Adding OS9 disk drivers post install

[pixitha]

PowerPC G4 MDD:
PATA 40G, Dual partition 9.2.2 and 10.4 (These boot fine, but OS9 could never see the SSD)
Samsung EVO 850 on SATA<>PATA adapter (Startech red PCB): OS9.2.2 (wouldn't boot), 10.5, 10.5 Sorbet, Ubuntu, Adelie Linux

I spent a lot of time trying to find any way to fix my setup that I somehow messed up the MacOS9 disk drivers, on the SSD. I was unable to find anything useful beyond the usual; reinstall the whole OS and make sure you click the "install mac os9 drivers".

Having spent so many hours getting the new drive up and working I really did not want to start from scratch. The option to reinstall the drivers via DriveSetup never showed up as an option for me, the only thing I could ever see was the option to Initialize the SSD again, which I did not want to do.

I was curious, and figured there had to be some sort of software that can deal with the OS9 drivers on a lower level than just reformatting. I grabbed Silverlinings 6.5.6 from the garden and opened it up. At first the drive was just showing greyed out, but when I double clicked, it mounted all the partitions from the SSD and OS9 could see them all. Then I went into the setup option and saw that there was a checkbox for "Update Disk Drivers" and when I picked that, it said it would reinstall the drivers, and should not break anything. and bingo it worked perfectly. I can now boot from the SSD OS9.2.2 install

 

[flatjuba]

PowerPC G4 MDD:
PATA 40G, Dual partition 9.2.2 and 10.4 (These boot fine, but OS9 could never see the SSD)
Samsung EVO 850 on SATA<>PATA adapter (Startech red PCB): OS9.2.2 (wouldn't boot), 10.5, 10.5 Sorbet, Ubuntu, Adelie Linux

I spent a lot of time trying to find any way to fix my setup that I somehow messed up the MacOS9 disk drivers, on the SSD. I was unable to find anything useful beyond the usual; reinstall the whole OS and make sure you click the "install mac os9 drivers".

Having spent so many hours getting the new drive up and working I really did not want to start from scratch. The option to reinstall the drivers via DriveSetup never showed up as an option for me, the only thing I could ever see was the option to Initialize the SSD again, which I did not want to do.

I was curious, and figured there had to be some sort of software that can deal with the OS9 drivers on a lower level than just reformatting. I grabbed Silverlinings 6.5.6 from the garden and opened it up. At first the drive was just showing greyed out, but when I double clicked, it mounted all the partitions from the SSD and OS9 could see them all. Then I went into the setup option and saw that there was a checkbox for "Update Disk Drivers" and when I picked that, it said it would reinstall the drivers, and should not break anything. and bingo it worked perfectly. I can now boot from the SSD OS9.2.2 install


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I want to have a dual boot for my Sorbet. How do I install OS 9 on it? Simply restore the image from CCC to the partition or any other else?

 

[sos_nz]

Looks interesting! I'm looking to upgrade my recently acquired 1Ghz MDD from the 120GB mechanical drive to an SSD. The Startech adapter makes that look easy. I guess I could clone the existing drive using a PC (using the Startech), then clone the image onto the new SSD, then finally hook up the new SSD to the mac with the Startech and boot from the newly cloned SSD?

 

[Amethyst1]

I'm looking to upgrade my recently acquired 1Ghz MDD from the 120GB mechanical drive to an SSD. The Startech adapter makes that look easy. I guess I could clone the existing drive using a PC (using the Startech), then clone the image onto the new SSD, then finally hook up the new SSD to the mac with the Startech and boot from the newly cloned SSD?

Should™ theoretically work, but make sure to create an exact image of the entire HDD on the PC to make sure the Apple Partition Map scheme is preserved correctly. I'd look into hooking up the SSD to the MDD in addition to the HDD (say, on the secondary IDE channel) to set up and clone the drive on Mac OS.

 

[sos_nz]

hooking up the SSD to the MDD in addition to the HDD (say, on the secondary IDE channel) to set up and clone the drive on Mac OS.

Yes, that seems to be the way to go. I've ordered a PATA2/SATA3 adapter (https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/ADPSTT1606950/StarTech-PATA2SATA3-Bi-directional-SATA-IDE-Adapter) and a crucial MX500 SSD (supposedly has good built-in garbage cleanup). Helpful to have to tool listed above by pixitha for future reference too.

 

[sos_nz]

Should™ theoretically work

It did work - although in the end I used dd in linux to create the image and write it onto the new SSD. Trouble was, I was left with only 120GB used of the 256GB SSD, since the original HD was only 120GB.

I couldn't find a way (in OS9, Gparted in linux, Sorbet or Monterey) to resize the OSX and OS9 partitions to gain full use of the available space.

So, I've since tried reformatting the drive in Sorbet - but it doesn't give me the option to "install OS9 drivers" (yes, I am selecting the drive, not the partitions).

I then tried the tool above, in OS9 (booting off my mechanical drive), but it freezes after about 30 seconds when trying to 'Update Driver Software' onto the SSD.

Am now trying to use an original MDD OSX install disc to partition the SSD with OS9 drivers....

 

[repairedCheese]

I couldn't find a way (in OS9, Gparted in linux, Sorbet or Monterey) to resize the OSX and OS9 partitions to gain full use of the available space.

Huh, that's odd. I've used both Leopard's disk utilities and GParted to resize HFS+ partitions, all without breaking OS9. What do your partitions look like, and what kind of errors were you getting?

Am now trying to use an original MDD OSX install disc to partition the SSD with OS9 drivers....

Mind you, in my experience, the drive did need to be initialized by OS 9 in order to work properly. I learned not to trust any other tools first. And I do mean the whole drive. It was really just for OS 9, as the rest of the operating systems would have no trouble with it, but if I wanted to make sure I had a drive that would definitely work on 9, it needed to first be set up there. Then I could resize it all I wanted just about anywhere else.

 

[sos_nz]

I've tried using the Disk Utility on the 10.2.3 install DVD, still no luck with that option. Oh well, I've now got Silverlinings 6.5.8 formatting the drive, so far without error - but it looks like it's going to take around 48 hours (!)*.

Will hopefully report success in a couple of days

* which may be due to the IDE/SATA adapter I linked to above, or the fact it's a 256GB drive. I might grab one of those red PCB jobbies, since once it's in the MDD, the IDE drive -> SATA board function isn't used.

 

[Amethyst1]

[…] Oh well, I've now got Silverlinings 6.5.8 formatting the drive, so far without error - but it looks like it's going to take around 48 hours (!)*.

Is there a log? If so, is it showing any I/O errors? Or is it doing some kind of low-level format? 48 hours seems way too long for “just” 256 GB.

 

[sos_nz]

Don't want to touch it now it's 7 hours in

EDIT: now 10 hours...good, if slow progress!

Following this thread on os9lives, I've ordered a cheap "Bribge" adapter (http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,6233.msg47141.html#msg47141). The bi-directional Startech is a bit large to fit into the MDD case easily, since it has to plug into the male IDE headers on the M/B itself. Still, it's served its purpose, and is usefull for hooking IDE drives to a modern SATA M/B.

If it fails, the next thing I'll try is 'IdentityTool', to see if I can get the "install OS9 drivers" option to show up in Tiger or Leopard (http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,2141.0.html). I wonder if it's because my FW800 MDD isn't meant to be able to boot OS9 that disk utility doesn't offer the option?

The other thing to try will be to use the terminal from OSX or an install disc to see if I can force the option:
"diskutil partitonDisk /dev/disk0 OS9Drivers HFS+ macos9 120G JHFS+ macosx 120G"
source: https://tech.kateva.org/2004/10/formatting-drive-for-os-9-drivers-when.html

 

[Amethyst1]

Don't want to touch it now it's 7 hours in

Keeping fingers crossed 🤞

 

[sos_nz]

Woohoo! Done!

Earlier this afternoon, at approximately 1800 NZST, the format & installation of OS9 drivers via Silverlining completed.

I've subsequently installed OS9 and booted it successfully from the 128GB OS9 partition on Bus 3, with the mechanical drive still plugged into bus 1.

I've now reformatted the drive into 3 partitions using Sorbet's disk utility - OS9, Tiger and Sorbet. I still couldn't select "install OS 9 disk driver" from the erase tab (which I now understand is by design, since my machine wasn't originally supposed to native boot OS9: http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php/topic,6262.msg46920.html#msg46920), but the partition tab did now show a checkbox which could be selected to not install the OS9 disk driver.

OS9 is now reinstalled and booting, Tiger now being installed, and Sorbet will follow - each on their own 77GB partition. If I ever need to try this again, I'll be giving the terminal commands a go for speed reasons though!

EDIT: thanks to pixitha for the original post!

 

[pixitha]

Awesome that it worked! I was a little worried that it took so long to format, that maybe the drive was broken somehow? Crazy how long it took to format.