Hi, I'm fairly new to the world of PowerPC macs, and I have recently picked up a B+W Powermac G3 tower, and after a bit of fiddling with an unhappy PCI card, the machine now boots to the OS 9.2 install on the internal hard disk. However, I want to get to the boot picker to install Linux on the machine. I have tried holding the Alt key on my generic USB keyboard at startup, and no bootpicker. Win+Alt+O+F won't get the machine into Open Firmware, and holding C won't make it boot from CD. The machine just resumes booting to the initial blinking question mark folder then into Os 9. Is there something I'm doing wrong (there likely is), or is there another issue with the machine?
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B+W Powermac G3 Wont go to Open Firmware or Bootpicker
- Thread starter ZedUsesLinux
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There was another user with this question a while back. Different model Mac. The answer was to use an actual Apple Mac keyboard. Any Mac USB keyboard produced in the early to mid-00s should do. Less than $20 on eBay for many of them.
Thanks, this worked for me. I had an Apple aluminum keyboard laying around and after plugging it into a usb port on the machine it now boots into Open Firmware when I hold the key combo.
Edit: I seem to have spoken a bit too soon. The machine will boot into Open Firmware, however trying to access the bootpicker still doesnt work. Holding option at startup has no results, and multi-boot in Open Firmware causes the machine to output "Please Wait" and then nothing will happen. Holding C also does not seem to work, however I'm not 100% sure that I am using a bootable CD.
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Try resetting PRAM. CMD+OPTN+P+R at boot. Keep holding until the Mac has chimed at least three times and then let go.
3 chimes later and the machine still outputs "Please wait" after running "multi-boot". Holding option at startup still causes the machine to resume normally booting. I've also noticed that the command invert-screen has the wrong color, and only inverts part of the screen, though this probably isnt significant.
The B&W does not have a boot picker, which is why it isn’t working.
However, if you boot to open firmware there is a “prototype” boot picker. I think “multiboot” or “multi-boot” is the command.
However, if you boot to open firmware there is a “prototype” boot picker. I think “multiboot” or “multi-boot” is the command.
As stated in an earlier reply in this thread, multi-boot causes the machine to hang after printing "Please wait." This is a revision 1 Powermac G3 B+W, (According to Wikipedia, the Revision 1 machines have a model PCI646U2 CMD chip, which matches what is on this machine's motherboard.) maybe its an undocumented difference between the rev 1 and rev 2 models? At this point I'm just guessing though.
I didn’t see where you typed that command, my bad I was half asleep after my 12 hour shift.
Nonetheless, holding option while booting a B&W will do nothing because it doesn’t have the boot picker. B&Ws have one foot in oldworld and one in newworld. Much like the lombard PowerBook and Bondi iMac.
As far as multi-boot not working, it is experimental in the first place and is far from perfect. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn’t. B&W PowerMacs are also one of the most temperamental macs ever, and probably the last machine I’d try to install Linux on. I suppose if you want a challenge...
Is the computer able to boot a Mac OS CD? You said it boots from the HDD. If it boots a Mac OS CD rather that be OS 9 or X, chances are it doesn’t like the Linux CD you’re trying to boot.
The rev 1 B/Ws have lots of impressive tricks to play on you once up and "running". For no reason whatsoever, they are inclined to sulk and refuse to boot altogether and can sit happily dumb for hours at a time until they deign to start up. Just because. Don't even waste your time trying to troubleshoot the problem.
The highly strung IDE controller can barely tolerate the presence of the solitary hard disk that may occupy it, let alone trying to master/slave two drives onto it. Mine came with an Adaptec 2940UW and a SCSI boot drive. I suppose the previous owner and the IDE bus were no longer on speaking terms by then.
I believe the B/W was the item on which the phrase "bag of hurt" cut its teeth.
There is a small OF wiki in this forum. It may help with messing around with OF commands to boot a Linux CD. Just bear in mind that the B/W will not boot from USB or FW as their implementation in this model was rudimentary and incomplete.
forums.macrumors.com
The highly strung IDE controller can barely tolerate the presence of the solitary hard disk that may occupy it, let alone trying to master/slave two drives onto it. Mine came with an Adaptec 2940UW and a SCSI boot drive. I suppose the previous owner and the IDE bus were no longer on speaking terms by then.
I believe the B/W was the item on which the phrase "bag of hurt" cut its teeth.
There is a small OF wiki in this forum. It may help with messing around with OF commands to boot a Linux CD. Just bear in mind that the B/W will not boot from USB or FW as their implementation in this model was rudimentary and incomplete.
The Open Firmware Wiki
Figured I'd start another public resource initiative to encourage greater fluency with the underpinnings of a PowerPC computer, so that there isn't so much struggle and confusion just to boot an operating system (namely USB disks), check attached devices and resources, or perhaps even run system...
forums.macrumors.com
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@weckart As a B&W owner myself, I agree 100%. Give me a Sawtooth any day...
The wiki is about 80% complete. All that's left is to include one or two more tricks and utilities, several additional hardware navigation / information tips, and a pre-2005 USB boot guide. Unless of course anyone wants to preemptively put those in themselves...
The wiki is about 80% complete. All that's left is to include one or two more tricks and utilities, several additional hardware navigation / information tips, and a pre-2005 USB boot guide. Unless of course anyone wants to preemptively put those in themselves...
Yes. Even my Rev 3 B&W is finicky. I use an ATA133 Card with it and it works pretty much perfect now. Mostly.The rev 1 B/Ws have lots of impressive tricks to play on you once up and "running". For no reason whatsoever, they are inclined to sulk and refuse to boot altogether and can sit happily dumb for hours at a time until they deign to start up. Just because. Don't even waste your time trying to troubleshoot the problem.
The highly strung IDE controller can barely tolerate the presence of the solitary hard disk that may occupy it, let alone trying to master/slave two drives onto it. Mine came with an Adaptec 2940UW and a SCSI boot drive. I suppose the previous owner and the IDE bus were no longer on speaking terms by then.
I believe the B/W was the item on which the phrase "bag of hurt" cut its teeth.
There is a small OF wiki in this forum. It may help with messing around with OF commands to boot a Linux CD. Just bear in mind that the B/W will not boot from USB or FW as their implementation in this model was rudimentary and incomplete.
The Open Firmware Wiki
Figured I'd start another public resource initiative to encourage greater fluency with the underpinnings of a PowerPC computer, so that there isn't so much struggle and confusion just to boot an operating system (namely USB disks), check attached devices and resources, or perhaps even run system...
Yes, I LOVE my sawtooth. Used it for quite a while. The only reason I stopped was because I transfered everything to a Mystic when I found one. Just to free up the PCI slot that was in use by the GigE NIC. Graphite G4s are pretty much bullet proof, save for the Yikes! and the DA.