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Mac OS X 10.1.5 Puma on original 12in PowerBook: GeForce 4 MX kexts

Amethyst1

Amethyst1

macrumors G3
Original poster
Oct 28, 2015
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So, I've been messing with getting Puma (10.1.5 5S60b) to run on my 867MHz 12in PowerBook which has a mobile GeForce 4 MX.

Here's where I'm at:

- I replaced 10.1.5's BootX with the one from 10.2.7 as the machine won't even begin booting or show the Puma volume in the boot selector otherwise.

- I'm spoofing a PowerBook3,4 model to avoid the "no driver for platform PowerBook6,1" (or something along the lines of that) kernel panic.

Code: 
dev /
.properties
" PowerBook3,4" encode-string " model" property
" PowerBook3,4" encode-string " MacRISC" encode-string encode+ " MacRISC2" encode-string encode+ " Power Macintosh" encode-string encode+ " compatible" property

- I'm booting from a TiBook via FireWire TDM since booting from the internal disk results in it eternally "waiting for root device". UPDATE: Server 10.1.5 includes kexts for the AlBook's ATA bus and boots from the internal disk.

- I removed the AirPort and GeForce 2/3 kexts just in case since this machine has the AirPort Extreme upgrade (outcome is the same with them present, however).

This is where it stalls:

DSC_0496.JPG


I presume this is due to my install missing the GeForce 4 MX kexts which, as far as I know, are only present on the 10.1.5 build 5T91 install and restore discs shipped with the original 17in iMac G4. Does anyone have these discs (or alternatively, 10.1.5 on a Mac with the 4 MX) and can provide the kexts?

I tried adding romndrv=1 to the boot-args but that doesn't do anything.
 
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I hope it's OK to post this so here goes:

These https://www.ebay.com/itm/132015666478 (MODS: NOT MY AUCTION!!!) are the 10.1.5 discs for the original 17in iMac with the GF4MX. The seller doesn't ship to Germany unfortunately.

So, would anyone located in the US be willing to buy the discs (making a more reasonable offer first, say in the $10 to $15 range, and seeing if the seller accepts) and provide images of them, or just the OS X install disc? I'd fully reimburse the buyer for the expense, of course (in other words, I'd pay for the discs).

This may sound awkward, but I really want to see if I can get Puma's GUI up and running on the 12in PowerBook - and those discs would come in handy for those wishing to run Puma on an original 17in iMac as well.
 
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Progress report :)

I discovered that the build of Puma Server 10.1.5 which was (only?) shipped with the original Xserve G4 is newer (5T114) than both the generic (5S60b) and iMac-specific (5T91) build. Comparing 5T114's kexts to 5S60b's, I found that the Server build additionally includes AppleKauaiATA.kext, AppleKiwiATA.kext and AppleKiwiRoot.kext. A quick search suggests that Kiwi refers to the Xserve's ATA controller, while Kauai is for the AlBooks. We may be on to something here...

So, I set up 10.1.5 Server on a TiBook, copied the installation to the 12in PowerBook and it does indeed boot from the AlBook's internal ATA disk now thanks to these kexts :D I still have to spoof the model identifier, and the missing GPU drivers still prevent the GUI from launching - if I leave 5T114's Nvidia/GeForce-related kexts in there, the screen briefly turns solid pink and then solid grey before the machine hangs.

I'm also using Puma's BootX rather than Jaguar's - while this means the Puma volume doesn't show up in the boot selector, the machine accepts it if set via Startup Disk.
 
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I have a bunch of old retail and model specific restore OS X disks in storage, I'm not sure what's there but there's definitely some early stuff there so if I have time this weekend I'll go and check what I've got...
 
amedias said:
I have a bunch of old retail and model specific restore OS X disks in storage, I'm not sure what's there but there's definitely some early stuff there so if I have time this weekend I'll go and check what I've got...
Click to expand...

That would be awesome. I have a bunch of old 10.1.x discs as well but not the 10.1.5 one.
[doublepost=1552497255][/doublepost]Another update: Looking at outputs from Linux on the original 17in iMac, the GPU is identified as a GeForce4 440 Go, i.e. a mobile variant and the same as in the original 17in PowerBook, with a PCI ID of 10de:0174. The 12in's GPU is a 420 Go with a PCI ID of 10de:0179.

Update 2019/03/21: This picture confirms that the 4MX in the original 17in iMac indeed has a device ID of 0174.
 
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Forgot to add this: Can someone with a 1GHz 17in PB kindly provide a screenshot of System Profiler's Graphics/Display section to see if the 440 Go's device ID is 0174 or not?

UPDATE: Many thanks to @eyoungren for providing the aforementioned screenshot, turns out the 17in's GPU's ID is 0179, i.e. the same as the 12in's.
 
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Amethyst1 said:
I hope it's OK to post this so here goes:

These https://www.ebay.com/itm/132015666478 (MODS: NOT MY AUCTION!!!) are the 10.1.5 discs for the original 17in iMac with the GF4MX. The seller doesn't ship to Germany unfortunately.

So, would anyone located in the US be willing to buy the discs (making a more reasonable offer first, say in the $10 to $15 range, and seeing if the seller accepts) and provide images of them, or just the OS X install disc? I'd fully reimburse the buyer for the expense, of course (in other words, I'd pay for the discs).

This may sound awkward, but I really want to see if I can get Puma's GUI up and running on the 12in PowerBook - and those discs would come in handy for those wishing to run Puma on an original 17in iMac as well.
Click to expand...

Anyone?
 
You can't install 10.1 and upgrade to 10.1.5?

Also... I appreciate the nostalgia you're after, but 10.1 was a pretty awful OS anyway.
 
timidpimpin said:
You can't install 10.1 and upgrade to 10.1.5?
Click to expand...
That doesn't include the drivers for the GeForce 4 MX. These are only included on the 10.1.5 discs for the original 17in iMac, which also contain a newer build of 10.1.5 (5T91) than the downloadable updater (5S60). Aqua won't load without these drivers, which is where I am right now.
 
10.2 Jaguar is where it started to show promise, but we didn't get the modern Finder (which I love) until 10.3. I waited till 10.3 Panther to switch over from 8.6.
 
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I would buy it if I had disposable funds. I'd love helping out in the name of historical archival.

I'm very sorry.
 
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Amethyst1 said:
Wow, thanks for bringing this to my attention :) The iMac's 10.1.5 discs are not on his list though; seems these are playing hard to get.
Click to expand...
What is the number of the restore disc you need? I have a lot of crap, I might just have it somewhere.
 
weckart said:
What is the number of the restore disc you need? I have a lot of crap, I might just have it somewhere.
Click to expand...

I don't know unfortunately; can you decipher it from this picture? Could be 2Z691-3785-A but I'm not sure.

Apple-iMac-Mac-OS-X-Install-Disc-1015.jpg


(not my picture)
 
Ok. Looks like 3785. Will have a quick rummage.

[edit] Sorry. Didn't find anything close enough to be interesting.
 
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weckart said:
Ok. Looks like 3785. Will have a quick rummage.

[edit] Sorry. Didn't find anything close enough to be interesting.
Click to expand...

Thanks for looking anyway :) The irony is that I used a 10.1.4 disc for the original 15in iMac with a GF2MX to set up Puma - that's as close as I get in terms of 10.1 discs.
[doublepost=1552828140][/doublepost]
z970mp said:
I would buy it if I had disposable funds. I'd love helping out in the name of historical archival.

I'm very sorry.
Click to expand...

What about you making an offer (for, say, $10 first and gradually working up to $15 max) and if the seller accepts, me sending you the funds via PayPal before you pass them on to the seller?
 
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