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MP 1,1-5,1 Mac Pro 5,1 runs Linux great but will NOT boot from Mac OS or any USB/Disk/ installer EXCEPT Linux! What did I miss?!
- Thread starter jhjulian
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Can you be more specific? Does the drive show up? Does it crash when you try to boot from it? Or does it ignore your selection and boot into Linux anyway? Something else?
Absolutely! Thank you for responding. I've been digging for answers for over about two weeks! Here we go....
When using Linux, every drive, every file, shows up. I bought a brand new SSD with High Sierra installed and the computer will not read that regardless of where I place the drive, internally on all 6 bays (4 + the 2 optical slots) or any USB port. Linux SSD loads every time and from any of the aforementioned bays and ports. Oh, I have also tried booting from several USBs and SSDs after creating "bootable" disks using Etcher (great for Linux!), the terminal procedure and other disk utilities on my Windows machine and on Linux.
Backstory: A few months ago I got tired of having applications that I could not longer upgrade, so I installed an Nvidia K5000 for metal support. That worked well and I could upgrade some apps. I upgraded to Mojave. No problem.
Since I am retired and have time, but not enough money, for another muscle car (I grew up in that era), I had to turn something into a hot rod, so the 2010 Mac Pro, with the DeLorean color exterior and E-Z access to internal parts, was a perfect candidate. I've noticed a lot of people have done this. And then...
Open Core Legacy Patcher.
Which worked GREAT with Monterey. Then I tried to upgrade to Sonoma inside OCLP and, initially, it worked. And then it didn't. It just stopped recognizing Mac OS.
So, of course, I assumed I just mangled the software. But since I "de-loaded" everything except the USB, or the disk (yea, I even burned a disk! Haven't done that in years!) or an SSD - backtracking to High Sierra as well as a couple of earlier and later OS - I am stumped. Is it a firmware (I've re-set NVRM and SMC) or hardware problem? (But with Linux it runs great.)
At this point, I am considering installing ProxMox and running Mac OS and Linux in the "ProxBox." HOWEVER, after 40 years of teaching it's almost impossible for me to ignore a problem. So even if I do run through ProxMox or some other virtual machine, I have to know what happened and how to fix it.
Also, I tried booting into Disk Utilities and all he other pre-boot keyboard commands. And on one and only one of about 500 reboots, the disks showed up for about 3 seconds and I wasn't not fast enough to click one of the EFIs. They then disappeared and I have not been able to get them back. Nothing but black screen. Not sure it would have helped if I did.
Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it!
When using Linux, every drive, every file, shows up. I bought a brand new SSD with High Sierra installed and the computer will not read that regardless of where I place the drive, internally on all 6 bays (4 + the 2 optical slots) or any USB port. Linux SSD loads every time and from any of the aforementioned bays and ports. Oh, I have also tried booting from several USBs and SSDs after creating "bootable" disks using Etcher (great for Linux!), the terminal procedure and other disk utilities on my Windows machine and on Linux.
Backstory: A few months ago I got tired of having applications that I could not longer upgrade, so I installed an Nvidia K5000 for metal support. That worked well and I could upgrade some apps. I upgraded to Mojave. No problem.
Since I am retired and have time, but not enough money, for another muscle car (I grew up in that era), I had to turn something into a hot rod, so the 2010 Mac Pro, with the DeLorean color exterior and E-Z access to internal parts, was a perfect candidate. I've noticed a lot of people have done this. And then...
Open Core Legacy Patcher.
Which worked GREAT with Monterey. Then I tried to upgrade to Sonoma inside OCLP and, initially, it worked. And then it didn't. It just stopped recognizing Mac OS.
So, of course, I assumed I just mangled the software. But since I "de-loaded" everything except the USB, or the disk (yea, I even burned a disk! Haven't done that in years!) or an SSD - backtracking to High Sierra as well as a couple of earlier and later OS - I am stumped. Is it a firmware (I've re-set NVRM and SMC) or hardware problem? (But with Linux it runs great.)
At this point, I am considering installing ProxMox and running Mac OS and Linux in the "ProxBox." HOWEVER, after 40 years of teaching it's almost impossible for me to ignore a problem. So even if I do run through ProxMox or some other virtual machine, I have to know what happened and how to fix it.
Also, I tried booting into Disk Utilities and all he other pre-boot keyboard commands. And on one and only one of about 500 reboots, the disks showed up for about 3 seconds and I wasn't not fast enough to click one of the EFIs. They then disappeared and I have not been able to get them back. Nothing but black screen. Not sure it would have helped if I did.
Thanks for your help! I really appreciate it!
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Do an SMC reset and a deep PRAM reset. You should be able to create a fresh install and boot from there, unless you have firmware or hardware issues (firmware is a distinct possibility).
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Like @crjackson2134 wrote, if after doing a multiple continuous NVRAM reset with a wired KB - press CMD-Option-P-R immediately after power up and keep it presses until you hear the 5th chime (resetting the NVRAM continously 4x in sequence) - does not allow you to boot macOS, the most probable is that the Mac Pro BootROM is now corrupt.
If you have another Mac, install Mavericks to a spare disk, install the Mavericks to the HDD bay 1, remove the RTC battery and then try to boot Mavericks. If you can boot it, you proved that the BootROM have issues, since removing the RTC battery instructed the Mac Pro firmware to completely (temporarily, while the RTC battery is not installed) bypass the NVRAM volume inside the BootROM SPI flash memory - firmware fail safe boot.
If you have another Mac, install Mavericks to a spare disk, install the Mavericks to the HDD bay 1, remove the RTC battery and then try to boot Mavericks. If you can boot it, you proved that the BootROM have issues, since removing the RTC battery instructed the Mac Pro firmware to completely (temporarily, while the RTC battery is not installed) bypass the NVRAM volume inside the BootROM SPI flash memory - firmware fail safe boot.
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Ironically, I had a 2009 Macbook Pro running Linux that I re-installed Yosemite on and was trying that very solution. In the middle of that, the MB Pro died. 100% hardware failure.
IT WORKED!! 
The 5th chime was it. The new High Sierra SSD booted immediately! Thank you, guys! I forgot how "fresh" a new install feels.
This should be my last question for now: Is there a set of instructions for maxing out this machine in a way that I can't screw-up?
Again, THANK YOU!!!
The 5th chime was it. The new High Sierra SSD booted immediately! Thank you, guys! I forgot how "fresh" a new install feels.
This should be my last question for now: Is there a set of instructions for maxing out this machine in a way that I can't screw-up?
Again, THANK YOU!!!
IT WORKED!!
The 5th chime was it. The new High Sierra SSD booted immediately! Thank you, guys! I forgot how "fresh" a new install feels.
This should be my last question for now: Is there a set of instructions for maxing out this machine in a way that I can't screw-up?
Again, THANK YOU!!!
The first thing is get the BootROM repaired and fully upgraded, you certainly have issues, after that you can learn the pitfalls of what you are trying to upgrade. There are reference threads for each of the topics, see the Upgrade stickie thread:
cMP {classicMacPro}{4,1 & 5,1} - Upgrade Guide Sticky Discussion
Hey Folks, Lets start a discussion and collect everything relevant for cMP upgraders out there. Topics to consider: CPU Upgrades Compatibility chart CPU Delid / standoffs 4,1 to 5,1 firmware upgrade Memory Compatibility and Upgrades UDIMM Model Numbers RDIMM Model Numbers RAM...
forums.macrumors.com
I'm a little lost on the BootROM. I searched through the pages above but can't pin the tail on the OS. Can you, please, point me to the specific details? I want to do this right this time. The rest of the Upgrade Guide looks great, but I'm not doing any changes until the BootROM repair is complete.
I do have one more question. My original SSD is so corrupted that neither my Mac or my Windows will recognize the drive. I went through Easus, Disk Drill and a couple of other recovery programs and they didn't help. And, as I mentioned, I want to get this right, step by step, until I have a 2010 "Hot Rod" and have learned each step along the way. (I really wish I had major in Comp Sci in college instead of Music!)
THANK YOU!!
I do have one more question. My original SSD is so corrupted that neither my Mac or my Windows will recognize the drive. I went through Easus, Disk Drill and a couple of other recovery programs and they didn't help. And, as I mentioned, I want to get this right, step by step, until I have a 2010 "Hot Rod" and have learned each step along the way. (I really wish I had major in Comp Sci in college instead of Music!)
THANK YOU!!
I'm a little lost on the BootROM. I searched through the pages above but can't pin the tail on the OS. Can you, please, point me to the specific details? I want to do this right this time. The rest of the Upgrade Guide looks great, but I'm not doing any changes until the BootROM repair is complete.
I do have one more question. My original SSD is so corrupted that neither my Mac or my Windows will recognize the drive. I went through Easus, Disk Drill and a couple of other recovery programs and they didn't help. And, as I mentioned, I want to get this right, step by step, until I have a 2010 "Hot Rod" and have learned each step along the way. (I really wish I had major in Comp Sci in college instead of Music!)
THANK YOU!!
I'll send you a PM about the BootROM reconstruction service require files, service fee and turnaround time.