MP 1,1-5,1 macOS install on new hard drive with no boot screen GPU

[drunkmouth]

Hi all,

I am fairly certain there will be no issue but always nice to have confirmation.

I have a RX 580 8GB GPU ready for my incoming 5,1 MP, I’m aware this GPU means no boot screen until macOS loads however I’m installing unused drives into the SATA bays as the machine is coming without.

Is bootable USB and internet recovery still an option for installing macOS? Is it a case of a longer wait time with no screen until it kicks in?

 

[tsialex]

Internet Recovery is only supported with MP6,1 and MP7,1. For a MP5,1 with a RX 580 without pre-boot configuration support you can still use a createinstallmedia USB installer.

Read the first post of the thread below, pay attention with the notes:

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[drunkmouth]

Internet Recovery is only supported with MP6,1 and MP7,1. For a MP5,1 with a RX 580 without pre-boot configuration support you can still use a createinstallmedia USB installer.

Read the first post of the thread below, pay attention with the notes:

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

Does this still apply to High Sierra? I won’t be moving to Mojave. As I understand it, I will createinstallmedia with High Sierra from the App Store and boot from this USB during startup?

I forgot to mention 5,1 is coming without GPU too.

 

[tsialex]

Does this still apply to High Sierra? I won’t be moving to Mojave. As I understand it, I will createinstallmedia with High Sierra from the App Store and boot from this USB during startup?

I forgot to mention 5,1 is coming without GPU too.

Yes, same procedures.

 

[drunkmouth]

Yes, same procedures.

Excellent, thank you for your knowledge!

 

[Macsonic]

Excellent, thank you for your knowledge!

Here’s a video showing how the author successfully installed High Sierra and Mojave on a 2009 cMac Pro using a Non-EFI RX560 GPU. He performed the installation exactly as explained in tsialex’s guide on how to install Mojave. Tsialex's guide is very accurate and correct. A GT120 GPU was used to update the firmware to install High Sierra. Then he removed the GT120 and used an AMD RX560, with no boot screen or not EFI configured to install Mojave. He installed Mojave without using any patched software.

 

[drunkmouth]

Here’s a video showing how the author successfully installed High Sierra and Mojave on a 2009 cMac Pro using a Non-EFI RX560 GPU. He performed the installation exactly as explained in tsialex’s guide on how to install Mojave. Tsialex's guide is very accurate and correct. A GT120 GPU was used to update the firmware to install High Sierra. Then he removed the GT120 and used an AMD RX560, with no boot screen or not EFI configured to install Mojave. He installed Mojave without using any patched software.

My main concern is that I’ll be using brand new internal drives as the machine is without them and without GPU. So I understood I could just boot into the USB drive I’ve created with createinstallmedia and I’ll have a blank screen due to the GPU until the installer loads the drivers?

Or am I in a bit of a bind with how I’m going to be able to install the OS? Or will this method work?

 

[tsialex]

My main concern is that I’ll be using brand new internal drives as the machine is without them and without GPU. So I understood I could just boot into the USB drive I’ve created with createinstallmedia and I’ll have a blank screen due to the GPU until the installer loads the drivers?

Or am I in a bit of a bind with how I’m going to be able to install the OS? Or will this method work?

A clean/empty/non-bootable drive is a requirement for the install when you don't have a GPU with pre-boot configuration support.

Read the first post with attention, every thing you need to install Mojave is there.

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[drunkmouth]

Well this didn’t work. Any advice?

Installed my RX580 and powered on with bootable USB in the USB Port. Held down C while boot and the installer never appeared after almost ten minutes.

 

[tsialex]

Well this didn’t work. Any advice?

Installed my RX580 and powered on with bootable USB in the USB Port. Held down C while boot and the installer never appeared after almost ten minutes.

You are sure that your Mac Pro works? Did you tried to use a disk with 10.12.6/10.13.6/10.14 already installed?

Did you clear NVRAM process sequentially 3 times?

The GPU is correctly installed with the 2 miniPCIe 6-pin to the PCIe 8-pin power cable?

Do your Mac Pro have 144.0.0.0.0 BootROM already, requirement for Mojave?

If you have a BootROM earlier than MP51.0089.B00, you have to start from Sierra and not High Sierra. Read the first post of the thread:

MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (BootROM upgrade instructions thread)

Please fully read this first post, you will probably find that you have one or more problems described into the various notes below. Mojave will only install if you have upgraded your BootROM to the current release and your Mac Pro have a Metal capable GPU*. If you are trying to install Mojave...

forums.macrumors.com

With the current BootROM, 144.0.0.0.0, if the drive that you want to install is erased, no other drive is present, and your createinstallmedia USB installer is working correctly, your Mac Pro will boot from the createinstallmedia USB installer and the display will work after around 3 minutes. No need to press any keys.

 

[drunkmouth]

I’ve no idea as the machine arrived yesterday.

I’ve inserted my High Sierra USB, front and back ports. Held down C while booting and nothing. Created another USB now and still nothing.

Is it not recognising the keyboard?

Edit: I will try with Sierra first. Thanks for persisting with me!

 

[tsialex]

I’ve no idea as the machine arrived yesterday.

I’ve inserted my High Sierra USB, front and back ports. Held down C while booting and nothing. Created another USB now and still nothing.

Is it not recognising the keyboard?

No need to press any keys.

If your Mac Pro is working correctly, it will scan every possible bootable drive at POST time, will find the createinstallmedia USB and then boot from it. Since SATA and PCIe drives have priority from USB drives, you have to remove all other bootable disks from your Mac Pro and keep just the erased/brand new drive that you will install macOS to.

Seems you have a non working Mac Pro. Read my previous post again and start to debug it.
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Try to get an Apple OEM GPU, without pre-boot configuration support is very difficult to diagnose a Mac Pro. Apple Service Diagnostics and Apple Hardware Test require an Apple OEM GPU and don't work with PC GPUs at all.
[automerge]1588009359[/automerge]
You need a Mac EFI64 GPU, any original Apple card from 2008 to 2012 (HD 2600XT, 8800GT, Quadro FX 5600, GT120, HD 4870/5770/5870) will work with ASD and AHT.

 

[Svenisak]

All I really need is an alternative way to select the bootdisk. Obiously, pressing Cmd doesn't work without a bootscreen. I have a dosdude1 patched USB stick, but "Startup Disk" doesn't see it as an option. I am currently running Mojave, which is natevly supported on my Mac Pro 5,1

One option would be, if I could place the dosdude1 patch tool on a second bootable drive, and then have the tool automate the whole process (making sure the right bootdive is used, etc.) from start to finnish. I must also be sure that no legacy video patches are installed, since I have a supported GPU (a Saffire RX580). Just no boot-screen.

This would be a neat solution, if it was possible.

I'm not sure how "Install on this machine" and "Create an ISO image" works. Would any of those be of help? Also, would the "Bootable installer" be recognised by "Startup Disk" if I put it to an internal HD/SSD?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

All I really need is an alternative way to select the bootdisk.

You can create an Opencore USB to start the machine and select the second bootdisk.