MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: BootROM thread | 144.0.0.0.0

[tsialex]

Has anyone been able to get Sierra running on a NVME drive?

I booted to a HS installer, and cloned my sierra installation from my 951 AHCI to the 970 EVO. When I select the 970 from the boot selector, I get the ghostbusters symbol.

Sierra only support drives with 4KB sectors, Samsung 970 EVO a 512 bytes one.
[doublepost=1543569042][/doublepost]

NVMe drives became supported natively in macOS starting with High Sierra. So, if you want to stick with Sierra, you will need a hack'd kext (which works, BTW); see [Guide] HackrNVMeFamily co-existence with IONVMeFamily using class-code spoof.

No, Sierra supports NVMe drives with 4KB sectors, like Apple SSPOLARIS. High Sierra supports 4 KB and 512 bytes ones.

 

[TheStork]

Sierra only support drives with 4KB sectors, Samsung 970 EVO a 512 bytes one.
[doublepost=1543569042][/doublepost]

NVMe drives became supported natively in macOS starting with High Sierra. So, if you want to stick with Sierra, you will need a hack'd kext (which works, BTW); see [Guide] HackrNVMeFamily co-existence with IONVMeFamily using class-code spoof.

No, Sierra supports NVMe drives with 4KB sectors, like Apple SSPOLARIS. High Sierra supports 4 KB and 512 bytes ones.

Which is why @Zeke D will need RehabMan's spoof kext in order to stay with Sierra. If he upgrades, life is good.

 

[needtoupgrademacpro]

Hi everyone. I'm sort of a newbie on this topic.

Is there any way I can update my MP 5,1 firmware WITHOUT having to update to mojave?

I'm about to install a RX 580 but I don't want to upgrade to mojave since I have some critical applications that need to run in Sierra (10.12.6)

 

[tsialex]

Hi everyone. I'm sort of a newbie on this topic.

Is there any way I can update my MP 5,1 firmware WITHOUT having to update to mojave?

I'm about to install a RX 580 but I don't want to upgrade to mojave since I have some critical applications that need to run in Sierra (10.12.6)

Read the first post MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave, you will have to do all the steps except that after Mojave firmware upgrade you will close the Mojave installer.

You can also use an empty disk to do all the song and dance, without risking your work drive. 140.0.0.0.0 works with 10.13.6 nicely - my main Mac Pro has 140.0.0.0.0 and 10.13.6.

If you don't use any NVMe drives you can go back with 10.6.8 with 140.0.0.0.0 - if your GPU still supports it.

NVMe blades with sectors of 4 kbytes work with Sierra, the first one to have NVMe support, High Sierra and Mojave works with 512 bytes and 4 kbytes NVME blades.

 

[Zeke D]

Which is why @Zeke D will need RehabMan's spoof kext in order to stay with Sierra. If he upgrades, life is good.

Unfortunately, if I upgrade to HS, I’ll lose software. The company makes an upgrade, but $250 is a lot of chowder for software I have that already works on Sierra. I’ve got to decide what to do with this th8ng.

 

[needtoupgrademacpro]

Read the first post MP5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave, you will have to do all the steps except that after Mojave firmware upgrade you will close the Mojave installer.

You can also use an empty disk to do all the song and dance, without risking your work drive. 140.0.0.0.0 works with 10.13.6 nicely - my main Mac Pro has 140.0.0.0.0 and 10.13.6.

If you don't use any NVMe drives you can go back with 10.6.8 with 140.0.0.0.0 - if your GPU still supports it. NVMe drives with 4KBytes sectors work with Sierra, the first one to have NVMe support, High Sierra and Mojave works with 512bytes and 4Kbytes.

Thanks for the reply.

So if I understood this correctly,

I can use the Mojave update installer to "pseudo-update" in order to get the firmware updated... but once the firmware update is installed, I just cancel the Mojave installer?

And if I use a cloned drive to update to Mojave, I can install Mojave on the cloned drive, but then once it's installed, I can just remove the cloned drive and keep using my original Sierra boot drive without any problems?

Is there a way to safely backup and restore the MP's firmware so that I can revert back to it if anything happens?

 

[tsialex]

Thanks for the reply.

So if I understood this correctly,

I can use the Mojave update installer to "pseudo-update" in order to get the firmware updated... but once the firmware update is installed, I just cancel the Mojave installer?

Yes.

And if I use a cloned drive to update to Mojave, I can install Mojave on the cloned drive, but then once it's installed, I can just remove the cloned drive and keep using my original Sierra boot drive without any problems?

Yes.

Is there a way to safely backup and restore the MP's firmware so that I can revert back to it if anything happens?

Yes, with ROMTool, read my post https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mp5-1-bootrom-thread-140-0-0-0-0.2132317/page-99#post-26824843 about the link and password to decompress it.

 

[SolarisX]

[QUOTE = "Tsialex, Post: 26860561, Member: 1033365"] Sierra supports only drives with 4 KB sectors, Samsung 970 EVO a 512 bytes drive. [Double post = 1543569042] [/ double post] No,
Sierra supports NVMe drives with 4 KB sectors like Apple SSPOLARIS. High Sierra supports 4 KB and 512 bytes. [/ QUOTE]


But is not it the 512-byte sector sooner? 4kByte has been developed to achieve higher capacities and a lower error rate. And now standard.

an EVO 960 NVMe runs under Sierra with said .kext

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format
https://www.thomas-krenn.com/de/wiki/Sektorgrößen_von_Datenträgern

 

[tsialex]

[QUOTE = "Tsialex, Post: 26860561, Member: 1033365"] Sierra supports only drives with 4 KB sectors, Samsung 970 EVO a 512 bytes drive. [Double post = 1543569042] [/ double post] No,
Sierra supports NVMe drives with 4 KB sectors like Apple SSPOLARIS. High Sierra supports 4 KB and 512 bytes. [/ QUOTE]


But is not it the 512-byte sector sooner? 4kByte has been developed to achieve higher capacities and a lower error rate. And now standard.

an EVO 960 NVMe runs under Sierra with said .kext

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Format
https://www.thomas-krenn.com/de/wiki/Sektorgrößen_von_Datenträgern

Apple implemented NVMe with Sierra for OEM drives only, at that time only 4KB.

 

[trifero]

Imnposible for me to boot a windows with Mac Pro 5.1 140.0.0.0

Anyone else?

 

[tsialex]

Imnposible for me to boot a windows with Mac Pro 5.1 140.0.0.0

Anyone else?

This is off topic, please go to a thread about Windows/BootCamp.

 

[trifero]

This is off topic, please go to a thread about Windows/BootCamp.

Sorry, tsialex. I really tried to read everthing about the topic in this thread. I always do before asking. But the information is so vast, and sometimes, contradictory.

I´m sorry to bother you. Can you help me about the right thread?

Thank you so much and apologize.

 

[tsialex]

Sorry, tsialex. I really tried to read everthing about the topic in this thread. I always do before asking. But the information is so vast, and sometimes, contradictory.

I´m sorry to bother you. Can you help me about the right thread?

Thank you so much and apologize.

Both are more appropriate threads:

• How to: Boot Camp without a Boot Screen
  
• Windows 1809 ISO and Boot Camp Issue

 

[trifero]

Both are more appropriate threads:

• How to: Boot Camp without a Boot Screen
  
• Windows 1809 ISO and Boot Camp Issue

Thank you so much

 

[mattferg]

Got a machine already on Mojave (140.0) that I want to do a clean install on. Remember reading on here something about USB installs not working - is that still the case?

 

[tsialex]

Got a machine already on Mojave (140.0) that I want to do a clean install on. Remember reading on here something about USB installs not working - is that still the case?

If you have a GTX 680, no.

 

[BruceP6]

20181030: 10.14.1

Today Apple released 10.14.1 final, it's the same 140.0.0.0.0 BootROM released with 10.14.1DP3.

The new Mac Pro BootROM with NVMe boot support is now released for everyone, but remember that Mac Pro 5,1 don't install firmwares automatically with updates like every other Mac.

You have to do one of these options to install 140.0.0.0.0:

• install 10.14.1 from scratch,
• download and open Mac App Store full installer for 10.14.1 (~6GB download), the installer will ask you to perform the upgrade,
• manually trigger the install with 10.14.1 RecoveryHDMetaDmg.pkg. Instructions in this post, use the current macOSUpd10.14.1Supplemental.RecoveryHDUpdate.pkg (~450MB download).

Note 1:

You can't use the createinstallmedia pen drive to upgrade the firmware, you have to do it from macOS.

Note 2:

If you have a Metal supported GPU and you open the full Mac App Store installer and the installer tells you that your GPU don't have Metal, please report this bug to Apple. It's a bug with the detection of Metal support that the macOS installer has with some HD 79xx and RX-580 GPUs.

Please report to it to Apple: Submitting Bugs and Feedback

Note 3:

If you can't install 140.0.0.0.0 because the Metal detection bug with some HD 79xx and RX-580 GPUs, boot 10.13.6 and run the full Mac App Store 10.14.1 installer from there. Worked for most people.

$IBIOSI$ MP51.88Z.F000.B00.1809191555
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP51
  EFI Version:  140.0.0.0.0
  Date:         Wed Sep 19 15:49:52 2018
  Build Type:   Release

20181008: BootROM 140.0.0.0.0

Apple released 10.14.1 DP3 and 140.0.0.0.0 Mac Pro BootROM.

• NVMe EFI module added and it's different than the one from MP61,
• PCIe drives still recognised as external,
• Same 29 & 31 microcodes from May,
• No boot screens for UEFI cards.

$IBIOSI$ MP51.88Z.F000.B00.1809191555
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP51
  EFI Version:  140.0.0.0.0
  Date:         Wed Sep 19 15:49:52 2018
  Build Type:   Release

NVMe EFI module already injected:

View attachment 793233



First post about 140.0.0.0.0 #1455. You can read posts #1554 and #1569 to know how to install 140.0.0.0.0 manually or just wait for the final release of 10.14.1.


20180925: BootROM 139.0.0.0.0

Apple released 10.14.1 DP1 and 139.0.0.0.0 Mac Pro BootROM.

• No boot screens for UEFI cards,
• no NVMe EFI module added,
• no FileVault2,
• same microcodes,
• still safe to insert the NVMe EFI module.

$IBIOSI$ MP51.88Z.F000.B00.1808171030
Apple ROM Version
  Model:        MP51
  EFI Version:  139.0.0.0.0
  Date:         Fri Aug 17 10:24:21 2018
  Build Type:   Release

First post about 139.0.0.0.0 #1242

20180813: BootROM 138.0.0.0.0
New BootROM 138.0.0.0.0 for Mac Pro 5,1 with updated microcodes (0x106A5 29 and 0x206C2 31), support for 5GT/s link speed on macOS/Windows without R17 mod, enabled HDMI audio on RX480 and new/improved firmware flasher on Mojave DP7/PB6 (18A365a) full installer.

Now seems you don't need a Mac EFI GPU to flash it, but the Mojave installer checks for a Metal supported one before upgrading the BootROM. @Squuiid confirmed flashing with a RX580, sadly without boot screens/boot selector.

Attention:

The new Firmware Flasher don't have the usual progress bar, just a grey screen on Mac EFI GPUs, or a black one with a PC GPU, and the usual DVD tray opening. Since the new flashing process don't have progress indicator/completion and seems to take longer to complete and shutdown the Mac Pro, you have to wait until the shutdown/restart.

View attachment 775772

Updated microcodes:

View attachment 775777

5GT/s link speed in a HD 7870 without R17 mod:

View attachment 775822

BIOS version:

The complete BIOS version for 138.0.0.0.0 is MP51.88Z.F000.B00.1807300628

NVMe support:

Apple did not add the NVMe EFI module with 138.0.0.0.0, but the injection method is the same as was done with High Sierra - no changes.

What I have to do to upgrade the firmware:

If your Mac Pro have a BootROM earlier than MP51.0089.B00, to upgrade to 138.0.0.0.0 you will have to do:

1. Download the full Mac App Store installer for 10.13.6, open it and then do as the installer says to upgrade to MP51.0089.B00. After the firmware upgrade reboot, you can close the installer app.
2. Download the full Mac App Store installer for Mojave, the most recent one, open it and then do as the installer says to upgrade to 138.0.0.0.0. After the firmware upgrade reboot, you can close the installer app.

Mac Pro 5,1 recent firmware releases:

10.13 DP5 with MP51.0083.B00 with initial APFS support
10.13 DP6 with MP51.0084.B00 with APFS support
10.13.4 with MP51.085.B00 (Mojave DP1/DP2/PB1/DP3/PB2 too)
10.13.5 with MP51.087.B00 missing the Intel Xeon microcodes
10.13.6 with MP51.089.B00 updating to the Spectre mitigated microcodes on the April 2 Microcode Update Guidance.
10.14 DP7/PB6 with 138.0.0.0.0 with 5GT/s and new microcodes
10.14.1 DP1 with 139.0.0.0.0
10.14.1 DP3 with 140.0.0.0.0 with NVMe support

Starting from El Capitan, my MP 4,1->5,1 updated to 140.0.0.0 following the directions above. For other newbies who are wary of trying this update, just follow the guide after reading everything else in the thread. Reviewing all 100 pages was worth the time to avoid a mistake that might create a 41-pound aluminum doorstop.

The upgrade from 10.11 to 10.13.6 went smoothly. I checked the ROM using ROMTool and binwalk as suggested above. After seeing the ROM was free from XML files or anything that seemed unusual, it was time to download the full Mojave 10.14.1 update. The Mojave updater flashed the firmware and then installed 10.14.1 without any hassle.

Many thanks to @tsialex and everyone else who contributed to this thread. You guys are fantastic.

 

[tommy chen]

...... it was time to download the full Mojave 10.14.1 update. The Mojave updater flashed the firmware and then installed 10.14.1 without any hassle.

load the update from the appstore or with the macOS Downloader.app - not the updater from the apple downloads webside !

the second will not flash the firmware to 140.0.0.0 !!!

 

[chrissomos]

Anyone using the Apple SSUBX: Based on Samsung SM951 with UBX controller (S4LN058A01): AHCI drive and suffered a loss of speed with the new bootROM? I was getting ~1400mb/s and now I'm down to about 500. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

Hey guys, I've done my best to review the 101 pages, and I've kept my system up to date (running current 10.14.1) so I cant be sure exactly when, but I just checked my firmware and the 138.0.0.0.0 update took place (I thought during Mojave install but frm reading it seem thats the 140.0.0.0.0), but the 140.0.0.0.0 did not install. I have a MVC flashed GTX 770 FE that intially gave no issue on Mojave install but now that I'm trying to go back and re-trigger to pick up the firmware update the system says I require a Metal card to install Mojave-while I'm already operating in Mojave. Additionally, my link speed is still reported as 2.5 GT/s, when 138.0.0.0.0 was reported to enable 5GT/s. Any insights?

 

[igmgentry]

Hey guys, I've done my best to review the 101 pages, and I've kept my system up to date (running current 10.14.1) so I cant be sure exactly when, but I just checked my firmware and the 138.0.0.0.0 update took place (I thought during Mojave install but frm reading it seem thats the 14.0.0.0.0), but not the 140.0.0.0.0. I have a MVC flashed GTX 770 FE that intially gave no issue on Mojave install but now that I'm trying to go back and re-trigger to pick up the firmware update the system says I require a Metal card to install Mojave-while I'm already operating in Mojave. Additionally, my link speed is still reported as 2.5 GT/s, when 138.0.0.0.0 was reported to enable 5GT/s. Any insights?

I think this happened to me as well almost I ran the Mojave installer did the firmware update as instructed and now I’m on 138.0 firmware and I don’t get a prompt to do the update anymore. I canceled the install so I’m still on 10.13.6 but now I’m not sure what to do next.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

I think this happened to me as well almost I ran the Mojave installer did the firmware update as instructed and now I’m on 138.0 firmware and I don’t get a prompt to do the update anymore. I canceled the install so I’m still on 10.13.6 but now I’m not sure what to do next.

Well from my understanding of how these were to be installed, I believe your systems firmware and OS line up. From the intial post and others of the OP's writing, I believe 138 was 10.13.6, 139 was 10.14, and 140 is 10.14.1.

I'd like to have more senior commenter chime in on that though.

 

[tsialex]

Hey guys, I've done my best to review the 101 pages, and I've kept my system up to date (running current 10.14.1) so I cant be sure exactly when, but I just checked my firmware and the 138.0.0.0.0 update took place (I thought during Mojave install but frm reading it seem thats the 140.0.0.0.0), but the 140.0.0.0.0 did not install. I have a MVC flashed GTX 770 FE that intially gave no issue on Mojave install but now that I'm trying to go back and re-trigger to pick up the firmware update the system says I require a Metal card to install Mojave-while I'm already operating in Mojave. Additionally, my link speed is still reported as 2.5 GT/s, when 138.0.0.0.0 was reported to enable 5GT/s. Any insights?

Well from my understanding of how these were to be installed, I believe your systems firmware and OS line up. From the intial post and others of the OP's writing, I believe 138 was 10.13.6, 139 was 10.14, and 140 is 10.14.1.

I'd like to have more senior commenter chime in on that though.

You didn't read the first post? All your questions are answered there and with the correct timeline of firmware releases.

[doublepost=1543750200][/doublepost]

I think this happened to me as well almost I ran the Mojave installer did the firmware update as instructed and now I’m on 138.0 firmware and I don’t get a prompt to do the update anymore. I canceled the install so I’m still on 10.13.6 but now I’m not sure what to do next.

Read the first post…

 

[Synchro3]

Anyone using the Apple SSUBX: Based on Samsung SM951 with UBX controller (S4LN058A01): AHCI drive and suffered a loss of speed with the new bootROM? I was getting ~1400mb/s and now I'm down to about 500. Any insight would be appreciated.

Here still ~1200mb/s write and ~1400 mb/s read speed with firmware 140.0.0.0.0.

 

[Reindeer_Games]

You didn't read the first post? All your questions are answered there and with the correct timeline of firmware releases.

[doublepost=1543750200][/doublepost]
Read the first post…

I did, however, I obviously missed the power saving features section on the link speed with GTX's. The 770 is quite capable of metal and recognized as a supported, macOS GPUFamily1 v4. Beyond that redirect, I'm not sure which part of it you mean.

I don't particularly care about the timeline but I was attempting to calm a fellow contributor's concern of firmware/OS clashes, which you/someone already stated would not cause conflict earlier in the thread.