried the following:
Restoring the IMG file from various MacOS9Lives discs to the OS 9 partition.
Installed from 9.1 retail disc in classic mode as well as some 9.2.2's I could find.
Force bless on OS9 system folder. (These commands were confusing, including the next points.)
I found a forum posting on another website where I think the OF commands were to trick the OS into thinking I had a different CPU.
In some instances, the system would sit on flashing question mark and not boot anything but other times it would just go straight to X, do not pass go and do not collect $200.
In every instance, the system would not even attempt to boot OS 9 discs. X would start when I finally stop holding the C key.
-
darthnVader. Wow thanks a mil man. I only saw the forum post today. I'll give these commands a try this evening when I'm home to see what happens and give feedback. Just to correct my previous post, my G4 has the GF2MX not the 4.
Currently there is an 80GB HDD installed. The drive was partitioned to 2 40GB partitions, both are HFS but the partition reserved for OS 9 has journaling disabled. When setting up the computer, I booted 10.4 Tiger retail DVD and used Disk utility to make the two partitions as well as made sure the 'Install disk drivers' option was selected. Running 'info' on the drive shows this as correct when comparing to other screenshots I found online.
I have tried the following:
Restoring the IMG file from various MacOS9Lives discs to the OS 9 partition.
Installed from 9.1 retail disc in classic mode as well as some 9.2.2's I could find.
Force bless on OS9 system folder. (These commands were confusing, including the next points.)
I found a forum posting on another website where I think the OF commands were to trick the OS into thinking I had a different CPU.
In some instances, the system would sit on flashing question mark and not boot anything but other times it would just go straight to X, do not pass go and do not collect $200.
In every instance, the system would not even attempt to boot OS 9 discs. X would start when I finally stop holding the C key.
" /" select-dev
" PowerMac4,2" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC2" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC3" encode-string encode+ " Power Macintosh" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property
Likely that is the code needed to boot your iMac, the CPU is known to OS 9, it's the same CPU used in the 800Mhz iMac that supports OS 9 booting.
-
darthnVader... I don't know what species / humans bred you but man... YOU ARE BRILLIANT!! I've googled more than I have in a looong time and couldn't find what you happen to know. THANK YOU! I booted OF the ran the commands in the post above at wham bam thank you ma'am, OS 9 on Option boot! I am really and truly stoked and thankful for your help. I havn't the time to see what does and / or doesn't work but will give feedback when I do this. (December maybe)
If you find yourself in South Africa, look me up... you deserve a Bells. But don't come here for just the Bells, you will get mugged sooner rather than later.
-
All the time I had to test is up :( Here is some feedback.
The command works and the OS 9 discs now boot to desktop. The 3 discs I tried all give an error on install at the same point. Something about cannot read audio cd player something something. I didn't note it as no time... Only enough for 1 more test.
I booted X then restored the MacOS9Lives img to the OS 9 partition.
OS 9 not showing in Select Startup Disk.
Reboot to OF and retype command then mac-boot with option pressed. OS selector only sees X and 9 install cd. I boot cd, open OS 9 partition and drag finder from System Folder and then drag it back. All icons changed as expected. OS 9 cd nor partition show on Option startup nor Startup Disk.
2 things. I'm either missing a command to commit changes to pram or whatever. OR the flat battery on the board is throwing a spanner in the works. The closest I could find to a replacement fit is a 3v Energizer 123. I have a few 3.6v cellphone batteries so I'll modify something to hook one up. I have to get back to the second job now :(
-
Do you have OS 9 and OS X on the same partition?
Only one System can be blessed at a time that way, I normally make two HFS+ partitions, one for OS 9, the other for OS X.
-
One drive and 2 partitions. Time gets reset when I unplug the cord so the dead battery may be causing it to lose sight of OS 9. Just a guess though.
-
Ok, no attempts to boot from hard drive have worked in any way. The discs I have for 9 all boot but all fail with the same error at the same point. Basically when it starts reading / copying files near the start I get an error that complains about cannot read audio cd player file and that I need to move it to another location and try again. This even happens on 9.1 retail.
I have tried to bless the OS 9 folder by booting X to single user but this doesn't seem to have worked as the system still only sees X on startup. It also does not see any of the OS 9 cd's until I type the command above again but as usual, this stop working the moment the computer reboots. (It only works if I mac-boot after typing the command.)
There are still a few things to try but not right now. If any of you have suggestions to try, send them my way. Once I get this system fully working on 9 I'll make a step by step howto for my model and give credit where due.
-
Really, it's best to have OS 9 on it's own partition.
-
OS 9 is and always has been on it's own partition. 1 drive to serve them all. two partitions to share the land. OS X is and always has been installed on the first partition (HFS+ Journaled.) OS 9 has always only been on the second partition, including the Classic install. This partition can be formatted, reloaded, converted, deleted all independently from the X partition. There is no native OS 9 software on the X partition, OS 9 partition is also configured to be ignored by Finder in X.
I have fore many years played with operating systems and am well aware of partition structures on the x86 river bank but PPC is new to me in every way. Despite this, I still believed in setting the drive up as two completely independent partitions specifically to try get 9 going. I'm not phased at all about keeping X on this iMac since the G5 runs the same OS much faster and more happily. The G4 is a bit sluggish with Tiger. The only reason X is still there at this point is because OS 9 installer seems to fail religiously on every medium I've tried. The firewire install option cannot be tried because I don't own any nor know anyone that owns the correct wires.
USB booting may still be an option as the 10.5 installer I made for the G5 was visible as a boot option when plugged into the G4. I can try set up a USB drive as a test for 9.
My wife has given me permission to spend 2 hours on the iMac tonight. What a lucky day :)
-
Ok, made it to the desktop from the hard drive. Not sure why yet but for some reason, it won't boot off the partition I prepared for 9. One of my attempts to install 9 natively, I created a temp folder on the X drive and copied the contents of a 9.2.2 boot disc there. Booting back into 9 CD then running the setup from that temp folder gets me no further than any other setup as it stops with the exact same error.
On a subsequent test, I boot into X by accident after typing the OF commands. While in X, I opened startup disk and it shows available boot volumes, namely Tiger, OS 9 CD and the temp folder on the X partition but not the one on the partition configured for 9?? Anyway, I then deleted the contents of the temp folder then copied the OS 9 partition files to the partition which is home to X. Back in Startup folder I now see the OS9 on X volume and select that to bless the folder. After reboot, it shows the blue disc with smiley and question mark as expected. A quick reboot to OF, run the required commands then mac-boot and voiala! OS9 welcome :)
Now to figure out how to boot without having to type a lengthy command in OF every time I restart.
-
Ok, replaced the battery with a home made 3.6v battery but I still have to type the commands every time I restart.
On the plus side, I have shortened the commands to:
" /" select-dev
" PowerMac4,2" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property
A quick question, the ROMS posted on page 1 of this thread, are they supposed to bypass me having to type this commands in every time or is the PRAM battery supposed to assist in 'remembering' what I typed above after a restart?
-
Ok, replaced the battery with a home made 3.6v battery but I still have to type the commands every time I restart.
On the plus side, I have shortened the commands to:
" /" select-dev
" PowerMac4,2" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property
A quick question, the ROMS posted on page 1 of this thread, are they supposed to bypass me having to type this commands in every time or is the PRAM battery supposed to assist in 'remembering' what I typed above after a restart?
There is an nvramrc script you can edit and use from the terminal in OS X. The nvram is flash based storage in the boot rom, so it doesn't require the pram battery, just be careful, changes can leave your Mac unbootable, with no way to clear the nvram.
-
Firstly, I would like to thank MacTron for starting this thread, darthnVader for putting me on the right track and SnakeCoils for providing the ROM. Without these friendly chaps, I would still be struggling.
It looks like all is working to the level that I wanted. Here is my hardware. iLamp iMac 4,2 G4 800MHz manufactured June 2003. 15" flat panel, Geforce 2MX 32MB, USB1, listed as X only. I replaced the faulty DVD ROM drive and replaced the PRAM battery with a home made setup until I can source the correct cell locally.
Ok, here are the steps I followed for my system.
Boot from Tiger retail DVD
In Disk Utility, erase internal hard drive to 2 partitions and make sure install OS 9 Drivers is checked. (WARNING! This step erases all content on internal hard disk.)
Install Tiger to one of the partitions.
Boot into Tiger and mount the IMG file as found on the MacOS9Lives 2013 disc. Drag and drop the contents of the mounted IMG to the second partition. (At this point, OS9 did not appear under Startup Disk.
Restart Mac and boot to Open Firmware (Cmd + Opt + O + F)
Type the following in order:
" /" select-dev
" PowerMac4,2" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC2" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC3" encode-string encode+ " Power Macintosh" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property
mac-boot
Let Tiger boot
Head on to page 1 of this thread and look for the ROM posted by SnakeCoils. Download and extract that to Tiger desktop.
Drag the ROM file to the "System Folder" for the OS9 you dragged to the second partition above. (Overwrite the existing file.)
Now, provided you booted with the commands above, you should see the OS9 install in Startup Disk.
From this point onward, my system now correctly boots to OS 9 without me having to type the above commands every time.
A note though. If I boot back into Tiger without the commands listed above, I don't get OS9 under startup disk. However, if we don't boot into Tiger, the commands are no longer required.
Guys, thanks again for all your help. darthnVader, I still owe you a Bells for the initial help.
-
Though I need to be a little careful of that so I don't render the card useless.
Diehard has about 4 or 5 of those laying around so hack away :)
Good to know. I've just been a little careful after bricking two iBook motherboards poking around at the firmware.
PWR+AppleKey.
-
Want some feedback.
I have an iMac G4 USB 2.0 1GHz 15 inch system.
Using this install media: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2143.0.html
Mac OS 9 installs just fine. However, sometimes I get stuck at 256 colors and I can't figure out why. I've managed to revert it back to "Millions of colors" only to get stuck with 256 again at the moment.
256 might be acceptable for the games I want to play but Marathon seems to want to run with bizzaro colors when like that and not run at all at millions of colors -- this is something else I don't understand.
The only real wrinkle here is that I'm using an IDE to SD card adapter instead of a hard disk with an SD extension cable to make this externally accessable. I then have a 128gb sd card for OS X and a 64gb SD card for OS 9.
Could booting to OS X be causing me to trip something to disable the graphics driver? If so how can I work around this (preferably permanently)?
Really appreciate any insight and I'm so glad there is a community that still runs OS 9, it's such a cool OS.
-
Hi all. My friend is trying to install the "Previously Unsupported version on a "Powermac6,1" revision (1ghz, 64 GeForce4).
It boots the disc, he sees the splash screen, but is presented with the dialog box: "This startup disk will not work on this Macintosh model. Use the latest Installer to update this disk for this model.
I'm unclear if there are still issues or OpenFirmware hackery that must be done, or if perhaps something got changed in the image and broke compatibility? There are no model specific notes on the download page for any of the iMac G4's.
-
Has there been any further developments on the GeForce4 MX support? I just acquired a iMac G4 1.0 15" and have everything running, but it's strange that the GPU isn't recognised since it was supported in the 800Mhz 17" version that could natively boot OS9.
-
The 4 MX in the 1Ghz model iMac G4 is NV18, those iMac's that supported OS 9 were NV17.
I did some work to try and patch the nVidia drivers, but all efforts to bring support for NV18 to OS 9 failed and I sold that iMac quite awhile back.
-
The 4 MX in the 1Ghz model iMac G4 is NV18, those iMac's that supported OS 9 were NV17.
I did some work to try and patch the nVidia drivers, but all efforts to bring support for NV18 to OS 9 failed and I sold that iMac quite awhile back.
Darth, we thank you for your efforts :) and for trying to get a solution for these later models.
You have helped so many people, more than you will ever know, that are enjoying retro gaming on mac minis and other machines from you accomplishments.
Thanks for the clarification; units that "appear" to be almost identical are obviously very different when it comes to chipset changes and software drivers.
-
Thanks Darth, I've been modifying properties in Open Firmware and trying a few other things but haven't had any luck either. As DieHard said - thank you, you have been invaluable with these modifications. I am still using my PBG4 with the modified ATI driver + Mac OS ROM combo you put together! 8)
-
Hi all!
Sorry to resurrect this thread - I've been reading through lots of threads on this forum trying to figure out how I can get OS 9 booting on my iMac G4 flat panel, and I was able to get it to boot and install. There were two limitations though - there was no audio and it was limited to 256 colors.
Was there ever progress made on getting those two features working properly on a G4 flat panel? I distinctly remember reading a thread about using a MDD install disc, but I'm completely lost as to the details of that (and if it worked...)
I can start a new thread if that makes more sense.
Thanks!
-
I'm curious about a couple of things pertaining to unsupported OS9 install on a 1,25 iMac USB 2
has imic's updated ROM been placed on OS9Lives and, if so, where might it be? I know: his discussion was posted in 2014.
Going to his website, cited in his posts, brings up a screen that asks for clicking on a nonexistent button OR a requirement to install an app, neither of which actions I trust.
Or has that ROM been incorporated into an install ISO?
Multiple thanks.
-
I'm curious about a couple of things pertaining to unsupported OS9 install on a 1,25 iMac USB 2
has imic's updated ROM been placed on OS9Lives and, if so, where might it be? I know: his discussion was posted in 2014.
This is what you seek...
ISO CD Image
Contains Modified ROM, No Crazy Commands to type, Just Boot and Install !
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2143.0.html
-
Aha!
I see iMic's name there on the download page.
My wife tells me that "Men cannot find things." I thought I'd prove her correct yet again.
Thanks for your assistance. I pick up the iMac on Friday, arriving home Saturday and will probably begin performing dubious actions on it that evening or Sunday. I do enjoy this stuff, even though my sense of adventure far exceeds my understanding.
-
Let's see. OS9 worked fine under Tiger. Thought I'd try Sorbet Leopard on my iMac: 17" FP; 1.25 GHz PowerPC 7445 CPU; "USB 2.0"
(what does USB 2.0 mean in real terms?? 1.0.)
It's a dog, not a greyhound or whippet, and OS X is not a favorite either.
So I thought "Why not put OS9 native on the iMac?" something I am finally getting around to doing. (Life has a way of interrupting the important stuff)
Using Firewire between my MDD running OS9 and the iMac I got OS9 installed. It boots, then screen goes black. Not a new problem for anyone on this thread.
A few entries prior to mine one of you--ZencadE--used some OF commands to get a different iMac G4 to boot into OS9.
My question is this: May I use the same OF commands to achieve the same end on my hardware, which is slightly different than his?
I've read the multiple warnings about not screwing around with OF lest I brick my iMac. The iMac, while heavy, is too large to serve as a paper weight.
Any advice?
I've learned much from you-all. Many thanks.
-
On a whim I went into the System folder via Firewire from the MDD and deleted every extension (saving them to a separate folder, that is.)
Tried to boot and, voila - Mac OS9 boots. A bit crippled; but I'll sort that.
I had already moved the multiprocessing extension out prior to the above.
Scouring this forum provides much fodder which, when carefully chewed and pondered and ruminated, yields possible solutions. In this case I'm gratefully satisfied with the fodder I consumed. Again: thanks, all.