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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT: Mac Booting & Open Firmware

Posted by: McMark Mar 5 2006, 02:26 PM

For all you Mac techs out there. Here's the situation:

I have an original generation iMac that I'm trying to rebuild. It has an internal IDE drive, an internal CD drive, two USB ports, and an Ethernet hookup. The owner deleted everything off the hard drive and then copied the system files off of a Mac OS 9 install CD. The system files on the Mac OS 9 CD will only boot off the CD, so the computer won't boot off the HD. The CD drive also has something wrong with it, so it won't spin up and read data before the ROM times out and tries to boot from the HD. So booting off of a CD is out. I can drop into OpenFirmware and see all the files on the HD, but as far as I know I can't delete files. If I could get in and erase the system files off the HD then it would only try to boot from the CD which will work, but it will only work if the CD is the only available source of valid system files. Make sense?

So..... is there any way to delete files in OpenFirmware?

OR

Is there a way in open firmware to remove the HD as a valid boot device, but still have it show up once the machine has booted off the CD?

I really don't want to pull the HD out since it's such a PITA on these machines. Plus I'm curious about the other options. I've never really played with Open FIrmware, so this is a chance to learn something.

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 5 2006, 03:56 PM

if the CD *WORKS* at all....

hold down apple-TAB something and it will allow you to force boot from a device.

openfirmware WILL allow you to boot from a cd but i dont know what the syntax is....

b

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 5 2006, 03:57 PM

pm me your number, I have a mac here I can help you over the phone.

i have several actually in my room right now, like four... :crazy:

b

Posted by: McMark Mar 5 2006, 04:27 PM

Britt, I've done the Apple-Tab and holding down the C key and the Apple-Control-Shift-Delete combos. The CD drive is so slow to respond that all of those time out and revert to the HD.

Posted by: Dead Air Mar 5 2006, 11:12 PM

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 5 2006, 01:57 PM)
pm me your number, I have a mac here I can help you over the phone.

i have several actually in my room right now, like four... :crazy:

b

[QUOTE]

You are familiar with using cheap G3's for home recording studio?

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 5 2006, 11:18 PM

im not really familiar with home recording studio stuff, but I have used audacity to mix music before (on linux though)

do you have home recording experience?

and mark, if the cd-rom is IDE/ATAPI or SCSI, lemme know I have both I can send you to use/keep for free...lemme know quickly and i'll box them in the same box as other things

b

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 5 2006, 11:20 PM

MARK!!!

I just thought of something...

do you have another mac?

if you do, borrow that other mac drive (with OS 9 on it) and put it into a USB drive case. The Mac, I believe, does recognize these....at least my 1st-gen powerbook G4 does....(ti ones)

b

Posted by: McMark Mar 5 2006, 11:42 PM

But you can't boot off a USB drive. But I just plugged it back in to fiddle with it and it won't even power up. I'm gonna kick it to the curb.

Posted by: anthony Mar 5 2006, 11:48 PM

To install OSX on those old non-firewire machines I pull the hard drive, put it in an external firewire case, annd then clone it with Carbon Copy Cloner.

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 6 2006, 06:06 AM

QUOTE (McMark @ Mar 5 2006, 11:42 PM)
But you can't boot off a USB drive. But I just plugged it back in to fiddle with it and it won't even power up. I'm gonna kick it to the curb.

hmm, on my G4 I can boot from the USB.

wierd.

its USB 1.1 though, so it's really slow. Firewire is cool tho.

Lemme know if you need anything.

b

Posted by: Dead Air Mar 6 2006, 08:12 AM

QUOTE (bd1308 @ Mar 5 2006, 09:18 PM)
im not really familiar with home recording studio stuff, but I have used audacity to mix music before (on linux though)

do you have home recording experience?

[QUOTE]

I'm trying to put this thing together. I'm happy with the pc I have but I need a high quality sound card to get the sound I want. Rather than spend more money on that, I thought I'd look in to finding a G3, most people seem to think they're better for music.
My Neighbor has tons of software for it anyway!

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 6 2006, 08:18 AM

im sorry for the hijack, but if you need a sound card that makes GREAT sound, look for a creative Extigy....it's USB (needs its own USB bus for best sound Q) and its external so RF interference is reduced.

I have one i'll let go for a tank of premium gas or just a tad more

b

Posted by: iamchappy Mar 6 2006, 08:25 AM

I have an older biege G3 with a Pinnicle DC30 audio video capture card in it that I have started using for my audio captures.
I gave up on capturing using my newer Mac Pc because the software wouldnt let me capture audio without also capturing video.
I too have an old Imac, I think it would be easiest to throw a new HD at it and start all over.

Posted by: bd1308 Mar 6 2006, 08:27 AM

QUOTE (McMark @ Mar 5 2006, 11:42 PM)
But you can't boot off a USB drive. But I just plugged it back in to fiddle with it and it won't even power up. I'm gonna kick it to the curb.

oh crap, send it to be before you do that.

b