Resolved iBook G4 unable to boot from hard drive, CD, or USB

[TacticalDonut]

Fixed it myself. Changed out USB drives and it works fine now.

I did the following:

1. Changed USB disks
2. Booted into Open Firmware and changed the system time in order to prevent the endless loading Apple screen.
   1. Entered: decimal dev rtc 30 33 12 22 11 2020 set-time. The command is in the format decimal dev rtc sec min hour day month year set-time. So what I entered set the time to 12:30:33 2020/11/22.
      1. At least for me, I had to reset the system time every single time I wanted to boot into the installer, or it would hang on the spinning Apple screen. You might have to do that as well. Just set the time to whatever the current time is and that will fix it.
3. Entered the following commands:
   1. dev usb1
      1. Received back: ok
   2. ls
      1. Received back: 88446952: /disk@1
   3. dev disk@1
      1. Received back: ok
   4. pwd
      1. Received back: /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1 ok
   5. dir /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1:3,\System\Library\CoreServices\
      1. Received back: image
   6. boot /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1:3,\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX
      1. And then it booted.

Unfortunately the installer would freeze when writing files to the HD and I eventually determined it was a hardware issue... so I had to send it back to the seller. This still stands as a way to quickly boot from a USB, however.

Spoiler: Original Text

So I bought an old iBook G4 off of eBay (A1054, late 2004). I bought it with the knowledge that it had no OS installed, and was hoping that it would just be a quick and easy Open Firmware boot into my Tiger bootable USB, but that was very much not the case.

I entered the standard boot ud:,\\:tbxi command and immediately got the prohibitory symbol. I then tried creating a Tiger and Panther CD, but when I inserted them into the iBook they would immediately eject. I then tried creating a Panther CD from what is supposedly the original disc images that the iBook came with from the Macintosh Garden. Those immediately ejected as well. At this point I believe the prohibitory symbol is not because the image is not compatible with the iBook; rather, it is because the USB drive is not recognized by the iBook.

I tried to find the USB's path through Open Firmware, but I cannot find it (image). I attempted to use this guide's instructions and type "dev usb0", "ls", "dev usb1", etc. Each only returned with "ok" and did not show "disk@1". Every guide I've seen has said I'm screwed at this point, but I'd really like to try to get this thing working, or at least have proved it to be impossible to get it into a working state.

TL;DR, I've tried:

• Tried Tiger bootable USB. Displays prohibitory symbol.
• Tried Tiger and Panther CDs. Immediately ejected on startup.
• Tried the disc images that supposedly came with the iBook from the Macintosh Garden. Immediately ejected on startup.
• Searched for USB node in Open Firmware. Cannot find it.
• Reset NVRAM through Open Firmware (reset-nvram). No change.
• Reset PRAM on startup. No change.
• Reset PMU on startup. No change.
• Tried to boot from the hard drive through Open Firmware. Got a prohibitory symbol.
• Tried to boot from the hard drive through Open Firmware on partitions 0, 1, 2, 3. 1-3 aren't valid, and 0 gave me "LOAD-SIZE is too small".
• Tried to boot from the USB using the USB alias instead of "ud", got "LOAD-SIZE is too small" for each usb (0-2).
• Tried inserting a bootable CD with Tiger on it while the iBook was in Open Firmware and using the cd boot command. Disc ejects after spinning up and then spinning down again, and then Open Firmware says "can't OPEN"
• What, if anything, can I do?

 

[bobesch]

Have you got another PPC/G4? Then you might set that into TargetDiskMode and try to boot the iBook from the FireWire-connected TDM-device ...
Or you may first try boot the iBook into TDM, connect it to another Mac through FireWire and see, if it's harddrive etc. is properly connected and working at all.
BTW, how did you create your installation media (USB-stick/CD/DVD). Working with the archives from the Garden sometimes is a bit tricky, especially when being performed on a Windows or Linux-system.

 

[TacticalDonut]

Have you got another PPC/G4? Then you might set that into TargetDiskMode and try to boot the iBook from the FireWire-connected TDM-device ...

I have an iMac G5 (iSight) model that works. I don't think I have a FireWire cable and I'm not interested in purchasing one, but I'll look around and see. It seems like that's probably my best option.

BTW, how did you create your installation media (USB-stick/CD/DVD). Working with the archives from the Garden sometimes is a bit tricky, especially when being performed on a Windows or Linux-system.

I have an old 2008 MacBook from a computer recycling store that runs 10.7 Lion. I download the DMGs there, and then create the bootable USB through Disk Utility’s Restore option.

 

[eyoungren]

I have an old 2008 MacBook from a computer recycling store that runs 10.7 Lion. I download the DMGs there, and then create the bootable USB through Disk Utility.

Try using Carbon Copy Cloner (or SuperDuper) to clone the DMG to the USB stick. Also, make sure to partition the USB stick as APM (Apple Partion Map) first and not GUID.

Then try using Open Firmware to boot from the USB.

Note, when I say clone the DMG, I mean mount the DMG first, then clone that mounted drive to the USB stick. Just to be clear.

 

[TacticalDonut]

Try using Carbon Copy Cloner (or SuperDuper) to clone the DMG to the USB stick. Also, make sure to partition the USB stick as APM (Apple Partion Map) first and not GUID.

Then try using Open Firmware to boot from the USB.

Note, when I say clone the DMG, I mean mount the DMG first, then clone that mounted drive to the USB stick. Just to be clear.

I'll try that now, thanks!

Edit: Didn’t work.

 

[bobesch]

Fixed it myself. Changed out USB drives and it works fine now.

I did the following:

1. Changed USB disks
2. Booted into Open Firmware and changed the system time in order to prevent the endless loading Apple screen.
   1. Entered: decimal dev rtc 30 33 12 22 11 2020 set-time. The command is in the format decimal dev rtc sec min hour day month year set-time. So what I entered set the time to 12:30:33 2020/11/22.
3. Entered the following commands:
   1. dev usb1
      1. Received back: ok
   2. ls
      1. Received back: 88446952: /disk@1
   3. dev disk@1
      1. Received back: ok
   4. pwd
      1. Received back: /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1 ok
   5. dir /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1:3,\System\Library\CoreServices\
      1. Received back: image
   6. boot /pci@f2000000/usb@1b/disk@1:3,\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX
      1. And then it booted.

Spoiler: Original Text

So I bought an old iBook G4 off of eBay (A1054, late 2004). I bought it with the knowledge that it had no OS installed, and was hoping that it would just be a quick and easy Open Firmware boot into my Tiger bootable USB, but that was very much not the case.

I entered the standard boot ud:,\\:tbxi command and immediately got the prohibitory symbol. I then tried creating a Tiger and Panther CD, but when I inserted them into the iBook they would immediately eject. I then tried creating a Panther CD from what is supposedly the original disc images that the iBook came with from the Macintosh Garden. Those immediately ejected as well. At this point I believe the prohibitory symbol is not because the image is not compatible with the iBook; rather, it is because the USB drive is not recognized by the iBook.

I tried to find the USB's path through Open Firmware, but I cannot find it (image). I attempted to use this guide's instructions and type "dev usb0", "ls", "dev usb1", etc. Each only returned with "ok" and did not show "disk@1". Every guide I've seen has said I'm screwed at this point, but I'd really like to try to get this thing working, or at least have proved it to be impossible to get it into a working state.

TL;DR, I've tried:

• Tried Tiger bootable USB. Displays prohibitory symbol.
• Tried Tiger and Panther CDs. Immediately ejected on startup.
• Tried the disc images that supposedly came with the iBook from the Macintosh Garden. Immediately ejected on startup.
• Searched for USB node in Open Firmware. Cannot find it.
• Reset NVRAM through Open Firmware (reset-nvram). No change.
• Reset PRAM on startup. No change.
• Reset PMU on startup. No change.
• Tried to boot from the hard drive through Open Firmware. Got a prohibitory symbol.
• Tried to boot from the hard drive through Open Firmware on partitions 0, 1, 2, 3. 1-3 aren't valid, and 0 gave me "LOAD-SIZE is too small".
• Tried to boot from the USB using the USB alias instead of "ud", got "LOAD-SIZE is too small" for each usb (0-2).
• Tried inserting a bootable CD with Tiger on it while the iBook was in Open Firmware and using the cd boot command. Disc ejects after spinning up and then spinning down again, and then Open Firmware says "can't OPEN"
• What, if anything, can I do?

I don't understand anything about open-firmware, using the command-line on a Mac and your magic spells ...
but "Chapeau"!