2006/2007 Mac Pro (1,1/2,1) and OS X El Capitan

[mani girafe]

---------------
Did the safari update worked? I hid all the updates in order o prevent an accidental problem.

SAFARI works well after its update. But frankly, I use FIREFOX every day.

 

[kcarney81]

So lets just say someone happened to install this update and doesn't have access to another Mac OS install, just Windows 7. How would that person fix the reboot loop issue?

So far I've extracted the kernel, downloaded paragon hfs+ and copied the kernel in place. Booted into recovery and ran the touch command. Still reboot loop

 

[-texan-]

I thought it was just to replace the boot.efi as normal after security update, so after the boot loop I didn't know what to do so I just reinstall (without format the partition), replace the boot.efi after 10.11.6 update, installed the security update 2017-005 that I had download manually, replace the boot.efi and then all the other updates except the security update 2018-001 which I then hide in the update. Didn't loose any of my data or installed programs.

 

[Roland L]

Are the Security Updates supersets of one another, or following a reinstall should they be installed strictly sequentially (i.e. 2017-001, 002, 003, 004, 005, and maybe 2018-001) pls?

 

[HuntingPudel]

Like a few others, the kernel copy seems a bridge too far and it looks like I should start saving to replace my old Mac Pro 1,1 with a newer machine that isn't older than both of my children.

I share this because I wanted to offer a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has invested time and effort to create and share the tools needed to keep old Mac Pros running for this long.

Hear, hear! Thanks to everyone who has put so much work into extending the useful life of the 1,1. As for me, I have bought a flashed 4,1 and will likely use that for a few more years. Hoping to get a second generation new modular Mac Pro after the 5,1 forgery.

 

[SuperMatt]

Are the Security Updates supersets of one another, or following a reinstall should they be installed strictly sequentially (i.e. 2017-001, 002, 003, 004, 005, and maybe 2018-001) pls?

I installed them separately, and in order. I did not and will not install 2018-001 again. I'd rather have a system missing a few minor security improvements than one with a kernel that doesn't match the kernel extensions.

 

[-texan-]

I'm not sure, but I think you only have to install the 005 patch. I think the system had told you that you could not install 005 before you had done the 004 and so on. (OSX is not as MS Windows where you have to download so many patches and security updates that it take hourS to come back on the road).

 

[Iron Bridge]

So lets just say someone happened to install this update and doesn't have access to another Mac OS install, just Windows 7. How would that person fix the reboot loop issue?

So far I've extracted the kernel, downloaded paragon hfs+ and copied the kernel in place. Booted into recovery and ran the touch command. Still reboot loop

My advice is not to hack the kernel. Only Install security updates up to 2017-005. To fix your Mac there are two easy options re-run a pikified El Capitan installer either from 10.7 boot disk as per piked version 14 no usb or create a usb installer and boot and re-install selecting your bootlooped drive as the target. A re-install to an exsisting El Capitan install will keep all you data and users and have you back in 30 mins. If you can’t do those things you can buy a pre-made piked usb stick on eBay https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/222821386739

Having a piked usb stick installer on hand is a life safer as it’s quick doesn’t need another machine or 10.7 boot disk and keeps all your current data/settings and previous updates. You need a boot supported gpu for usb boot. If not then rerunning the installer following piked version 14 no usb from a 10.7 boot drive is equally effective again select your broken boot looped as target for install. The kernel hacks seem a step too far to my mind and may create future issues. Just avoid 2018-001 altogether. 2 of the security updates in this are not for el cap and the other 2 are Kernel updates your xeon cpus don’t need.

Turn off automatic updates and install app updates and known security updates that work (up to 2017-005). Check back here for any future security updates that appear in App Store.

Simple, clean, no terminal hacks all works great again Why users are wiping drives clean and / or hacking kernels is concerning for me. Apple always allowed you to rerun an install keeping your user data in tact unless you select a clean install in the installer menu. It will keep all your apps / settings and updates until just before your bootlooped failure then you will see 2018-001 pop back up in the App Store. Hide it and forget it. My 10 cents✌️

 

[nebojsak]

In addition, having proper Time Machine or other backups would be handy.

 

[Iron Bridge]

In addition, having proper Time Machine or other backups would be handy.

Yep important discipline for sure albeit I assumed from the question a backup didnt exsist for that user. I’ve recovered from both a time machine backup and a reinstall (bootlooped my two 1.1) and reinstall was much quicker for me as you only copy back system files and not large Gb of user data too. 3 hours vs 30mins so a time saver. Any normal recovery (backup/reinstall) method is better to my mind than the kernel hacks.

 

[nebojsak]

Don't know, recovering from Time Machine backup took me under one hour.

 

[Iron Bridge]

Don't know, recovering from Time Machine backup took me under one hour.

Good for you. My 800gb would have taken longer and you wipe your primary drive during backup restore effectively single instancing leaving you open to backup drive failure. I rest my case.

 

[nebojsak]

It's ok, my point was just to emphasize the importance of having decent backups, among other solutions.

 

[joeberk]

I forgot where I read about it (and this is probably old hat to everyone here) but keeping my user directory and Lion/El Cap installs on separate drives has worked really well for me. Worst case, if I screw up my El Cap drive, I can get access to my user data from the Lion drive...

Multiple drives in a Mac is the one thing I’ll miss the most when I replace my Mac Pro eventually.

 

[falcon70]

I screwed my MacPro1,1 yesterday. No system backup so far.

Now I want install El Captain on a new internal hard disk and then use the migration assistant to get the recent user data from my screwed El Captain installation.
Pikify 3.1 V14 write the install data to the new disk, but after the reboot the installer don't start. Instead the Mac starts again from my Maverick-Disk. Does anybody have a clue. Thanks.

 

[leoiv]

For those needing the last safe El Capitan combo update (10.11.6 - Jul 18, 2016 - File Size: 1.5 GB), after a reinstall:
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1885?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[dude99]

So I'm running 10.11.6 but I seem to be stuck on safari 9???? No updates show in the app store (I have hidden the broken update). As far as I can tell I should be able to run the latest version... any ideas???

 

[rthpjm]

So I'm running 10.11.6 but I seem to be stuck on safari 9???? No updates show in the app store (I have hidden the broken update). As far as I can tell I should be able to run the latest version... any ideas???

The update to safari 11 showed in the App Store for me after the upgrade to Security Update 2017-005...

 

[dude99]

is that included in the above combo update?

 

[rthpjm]

is that included in the above combo update?

No. It arrived after 10.11.6

 

[dude99]

Ahhh!!! Thank you!
[doublepost=1517777329][/doublepost]Ok, installed updates 001-005 and still no safari update in the app store
[doublepost=1517778632][/doublepost]Ok, classic case of PEBKAC.. got it now.... just wondering though, does 2017-005 contain 001-004 as well?

 

[Rockdeveloper]

Something strange happened here.
My Mac Pro 1,1 had enabled auto update so I got the 2018-001 security installed and got screwed in the loop boot.

Luckily, I still have my 2007 Macbook Pro running, so I connected the MP in Target Disk mode do the MBP. From there I started the new El Capitan installation on the MP SSD drive without erasing the drive. The installation took almost an hour and when rebooted, before I was aware, the 2018-001 was once again downloaded (because of the auto update settings I had on the MP) and was asking for the reboot to apply the changes.
My first thought was, oh no, I need to reinstall El Capitan one more time...but before rebooting, I right clicked on the 2018-001 update and selected Hide This update and then rebooted. While still in the target disk mode, I replaced the Boot.efi files. I disconected the MBP and booted the Mac Pro alone and it worked.

The strange thing is, when I go to my Mac Pro's system installations, the 2018-001 update is there like it was installed.

 

[F1Mac]

Something strange happened here.
My Mac Pro 1,1 had enabled auto update so I got the 2018-001 security installed and got screwed in the loop boot.

Luckily, I still have my 2007 Macbook Pro running, so I connected the MP in Target Disk mode do the MBP. From there I started the new El Capitan installation on the MP SSD drive without erasing the drive. The installation took almost an hour and when rebooted, before I was aware, the 2018-001 was once again downloaded (because of the auto update settings I had on the MP) and was asking for the reboot to apply the changes.
My first thought was, oh no, I need to reinstall El Capitan one more time...but before rebooting, I right clicked on the 2018-001 update and selected Hide This update and then rebooted. While still in the target disk mode, I replaced the Boot.efi files. I disconected the MBP and booted the Mac Pro alone and it worked.

The strange thing is, when I go to my Mac Pro's system installations, the 2018-001 update is there like it was installed.

It’s not strange, you did install it the first time. The App Store keeps track of that.

 

[Inspector42]

I am still keen on understanding why the kernel of the 2018-001 security update does not work. However there is no retrievable log-data anywhere to find (syslogd is obviously not loaded at the time of crash and the kernel ring buffer gets flushed on the following regular boot). Using verbose mode also does not give much further hints.
The last line I can spot on the screen-recording I did with my iPhone says "AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement Enable", but the process causing the reboot may be already the next in-line during the boot-sequence.
The Power Management capabilities of the Xeon 5355 are rather limited and there is no entry in X86PlatformPlugin for either of the early MacPro models. The entries in ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin are all dated from 2016, so no recent change there.
BTW: it does not matter if you install with pikify or through a compatible mac in target disk mode. Safe Boot does also fail at the same spot - without the latest kernel compiled with debug options activated, this seems to be the end or my options.
The only hint I got is that the latest boot.efi from pikeralpha included a fake report of the Mac model (MacPro3,1) to facilitate download of updates through the app-store. I have not figured out where else that may be used and hence could create the re-boot issue and I don´t have a setup allowing me to re-compile the boot.efi without that feature.
Intel´s latest publication regarding upcoming microcode updates also contains the last generation of C2D based processors - don´t know if that is an indication that our machines may also be affected after all.
https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/02/microcode-update-guidance.pdf

 

[hatrack71]

I am still keen on understanding why the kernel of the 2018-001 security update does not work. However there is no retrievable log-data anywhere to find (syslogd is obviously not loaded at the time of crash and the kernel ring buffer gets flushed on the following regular boot). Using verbose mode also does not give much further hints.
The last line I can spot on the screen-recording I did with my iPhone says "AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement Enable", but the process causing the reboot may be already the next in-line during the boot-sequence.
The Power Management capabilities of the Xeon 5355 are rather limited and there is no entry in X86PlatformPlugin for either of the early MacPro models. The entries in ACPI_SMC_PlatformPlugin are all dated from 2016, so no recent change there.
BTW: it does not matter if you install with pikify or through a compatible mac in target disk mode. Safe Boot does also fail at the same spot - without the latest kernel compiled with debug options activated, this seems to be the end or my options.
The only hint I got is that the latest boot.efi from pikeralpha included a fake report of the Mac model (MacPro3,1) to facilitate download of updates through the app-store. I have not figured out where else that may be used and hence could create the re-boot issue and I don´t have a setup allowing me to re-compile the boot.efi without that feature.
Intel´s latest publication regarding upcoming microcode updates also contains the last generation of C2D based processors - don´t know if that is an indication that our machines may also be affected after all.
https://newsroom.intel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2018/02/microcode-update-guidance.pdf

I think our 1,1/2,1 machines will no longer be able to update OS X 10.11.6 ever again. That's no good for security. I have installed Ubuntu 14.04.5 mac iso and upgraded to 16.04 lts. Updates fine so far. I know Ubuntu is not an Apple OS product, but it's a close cousin and it stays up to date. Been a sad month for the Mac Pro 1,1 and os x. :^( Just wanted to let others know the box is not completely obsolete yet. Ubuntu seems stable. Windows seems stable. Apple just goes too far with their unsupported Mac "thing" in my opinion. This Mac Pro has required more dinking around than any other machine I've ever owned just to stay up to date in OS X. They cost a fortune when new but had a short official Apple OS support life. Thanks to you guys.. the patches gave it the life of an otherwise normal machine (anything else LOL). But I'm finally over having to absolutely have OS X on this Apple. Thanks for all the efforts here on Macrumors!!