From 10.13.0 to 10.13.4 Combo or App Store update

[MIKX]

( I have already completed the MP51.0085.B00 firmware update. )

Which do you all recommend ?

Have there been any problems with the COMBO upgrades ?

In previous install from the App Store the download took an incredibly long time to complete.

 

[redheeler]

A larger combo update is always necessary to install multiple minor updates, such as 10.13.0 to 10.13.4. That's what you'd be installing through the App Store as well, so it shouldn't make any difference whether you update from there or use the package downloaded from Apple's website.

 

[h9826790]

IMO, do it via Appstore is fine. Unless your system refuse to update etc. Then try the combo updater, and finally the full installer.

Anyway, I did it via Appstore, any my 5,1 now is running fine with the latest 17E202.

 

[MIKX]

Finally got up to 10.13.4 .. . and today . . . bought a Samsung M.2 960 EVO 250 Gb ..
and was very pleased to see that it both appeared in Disk utility and I could format it.

Like other 960 EVO owners I was shocked at how fast this blade is !

Next step will be getting it to boot in either Sierra 10.12.6 or High Sierra 10.13.4

The learning process begins ( again ) . .. .

 

[h9826790]

Finally got up to 10.13.4 .. . and today . . . bought a Samsung M.2 960 EVO 250 Gb ..
and was very pleased to see that it both appeared in Disk utility and I could format it.

Like other 960 EVO owners I was shocked at how fast this blade is !

View attachment 759717
Next step will be getting it to boot in either Sierra 10.12.6 or High Sierra 10.13.4

The learning process begins ( again ) . .. .

If you want to boot from it. I really suggest to use the "fusion drive method" (combine this NVMe SSD with any other natively bootable SSD to form a single bootable low latency partition). AFAIK, only this method is supported natively, and only this method can perform direct OS update.

 

[MIKX]

Thanks a lot! I'll try your suggestion with Sierra 10.12.6 first. ( No more changes to my Hi Sierra install until the last update. )

Any thoughts on doing the fusion method with Sierra ? Anything I should be wary of ?

First .. I have to get Sierra to SEE the 960 EVO

PS : Would you mind pointing me to the"fusion method" thread. . I can't seem to find it today.

PPS : I really and honestly think that there should be a STICKY thread on "Booting from NVMe".
Who know ? Perhaps Apple will relent and include NVMe booting in the HS GM .. or in 10.14.x
A petition / bug report from all of our MacRumors cMP 4,1 & 5,1 owners might get their attention.

 

[h9826790]

Thanks a lot! I'll try your suggestion with Sierra 10.12.6 first. ( No more changes to my Hi Sierra install until the last update. )

Any thoughts on doing the fusion method with Sierra ? Anything I should be wary of ?

First .. I have to get Sierra to SEE the 960 EVO

PS : Would you mind pointing me to the"fusion method" thread. . I can't seem to find it today.

PPS : I really and honestly think that there should be a STICKY thread on "Booting from NVMe".
Who know ? Perhaps Apple will relent and include NVMe booting in the HS GM .. or in 10.14.x
A petition / bug report from all of our MacRumors cMP 4,1 & 5,1 owners might get their attention.

The relative post is contained inside the sticky thread

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...-5-1-upgrade-guide-sticky-discussion.2099092/

And my suggestion was base on your post about you are running 10.13.4 (only High Sierra provide native support to NVMe SSD). If you want to run it in Sierra, I will suggest you only use it as data drive.

 

[MIKX]

EDIT : Moderators : If & When I get the Sierra Sandisk-960 EVO fusion working I'll remove my Sierra posts here to the Sierra thread. ( Got carried away with this project )

========================================================

Step #1 done. Appears in Sierra 10.12.6. Not bootable yet

Next step will be to create a Sierra fusion drive with my current boot drive which is a Sandisk 480 Gb SSD
running on cMP SATA II.

I still feel amazed that a 9 year old Mac Pro 4,1 2.93Ghz Dual Quad (upped to 5,1) is mostly keeping up with the world.
And definitely still very useful.

Let's hope that future upgrades to Hi Sierra or OS 10.14 will finally allow NVMe booting, surely at least some of the High Sierra development team visit Macrumors and see what we are achieving WITHOUT their help .
( . .. or .. do some help us under aliases ? Hmmmm ).
They must feel at the very least a little admiration for those talented and insightful cMP owner/members accomplishments. And perhaps . . some actually own cMPs too . . . .

cMP owners are not asking for much . . just a few lines of code.

==========
h9826790

I'm just curious .. . I suppose that there is no point in putting my NVMe PCIe carrier in PCIe slot 2. ?
Currently it is in slot 4

 

[h9826790]

EDIT : Moderators : If & When I get the Sierra Sandisk-960 EVO fusion working I'll remove my Sierra posts here to the Sierra thread. ( Got carried away with this project )

========================================================

Step #1 done. Appears in Sierra 10.12.6. Not bootable yet

View attachment 759901

Next step will be to create a Sierra fusion drive with my current boot drive which is a Sandisk 480 Gb SSD
running on cMP SATA II.

I still feel amazed that a 9 year old Mac Pro 4,1 2.93Ghz Dual Quad (upped to 5,1) is mostly keeping up with the world.
And definitely still very useful.

Let's hope that future upgrades to Hi Sierra or OS 10.14 will finally allow NVMe booting, surely at least some of the High Sierra development team visit Macrumors and see what we are achieving WITHOUT their help .
( . .. or .. do some help us under aliases ? Hmmmm ).
They must feel at the very least a little admiration for those talented and insightful cMP owner/members accomplishments. And perhaps . . some actually own cMPs too . . . .

cMP owners are not asking for much . . just a few lines of code.

==========
h9826790

I'm just curious .. . I suppose that there is no point in putting my NVMe PCIe carrier in PCIe slot 2. ?
Currently it is in slot 4

No, if fact, for simple adaptor (no PCIe switch onboard), if you put that in slot 2. There is a very high chance that the PCIe SSD can only negotiate at PCIe 1.1 link speed (natively). You can try (for testing purpose), that's just my guess. But since your SSD is a x4 SSD, you shouldn't able to benefit by installing it into slot 2 anyway.

 

[MIKX]

Thanks h9826790 .. I thought the same. You are a true asset to the cMP community