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HELP: Can't screen-share into MacPro anymore to change to NVIDIA driver

KLWN

KLWN

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 1, 2015
32
0
Hey guys,

so today I had this brilliant idea of upgrading my Mac 5.1 (equipped with non-flashed GTX980) Yosemite to Sierra 10.12.04. I thought, should be no problem, done that many times before, so I had some time today and went for it...

...because of the "no-boot-screen" issue with above mentioned GTX980 I usually unplug my SSD and boot into it by USB on my Macbook, I did that, deleted the SSD, installed Sierra, installed NVIDIA web drivers (10.12.4 (16E195) 367.15.10.45f01) set the correct boot attributes in terminal, even though they will not work as I will switch back to the MacPro, turned on screen-sharing to later change the standard graphics-driver from OS X to NVIDIA, said and done. Unplugged the SSD from Macbook, put it back into the MacPro, booted the MacPro and switched over to my Macbook again. The MacPro pops up, I can click to "screen-share" but after typing in my login account (yes, with admin rights) it keeps connecting and nothing happens.

So, then I took the SSD out again and booted into it by USB, but this time from my girlfriends Macbook Air, worked like a charm, I tried again to screen-share into it from my Macbook, this time it work flawlessly.

I don't know whats going on, theoretically it should work. Last time I did that and I was able to switch the standard-drivers to NVIDIA and the MacPro was running smoothly, but this time something is wrong.

Maybe some of you guys can help me out. And by the way, I have no original video-card to switch to, unfortunately.

ps. my second SSD with Windows 10 works just fine :/


cheers,
Alex
 
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I cringe whenever I see someone post that it is no big deal to not have boot screens. Boot screens are like seat belts. It is no big deal to not have them...right up until something bad happens.

Okay, so it sounds like it isn't completed booting, which is what I'd expect if the Nvidia drivers aren't set to load in the boot args. The boot args are held in NVRAM of the Mac Pro, so doing that on your MacBook is not useful as you noted. Maybe that got cleared or reset somehow in your Mac Pro.

I don't see how you can fix the NVRAM boot args on the Mac Pro without being able to boot up and without boot screens. Fortunately you have another Mac so as an alternative you can modify the boot plist to include the argument there.
 
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great idea - haven't thought about the boot plist! will change right now and inform you if it works :D
 
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Update:
after editing the plist file, i'm still unable to screen-share into it nor does the screen come up. I have made the following change to the com.apple.Boot.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Kernel Flags</key>
<string>nvda_drv=1</string>
</dict>
</plist>


Maybe my 5.1 (flashed 4.1) is not recognized as a "supported" machine?
 
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KLWN said:
Maybe my 5.1 (flashed 4.1) is not recognized as a "supported" machine?
Click to expand...

Many others are running Sierra on a flashed 4,1 so I don't think that is the reason.

I'm at a loss here. Without the boot screens we can't see what the problem is.

One other change from Yosemite to Sierra is that you now have SIP. I don't know how or if SIP affects things like the boot plist and/or NVRAM parameters. But SIP is easy enough to disable, so that's worth a shot even if it is a blind shot in the dark.
 
ActionableMango said:
But SIP is easy enough to disable
Click to expand...
But how do you want to access terminal without having a GUI?

Edit: I accessed it with CMD+R+S (Single User Recovery) and disabled the csrutil but it still does not work.

I also tried to screen-share into it with VNC-Viewer App, the screen is pitch black, im not sure if it really connected to it, because when connecting to it with my Macbook doesn't work at all.
 
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KLWN said:
But how do you want to access terminal without having a GUI?

Edit: I accessed it with CMD+R+S (Single User Recovery) and disabled the csrutil but it still does not work.

I also tried to screen-share into it with VNC-Viewer App, the screen is pitch black, im not sure if it really connected to it, because when connecting to it with my Macbook doesn't work at all.
Click to expand...

Did you try to screen share with no graphics card installed?

Not sure what the issue is, but that may allow you to set the NVRAM.

Missing the days when we had PowerMacs with Open Firmware, you could telnet in and set NVRAM variables.

Maybe a shell script to set NVRAM on boot?
 
removing the hardware itself from the MP? I can try but how would you set the NVRAM? I tried it with CMD+R+S and "csrutil disable" but that didn't seem to work.

My next attempt would be a new clean and patched Sierra install based on DosDudes tutorial. Really have the feeling that something blocks the hardware from being "accepted" in a way, I don't know.
 
KLWN said:
removing the hardware itself from the MP? I can try but how would you set the NVRAM? I tried it with CMD+R+S and "csrutil disable" but that didn't seem to work.

My next attempt would be a new clean and patched Sierra install based on DosDudes tutorial. Really have the feeling that something blocks the hardware from being "accepted" in a way, I don't know.
Click to expand...

You could try this shell script:

Code: 
#!/bin/sh

say please type your admin password

sudo nvram boot-args="nvda_drv=1"

in the terminal type nano nvidiadriver.sh and copy and paste that shell script into it then Ctrl+X and Y to save. Then chmod 755 nvidiadriver.sh. Right Click the nvidiadriver.sh and choose open with Terminal, and always open with, then goto system preferences and add it to your login items, and make sure automatic login is set for the users you set it as a login item for.

If you never hear you Mac say "Please type your admin password", your Mac Pro is never reaching the desktop.
 
Can you not connect the macbook to the Macpro in Target mode? That is the option I always use if I don't have a gpu that will work with the built in nVidia drivers.
 
G4DPII said:
Can you not connect the macbook to the Macpro in Target mode? That is the option I always use if I don't have a gpu that will work with the built in nVidia drivers.
Click to expand...
I think it works, but usually I get access to the files when I boot the SSD via USB to my Macbook, that should work too.

DearthnVader said:
You could try this shell script:
Click to expand...
I will try that, but I need to do this using my Macbbook and the SSD via USB connected to it. I will try right now
 
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KLWN said:
I will try that, but I need to do this using my Macbbook and the SSD via USB connected to it. I will try right now
Click to expand...

On the MacBook, logout and log back in to ensure the shell script is executing, before you plug the SSD back into the Mac Pro.

If you never hear you Mac Pro say "Please type your admin password", you're not reaching the desktop, and there is an issue, likely with your GTX980 and/or the Drivers. Ensure any aux power is properly connected to the card.

How did you install the Nvidia drivers on your MacBook, via the package installer?

Not to make you feel stupid, but incase you don't know, NVRAM in stored on the local Mac the command is run on, not the disk, also, I believe, CSRUtil sets NVRAM variables, so running the command on a MacBook will only disable SIP on the MacBook, not the Mac Pro when booted from the same disk, it's not stored on the disk. There shouldn't be any need to disable SIP, the nVidia Drivers are Code Signed.
 
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FWIW, I've always been able to remote desktop into my Mac Pro from another Mac after updating the version of OS X. Remote desktop or VNC as I keep both enabled on all my Macs. For some reason, when I updated from 10.12.2 to 10.12.4, I could not do that. Remote desktop would not connect (it would sit there trying to connect) and VNC just gave a black screen.

I could ping the target mac, so I know it was at least that far in the boot.

In the end, I stuck in an old GT 120 card to boot up, then ran the nvidia driver update. All is good.
 
I tried the shell script, and it worked on my Macbook but I heard no voice on the MacPro, tried it with and without headphones into 3.5 jack. :(

Don't worry, Iam aware that NVRAM is stored on hardware, I tried to get into Terminal on the MacPro by CMD+R+S and "blindly" run csrutil command.

Funny thing is, that the GT980 works just fine on my other Windows 10 partition on that exact MacPro.

@dmylrea thats exactly my issue, before it worked every single time, but now something is different. Unfortunately im not able get my hands on a GT120 or GT8800 and need to work with the machine in the next 1-2 days :(

I really can't believe it, there must be a tiny problem somewhere...
 
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There maybe a problem with Sierra and "nvda_drv=1", seems they changed the command to NvidiaWeb, I'm not sure how that works?

Could someone with working Web Drivers on a cMP please post the Terminal output from:

Code: 
nvram -p

and maybe

Code: 
kextstat | grep NVDA
 
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KLWN said:
strange thing is I don't even get to hear the voice from before mentioned shell script. The sound card should work I guess.
Click to expand...

If you are never reaching the desktop, blind, then you are never logged in, and the script can't run( it's a login item).

I can confirm that the Web Drivers are incompatible with my Quadro 600 in a Hackintoch, likely there is some compatibility with your GTX980, or the nvda_drv=1 command is not set in NVRAM, or no longer works with Serria( but this may only be a Hackintoch issue ).

I know it's a pain to keep switching the SSD back and forth between your MB and MP, but you could try to enable Remote Login from Sharing in System Preferences and see if you can SSH into your Mac Pro.

Terminal from your MB:

Code: 
ssh USERMANE@MacPros.IP.Address
 
@Darthnvader i will try if this works

meanwhile I found this Post where they say that "nvda_drv=1" doesn't work anymore on Sierra, instead they use...

<key>NvidiaWeb</key>
<true/>

hmmm?!
 
KLWN said:
@Darthnvader i will try if this works

meanwhile I found this Post where they say that "nvda_drv=1" doesn't work anymore on Sierra, instead they use...

<key>NvidiaWeb</key>
<true/>

hmmm?!
Click to expand...

The <key>NvidiaWeb</key> is for the clover config.plist, I'm not sure it applies to real Mac Pros, it maybe needed to be added to the boot.plist, but its not a Kernel argument, I don't think, so I'm not sure how it would be phrased in the boot.plist.
 
SSH worked... strange thing is, the name of the MacPro now is Alexs-MacBook-Air, maybe because I have installed Sierra with my GF's MBA via USB of MP's SSD
 

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... "kextstat | grep NVDA" does not seem to throw any results.
 

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@DearthnVader tried it again, after reboot, I have something...
 

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