Mac_boot error?

[aricher]

A PC IT guy here at work just called with a question about a friend's Mac. Apparently when the guy boots up he "is logging into firmware and then is prompted to type mac_boot." After typing that in he's fine. This IT guy just called me 'cause I'm the supposed Mac-guru at our company - this is a new one on me though - anyone know what's up? My guess is that it's a hardware issue - but what kind?

Any suggestions?

[vraxtus]

Apparently when the guy boots up he "is logging into firmware and then is prompted to type mac_boot."


Do you mean logging into single user mode?

[aricher]

I'm sorry - I wish I could provide more info - this is all being passed through a second party. It doesn't sound like single user mode to me though.

I did find this on a French mac site - sorry for the google translation:

- anonymity
07/10/2002, 19h13
I find myself regularly with starting in the presence of a message of invites of type PC "old generation": It is asked to me to type MAC_BOOT or to modify my configuration (in obscure and technical English). If I type MAC_BOOT... I reconsider this message. It is necessary me to make a reset (not always useful) or to extinguish and relight (times 2 or 3 times) so that my G4 starts correctly. I zappé already my PRAM, rebuilt the office, but the incident reproduces rather regularly. Thank you for a council.

blackhole
08/10/2002, 01h13
perhaps you have a èroblème hardware... you find yourself in the firmware, remains to savir where is the problem... which message it posts you exactly

[s0i0d]

I have noticed a similar problem with my iBook. I bought it 3 weeks ago, refurbished, from apple.com. g4 1gHz 14 inch. I press the start button, hear a chime, screen does not light up. This happens 1-2 times. Then I get a dark screen with small white type that says 'type mac_boot'. I do and sometimes it works, at other times I have to restart yet again. Once it starts, I have no problems.

[vraxtus]

I have noticed a similar problem with my iBook. I bought it 3 weeks ago, refurbished, from apple.com. g4 1gHz 14 inch. I press the start button, hear a chime, screen does not light up. This happens 1-2 times. Then I get a dark screen with small white type that says 'type mac_boot'. I do and sometimes it works, at other times I have to restart yet again. Once it starts, I have no problems.


That sounds very much to me like single user mode, or at least from the black with white text description... unfortunately I've only had limited experience with that kind of thing...

[keysersoze]

I have noticed a similar problem with my iBook. I bought it 3 weeks ago, refurbished, from apple.com. g4 1gHz 14 inch. I press the start button, hear a chime, screen does not light up. This happens 1-2 times. Then I get a dark screen with small white type that says 'type mac_boot'. I do and sometimes it works, at other times I have to restart yet again. Once it starts, I have no problems.

If you just got it, give AppleCare a call. Even refurbs like ours are covered for a year. They could probably talk you through a fix tonight.

[yellow]

If you're seeing "mac-boot", then you're chillin' in Open Firmware, not Single User Mode.

To fix this, zap the PRAM and reset the Open Firmware.

[aricher]

Will zapping the PRAM reset the Open Firmware or is there another step involved for that? I have never reset PRAM under OS X is it still Command-Option-P & R during startup like OS 9?

[yellow]

Will zapping the PRAM reset the Open Firmware or is there another step involved for that? I have never reset PRAM under OS X is it still Command-Option-P & R during startup like OS 9?

No it won't. They are separate entities.

Yes, zapping the PRAM is the same for OS X as it was for OS 9.


All relevant info is here:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=42642

GIYF: It's a kbase article people! ;)

[aricher]

Thanks Yellow! I'll pass this along to my PC IT guy - thanks again for the help.

[yellow]

No prob. I'm good. :D