Mac OS 9 Discussion > Mac OS 9 on Unsupported Hardware

Mac Os 9 boot on unsupported Hardware, "The state Of the art".

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MacTron:
This post is to present an easy intro to the topic and to try to summarize the state of the Mac Os 9 booting in to different unsupported Macs.
Please refer to specific sections to ask questions about specific models. Use this thread only to update and report what is working and what is not, and to link to different information and troubleshooting threads.

The unsupported Macs ( Os X only G4s ) are blue highlighted in this picture, most but Mac Mini, have a Mac Os 9 officially supported predecessor. No G5 based Mac boots into Mac Os 9 at this moment ( red highlighted in this picture).



To boot into Mac Os 9, a Mac Os 9 System folder is always needed inside an HD, CD, (or any other storage device) HFS formated and with the Mac Os 9 drivers installed.
In the case of unsupported Macs this folder needs some mods: A special ROM file, some extra drivers ( typically video drivers ), and usually the Multiprocessor folder should also be removed.

There isn't any support -at this moment- for FW800,USB2, airport Extreme and other technologies which the Mac Os 9 don't had support at its time and video cards newer than the Radeon 9200 an the nVidia Ti4600.

We have a Generic Mac Os 9 installation Disk image to easy try to boot all of the unsupported Macs:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2143.0.html
A series of specific installation disk are on the way, with drivers and other stuff unique for each Mac model.

The MDD (FW800) only need a special ROM to boot into Mac Os 9, this is included with the Generic Mac Os 9 installation Disk image for unsupported Macs.
Everything works OK. But as usually no US2 nor FW800 etc...

The eMac (USB2) @ 1.25 besides the special ROM, it needs a modified video drivers, available here:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4322.0;attach=5025
Everything works OK, but Apple DVD player and System deep sleep.
The eMac (USB2) @ 1.42 video Is based on a Radeon 9600 wich haven't Mac Os 9 support at this moment.



The unsupported iMac besides the special ROM, it needs a modified video drivers.
The iMac (USB2) @ 1.25 video Is based on a GeForce fx 5200 wich haven't Mac Os 9 support at this moment.
Extra information is needed ...


Mac Mini
Also we have a specific installation disk for this model here:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,4365.0.html

Everything works OK, but Apple DVD player and System deep sleep. This model have some trouble with the included sound chip.

The unsupported PowerBook only need a special ROM to boot into Mac Os 9, this is included with the Generic Mac Os 9 installation Disk image for unsupported Macs.
As usually no US2 nor FW800 etc...
Most of the unsupported models have video chips which haven't Mac Os 9 support at this moment. But  maybe Al 867Mhz 12" and Al 1.0Ghz 17" based on the GF4 4200go
Extra information is needed ...


The unsupported iBook besides the special ROM, it needs a modified video drivers. Available here:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=4319.0;attach=5020
The iBook G4 @ 1.33Ghz 12" and the 1.42Ghz 12" video Is based on a Mobility Radeon 5200 wich haven't Mac Os 9 support at this moment.
Extra information is needed ...

The G4 xServe only need a special ROM to boot into Mac Os 9, this is included with the Generic Mac Os 9 installation Disk image for unsupported Macs.
This computer have a very special hardware, extra info here:
http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,1964.0.html

A lot of info is still missing... Please if you have one of this Macs working, post info about what's working and what's not.
Take special care about system specifications. Apple use to change the hardware components along the time, especially video hardware.

I wish to thanks to everybody directly or indirectly involved into this great community achievement.
And once again: sorry for my bad English.  :)

Protools5LEGuy:
Thanks for the summary! The Facebook group "Mac OS 9 - it's still alive!"  https://www.facebook.com/groups/25587413614/
Has been crying out loud for this!

DieHard:
Mactron, Thanks for all the effort for the summary; ELN,Nanopico,iMic, DarthnVader and others have put so much time and effort into getting unsupported G4s usable and booting to Mac OS 9... I cannot believe that they have expanded the range of machines that can now natively boot to OS 9 to so many !  I doubt, even the original programmers at Apple would have believed that almost 20 years later, in 2018, the machines, the OS, and the legacy would live on...

MAC OS 9 Lives !

darthnVader:
For the iMac G4 OS 9 video drivers should be able to be made to work with the models with GeForce 4 graphics, however later models with go5200 graphics would be limited to an 'NDRV' driver that only supports  changing the screen resolution and bit depth.

I'm still trying to get my hands on an iMac G4 to create modified video drivers for it.

For the Powerbook G4's, models with GeForce 4 graphics work out of the box, the 12" has go5200( see above ), and later 15" and 17" use the 9700 mobility chip, so they would also be limited to custom 'NDRV' support only.

torvan:
I have an eMac G4 1.42 Ghz and I would love to have OS9 on that baby. Mentioned above needing the drivers--which is obvious as the G4 MDD modded disk will not even let the machine boot. Just stops at the grey screen.

So how do you mod the G4 MDD CD with the drivers for the eMac? I downloaded them but no idea how to merge the drivers into the mod to burn the eMac CD.

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