Target disk mode & Lion questions

[nrajack]

Have a MacPro with Lion pre-installed on it. Also have a mid 2010 Mac Mini with SL 10.6.7. Looking to purchase ProTools 10 HD Native which comes with a pcie interface card. The card as it comes from Avid has firmware version 1.00. ProTools when it installs wants to update the card's firmware to 1.03. The problem is that the update won't happen on Lion; must be 10.6.7. This is an issue that Avid knows about. What I'd like to do is to hook the two Mac together via FW and boot into target mode on the MacPro.

From what I've read of target disk mode only relates to seeing the machine as a fw drive. Nothing mentioned of anything in the pcie slots being accessible in this mode.

I just want to be sure of what I'm doing so I don't screw up two working Macs. I've never done target mode. To sum up - I need to boot the MacPro (which has Lion pre-installed) in SL so I can update the firmware on the Avid interface card. If I'm offbase in my thinking please correct me.

 

[Loa]

Hello,

I don't think that Firewire target mode will help you, but you risk nothing by trying it.

If you can get your hands on a 10.6.x system disk (DVD or hard drive), you could boot your MP in Snow Leopard and make the firmware update.

If you think you're up to it, you could even remove the drive from your mini, put it in your Mac Pro (or a usb external enclosure) and boot your Mac Pro with it just to make this update.

Loa

P.S. I assume you made sure that the PCIe card is itself compatible with Lion, once updated to 1.03?

 

[steveOooo]

I'm not sure if you can do that.

I recently reformatted a new mp with lion preinstalled to 10.6.8 by connecting it to my Mbp and using 'restore' or something. - thnk I wiped the mo drive and reformat - you could just clone you mp boot drive (or back up important. Suff) and install 10.6.7 on it and forget about lion

 

[nrajack]

Hello,

I don't think that Firewire target mode will help you, but you risk nothing by trying it.

If you can get your hands on a 10.6.x system disk (DVD or hard drive), you could boot your MP in Snow Leopard and make the firmware update.

If you think you're up to it, you could even remove the drive from your mini, put it in your Mac Pro (or a usb external enclosure) and boot your Mac Pro with it just to make this update.

Loa

P.S. I assume you made sure that the PCIe card is itself compatible with Lion, once updated to 1.03?

Last question first: yes the pcie card is Lion compatible.

No way am I going to take the drive out of the Mini. Why screw up a perfectly working machine?

The reason I talk about going firewire target mode is because I've read far too many things where people tried to reformat a Lion pre-installed hard drive to install & use SL or use another drive with SL on it and it doesn't work. Was hoping target mode would get around the efi changes Apple made with the Lion pre-installed Macs.

 

[Loa]

Hello,

2010 Mac Pros can boot using 10.6.4 or later, but not with 10.6.0 to 10.6.3. It's a simple fact that this was the OS that came with them at original launch.

Using your Mac mini's hard drive will not ruin it... As long as it runs 10.6.4 or later, you simply have to remove the drive, use it in the MP, then put it back in. In any case, don't you have back-ups if things get messy?

Finally, I can't find any info that suggests that PCIe cards are accessible through FWTM. Let us know if it works.

Loa

 

[nrajack]

Hello,

2010 Mac Pros can boot using 10.6.4 or later, but not with 10.6.0 to 10.6.3. It's a simple fact that this was the OS that came with them at original launch.

Using your Mac mini's hard drive will not ruin it... As long as it runs 10.6.4 or later, you simply have to remove the drive, use it in the MP, then put it back in. In any case, don't you have back-ups if things get messy?

Finally, I can't find any info that suggests that PCIe cards are accessible through FWTM. Let us know if it works.

Loa

I know 2010 MacPros can boot in 10.6.4 but NOT if they have Lion pre-installed from Apple. Remember that Apple messed with the efi in Lion Macs such that you can't, at least on the internal drive, use SL. That's why I asked about target mode.

Like I said I don't want to take the chance of taking out my Mini's HD and using it in the MacPro and possibly screwing up a working machine. Anyways working on a Mini like that ain't the easiest thing in the world, certainly not like a MacPro.

 

[saulinpa]

I think you may have it reversed. Why not boot the mini in Target Disk Mode and then boot your Mac Pro off of it? Holding down the option key should see the 10.6 just fine. You would then have full access to the Pro's resources.

 

[Loa]

Hello,

Why not boot the mini in Target Disk Mode and then boot your [Mac Pro] off of it?

Good idea, should work.

I know 2010 MacPros can boot in 10.6.4 but NOT if they have Lion pre-installed from Apple.

Never heard of anything like this, and know of a couple of guys who bought a 2010 with Lion and reverted to 10.6.8 as they hate Lion.

Loa

 

[nrajack]

Hello,



Good idea, should work.



Never heard of anything like this, and know of a couple of guys who bought a 2010 with Lion and reverted to 10.6.8 as they hate Lion.

Loa

They reverted to 10.6.8 on the MacPro that had Lion pre-installed on it's internal drive? That's impossible - I know several people that have tried it and it doesn't work. If that MacPro had SL before - sure it's possible to revert back to SL from Lion.

 

[initialsBB]

They reverted to 10.6.8 on the MacPro that had Lion pre-installed on it's internal drive? That's impossible - I know several people that have tried it and it doesn't work. If that MacPro had SL before - sure it's possible to revert back to SL from Lion.

Did they format the drive before trying to reinstall Snow Leopard ? I doubt the installer will let you do this if Lion is already installed, but if the drive has been wiped beforehand then I don't see why it wouldn't work unless the machine specifically needs drivers only delivered with Lion.

 

[nrajack]

Did they format the drive before trying to reinstall Snow Leopard ? I doubt the installer will let you do this if Lion is already installed, but if the drive has been wiped beforehand then I don't see why it wouldn't work unless the machine specifically needs drivers only delivered with Lion.

Yup - reformatted the drive and all. Even tried with a new drive. No go on SL. Apple really screwed the pooch on this one.

 

[steveOooo]

They reverted to 10.6.8 on the MacPro that had Lion pre-installed on it's internal drive? That's impossible - I know several people that have tried it and it doesn't work. If that MacPro had SL before - sure it's possible to revert back to SL from Lion.

As stated in my previous post, I connected my MacBook pro (10.6.5) to my new mp (which after upgrading to 10.7.2, decided to go back to 10.6.8) and went into TDM and just erased / restored the mp drive and chose 'restore from time machine backup' then upgraded to 10.6.8

It's possible and pretty easy to do- the only neg is it states 'my name's MacBook pro' though I can live with that!

 

[Loa]

Hello,

I really don't know why you can't revert to 10.6.8. Many ppl have done it, including steveOooo which bought his with Lion pre-installed: it's just a matter of reformatting the drive (to remove the hidden recovery partition) and re-installing a 10.6.4+ OS. Of course, if you or your friends tried to do it with original 10.6 disks, it won't work. You need a 10.6.8 drive or a more recent 10.6 install disk.

It's possible and pretty easy to do- the only neg is it states 'my name's MacBook pro' though I can live with that!

You can change that in the System Preferences -> Sharing options.

Loa