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Help, can't figure something out

lenberman said:
Macflint,
Can I create the bootable USB for Linux on a Windows 10 computer?
Len
Click to expand...
Yes - From what you have said, you are not dealing with a firmware password (dunno how that came up) - because you said you can go to web sites etc. (in fact, I don't think iMacs that old even had support for firmware passwords).

Just create a bootable USB stick on another computer and follow the many instructions on the web.
 
Can I create the bootable USB on a Windows 10 computer? Thank you, I appreciate your help dealing with this issue.
 
Macflint,
I found some of the previous owner's files and I want to put them on a USB drive to give her before I go any further with the conversion to Linux. I selected her files and right clicked to "Copy 120 Items". Then I opened my USB passport drive and right clicked (with and without Option, even tried command) and I can't find a way to paste the files, or even drag the files. There is a "NO" white circle with a slash not allowing me to paste. Can you offer a suggestion?
 
If your external USB drive is formatted for Windows --- NTFS --- then that would explain your difficulty.
OS X cannot write to, or modify NTFS volumes natively.

If you have a thumb drive that might be formatted Fat32, then you could use that drive for those files. OS X can copy files to a drive formatted as FAT32.
 
Got it, I'm copying files right now. Being a Windows guy, who as mostly heard that Macs are about the same as Windows, I'm finding everything I'm doing on a Mac to be non-intuitive. So I really appreciate this forum and the help of people like you.
Len
 
lenberman said:
Got it, I'm copying files right now. Being a Windows guy, who as mostly heard that Macs are about the same as Windows, I'm finding everything I'm doing on a Mac to be non-intuitive. So I really appreciate this forum and the help of people like you.
Len
Click to expand...

Glad you're making progress.
 
It's all about what you are used to using (and some muscle-memory, too!)
I use Windows rarely, and find a lot of file functions on Windows to be bass-ackwards, too.
Maybe it is just me :D
 
DeltaMac said:
It's all about what you are used to using (and some muscle-memory, too!)
I use Windows rarely, and find a lot of file functions on Windows to be bass-ackwards, too.
Maybe it is just me :D
Click to expand...

Yep, it's all what you're used to.

I use both OS X and Windows. Both frustrate me at different times. Some things are so easily accomplished in Windows, and seem to be near impossible or overly complicated in OS X. But, likewise, there are times when something is easily accomplished in OS X, and I can't find a simple way to perform the task in Windows.

Typically, if the operation I'm trying to perform can be done with the other operating system, I'll switch to the OS that gets that task done with less work (sometimes it's Windows, sometimes it's OS X).

Neither is better or worse for home users. Just different.

Like chop sticks or a fork. Both work. Just depends on what you are accustomed to. For me, I'll stick with a fork. But, that doesn't mean chop sticks are bad, I can see how they could be much more efficient, I just lack the coordination to operate them. But, at the same time, I can see how forks are awkward for many types of food. Though neither is much use for soup. Lol.
 
OK, I got the files from the Mac to my flash drive. Now I need to remove the firmware password so I can install Linux. The instructions I got were to restart holding down Command+R, I did that and held them down, but it did not open in Recovery mode, it just opened as usual.
Len
San Diego, CA
 
Your iMac does not have recovery mode for a couple of reasons:
You are running OS X 10.6.8, which does not provide a recovery partition
And, you have an iMac9,1 (2009 model), which is too old for Internet recovery, the other mode that might be nice to use --- if you had it.

The good news is - you don't need the instructions that YOU found.
Look back at post #20, which I posted here with the steps that you need to follow to reset the firmware password. That will disable that firmware function, and you will then be able to boot to your Linux installer.
 
lenberman said:
OK, I got the files from the Mac to my flash drive. Now I need to remove the firmware password so I can install Linux. The instructions I got were to restart holding down Command+R, I did that and held them down, but it did not open in Recovery mode, it just opened as usual.
Len
San Diego, CA
Click to expand...

If you're just installing Linux, I'd just boot from the Linux installation disc or USB drive, and format the iMacs hard drive and start clean. I wouldn't even worry about the password. It'll be gone after you format the hard drive.
[doublepost=1499288540][/doublepost]
DeltaMac said:
Your iMac does not have recovery mode for a couple of reasons:
You are running OS X 10.6.8, which does not provide a recovery partition
And, you have an iMac9,1 (2009 model), which is too old for Internet recovery, the other mode that might be nice to use --- if you had it.

The good news is - you don't need the instructions that YOU found.
Look back at post #20, which I posted here with the steps that you need to follow to reset the firmware password. That will disable that firmware function, and you will then be able to boot to your Linux installer.
Click to expand...

If he was able to boot to copy files, it shouldn't be a firmware password that he's dealing with.
 
Almost correct.
The firmware password is not on the hard drive.
It WILL block booting to any other boot drive --- which apparently is the OPs problem now.
OP can't boot to the Linux installer if the firmware password is lost.
Again, the reset info is in post #20. The OP has to change the memory configuration. That's how you can disable the firmware password on older iMacs.
[doublepost=1499289071][/doublepost]
flyinmac said:
If you're just installing Linux, I'd just boot from the Linux installation disc or USB drive, and format the iMacs hard drive and start clean. I wouldn't even worry about the password. It'll be gone after you format the hard drive.
...
If he was able to boot to copy files, it shouldn't be a firmware password that he's dealing with.
Click to expand...
Seems like the OP is booting to the original (OS X) system without any problems.
You don't need the firmware password if you are booting to the internal (normal) boot drive --- only if you need to switch and boot to some other boot drive.
 
But my issue is that I can't get it to boot from anything except the HD. When I put the USB Linux installer in the Mac, then restart holding option, it only shows the Mac HD, even though I can see the USB in the finder.
 
DeltaMac said:
Almost correct.
The firmware password is not on the hard drive.
It WILL block booting to any other boot drive --- which apparently is the OPs problem now.
OP can't boot to the Linux installer if the firmware password is lost.
Again, the reset info is in post #20. The OP has to change the memory configuration. That's how you can disable the firmware password on older iMacs.
[doublepost=1499289071][/doublepost]
Seems like the OP is booting to the original (OS X) system without any problems.
You don't need the firmware password if you are booting to the internal (normal) boot drive --- only if you need to switch and boot to some other boot drive.
Click to expand...

Ok. I get it now. My memory was telling me that the last time I used a firmware password that it prevented booting from any source (including the internal drive). Maybe I had locked it down further than typical. This was back with the iMac G5 (first version), so it's been a while.

If the OP is unable to get the firmware password removed, an alternate workaround might be to either use target disk mode (if supported on their system) or place the internal drive into another computer (if up to disassembling the Mac). That would permit creating a small boot partition on the drive with the Linux installer.

Put the drive back into the Mac (if removal was necessary), then boot the Mac from the installer on its internal drive, and install to secondary partitions on the same drive.

But, ultimately, removing the firmware password would be preferable and perhaps simpler.
 
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