MP 1,1-5,1 Upgrading recommendations

[wmorrison1967]

Hello Everyone,
I am relatively new the mac and my question may have been answered before. I am mojave (10.14.6) with firmware 144.0.0.0 using a non-flashed Xfx RX 580 GPU. Read quite a bit about OCLP but got confused with the versioning. I have 1.3.0 installed. I have attached the system report. This what I would like to do:
1. Flash the GPU so that I can see the boot screen
2. Create a bootable flash drive of my Mojave (for emergency purposes)
3. Upgrade the MacOS to Monterey(minimum)
4. Upgrade the CPU to ????

Regards,
Wil

 

[tsialex]

1. Flash the GPU so that I can see the boot screen

EnableGop injection is the way to go nowadays.

Pre-OpenCore GOP support for EFI-era iMacs and Mac Pros

You wait ten years for a driver to enable pre-boot graphics on unsupported GPUs in EFI era Macs, and then two come along at once... This post is to announce a firmware driver to enable the native Apple boot picker and early macOS boot progress bar (plus other parts of the firmware UI: target...

forums.macrumors.com

If injecting the EFI module to the GPU firmware or the Mac Pro BootROM is too much for you, the BootROM reconstruction service already does that and solves a lot of other issues, like the adverse effects of cross-flashing an early-2009 Mac Pro to MP5,1 firmware that brick the Mac Pro overtime. No brainer with your early-2009.

2. Create a bootable flash drive of my Mojave (for emergency purposes)

Easy, just download the Mojave installer and use createinstallmedia:

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

You can use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume as a startup disk from which to install the Mac operating system. These steps are primarily for system administrators and other experienced users who are familiar with entering commands in Terminal.

support.apple.com

3. Upgrade the MacOS to Monterey(minimum)

This is the reference thread for OCLP + Monterey:

macOS 12 Monterey on Unsupported Macs Thread

This thread will be dedicated to the discussion of running macOS 12.0 on unsupported Macs At the time of writing, WWDC has wrapped up and Developer Seeds have been sent out. We're eagerly awaiting for all our community developers and enthusiasts to test out the new version of macOS We will...

forums.macrumors.com

4. Upgrade the CPU to ????

None. You already have a pair of the most powerful processor that you can install to a MacPro5,1, X5690.

 

[wmorrison1967]

Thanks you so much....

 

[wmorrison1967]

After doing a bit of reading, should I build and install OpenCore (from patcher 1.3.0 App) for my system with the AMD GOP Injection selected? I am trying to be careful so that I dont brick my device.

 

[tsialex]

After doing a bit of reading, should I build and install OpenCore (from patcher 1.3.0 App) for my system with the AMD GOP Injection selected? I am trying to be careful so that I dont brick my device.

Without first checking if your cross-flashed early-2009 BootROM is in good shape? Very risky move. Even more so one made so early on (from the SSN, build date of this Mac Pro is around 10th week of 2009).

If your NVRAM is full or have a header corrupted already, the sudden inrush of new entries necessary to stage the install will probably make your Mac Pro a brick.

 

[wmorrison1967]

So if I have the space available for a dual CPU system like mine it should be fine? Nice article by the way...really comprehensive. Learned a lot.

 

[tsialex]

So if I have the space available for a dual CPU system like mine it should be fine? Nice article by the way...really comprehensive. Learned a lot.

For a real mid-2010/mid-2012, probably yes. For a cross-flashed early-2009 like yours, no - the cross-flashing mess needs to be repaired.

 

[wmorrison1967]

Thanks for the heads up...I saw this on the tube...

. Should I be taking this approach instead to do the repair?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the heads up...I saw this on the tube...

. Should I be taking this approach instead?

Injecting EnableGop to the Mac Pro BootROM won't change the mess that a cross-flashed BootROM is, you are just adding one more module to the mess.

 

[wmorrison1967]

I hear you load and clear. So your first post recommendation is the way to go? Upon reading the readme.md file in the link from the post, there are 2 options. Either install to the firmware or vBIOS insert.

 

[tsialex]

I hear you load and clear. So your first post recommendation is the way to go?

My recommendation is always repair the cross-flashing mess first and stat with a clean sheet. If you don't do it, the repair will be much more expensive and time consuming after the inevitable failure.

Another thing to take in account, Apple didn't design the NVRAM back in 2008 for a 14+ years lifespan, nor the MP5,1 EFI is prepared to work reliably when the NVRAM is a MP4,1 one (very different design, early 2009 have only one VSS store + a FTW store versus two VSS stores and no FTW for the mid-2010/mid-2012).

Upon reading the readme.md file in the link from the post, there are 2 options. Either install to the firmware or vBIOS insert.

You can do whatever is easier to you. Btw, I've wrote this from the start:

If injecting the EFI module to the GPU firmware or the Mac Pro BootROM is too much for you, the BootROM reconstruction service already does that and solves a lot of other issues, like the adverse effects of cross-flashing an early-2009 Mac Pro to MP5,1 firmware that brick the Mac Pro overtime. No brainer with your early-2009.

The less intrusive way to do it is via BootROM reconstruction, I always generate three images, the standard/stock one and two additional never booted reconstructed BootROM images with EnableGop and EnableGopDirect EFI modules for pre-boot configuration with UEFI PC GPUs.

Btw, EnableGop only works with GPUs that have a working GraphicsOutputProtocol, mining firmwares or any other firmware modifications invalidate the GOP signing, so, it's a requirement that the GPU have the factory firmware installed.

 

[wmorrison1967]

I would like to do the repair based on what will inevitably is going to happen. But I am so confused on how to go about it. I thought the youtube link I sent was doing that but it seems not. So I should just follow the readme file and execute the first option?

The less intrusive way to do it is via BootROM reconstruction, I always generate three images, the standard/stock one and two additional never booted reconstructed BootROM images with EnableGop and EnableGopDirect EFI modules for pre-boot configuration with UEFI PC GPUs.

I am assuming that the first option is the repair procedure, how do I generate a standard/stock images?

 

[tsialex]

I would like to do the repair based on what will inevitably is going to happen. But I am so confused on how to go about it. I thought the youtube link I sent was doing that but it seems not. So I should just follow the readme file and execute the first option?

If you are asking about the injection of the EnableGOP EFI module to your BootROM or to the GPU firmware, yes, the EnableGop thread and the readme have all the steps required to do it.

I am assuming that the first option is the repair procedure, how do I generate a standard/stock images?

This ship sailed the moment this Mac Pro was first powered on, now you have a 14 years old Mac Pro with all the cruft and mess from the cross-flashing and dozens of EFI firmware upgrades over the years.

The best dumped image that you can get is obtainable by doing this procedure:

• Get a spare disk to make a minimal Mavericks install, install only Mavericks to disk disk, do not connect to iCloud or use Wi-Fi with this install. Also download ROMTool to it beforehand.
• Power off, disconnect the PSU cable from the mains.
• Open the Mac Pro and remove all disks except the Mavericks one,
• Remove all PCIe cards but the GPU,
• Disconnect everything from the USB/FireWire ports but the mouse/keyboard,
• Remove all DIMMs from the CPU tray but one.
• Power on to a deep NVRAM reset and then immediately after resetting the NVRAM, boot the Mavericks disk and dump the BootROM with ROMTool.

The dumped image is the best you can get. Cross-flashing issues are still present, but the minimal config above will provide the best possible space available inside the primary VSS store and probably a empty secondary VSS store. This is as "clean" as you can get by yourself.

I'll send you a PM about the BootROM reconstruction service.

 

[wmorrison1967]

Check your DM. Just confirming that I understand, once I get your images, I dont need to execute the 7 bullet points.

 

[tsialex]

Check your DM. Just confirming that I understand, once I get your images, I dont need to execute the 7 bullet points.

Ok. No, for the reconstruction process you just need to send the dump, the SysInfo report and the MLB/ESN pictures.