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

tsialex · Apr 4, 2020

worldburger said:
If I could get the bottom separately, could I simply use something like the RomTool to update the bootrom (to get NVMe support) without actually updating to Mojave?

NVMe official support starts with 140.0.0.0.0, not 144.0.0.0.0. You can update to 144.0.0.0.0 without updating to Mojave, just close the Mojave installer after your BootROM is updated. Still needs a METAL supported GPU and the GPU has to have High Sierra support, VII and NAVI GPUs won't work for this.

Seems you have the wrong idea of what a Mac BootROM is. What is called a BootROM is in reality a big package that contains different things. From MP4,1 to MP6,1 (MP7,1 is a little different and more complex), a BootROM contains:

The EFI firmware - it's identical for all Macs that run the same version. It's what Apple upgrades when new firmware versions are released, like from 140.0.0.0.0 to 144.0.0.0.0.
The NVRAM volume - it's unique to each Mac and stores almost all hardwareIDs [ override version, hardware descriptor (base_XX), SSN, HWC, SON, Gaid ]. The NVRAM volume consists of five different parts, some are dynamic and some are immutable. The immutable part of the NVRAM is where most of the hardwareIDs are stored. Each part of the NVRAM is validated via checksums, an incorrect NVRAM volume cause weird things and can easily make a Mac un-bootable or behave unpredictable.
The BootBlock - it's the same for all Macs that run the same BootBlock version. While the BootBlock can be upgraded and Apple used several different versions of the BootBlock code during the MP5,1 production run, Apple don't ever upgrade it and the version installed during the backplane manufacture time will be there forever. When a BootROM reconstruction is done, the BootBlock code is updated to the current version.
The MLB sector, where the Mac Pro backplane (MainLogicBoard) serial number (not the SystemSerialNumber) and the build date are stored. MLB sector is unique for each Mac. The MLB sector is validated via checksums and wrong modifications will make your Mac un-bootable.

People usually wrongly think that the BootROM is the EFI firmware, while the EFI firmware is the most important thing inside the BootROM, it's just part of it.
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The generic image that Apple uses for firmware upgrades contains just the EFI firmware and the BootBlock, the rest is just zeros. If you use ROMTool to overwrite your SPI flash, you will lose the NVRAM volume and MLB sector. While a Mac flashed with the generic image boots, it won't connect to iCloud/Messages/FaceTime.
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Btw, while the MP6,1 BootROM is encapsulated, Xeon used by late 2013 Mac Pros have Intel ME support, the same BootROM organisation is valid, just even more complex.

tsialex · Apr 8, 2020

Apple released macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Supplemental Update, still don't know what exactly this update correct, but it's available already:

Download macOS Catalina 10.15.4 Supplemental Update - Apple Support

macOS Catalina 10.15.4 supplemental update improves the stability and security of your Mac.

support.apple.com

[automerge]1586383354[/automerge]

tsialex · Apr 8, 2020

10.15.4 Supplemental Update corrections:

‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.4 supplemental update improves the stability and security of your Mac.

- Fixes an issue where Mac computers running ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.4 could not participate in ‌FaceTime‌ calls with devices running iOS 9.3.6 and earlier or OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 and earlier
- Resolves an issue where you may repeatedly receive a password prompt for an Office 365 account
- Fixes an issue where ‌MacBook Air‌ (Retina, 13-inch, 2020) may hang in Setup Assistant or when disconnecting and reconnecting a 4K or 5K external display
- Resolves an issue where a USB-C port in your Mac may become unresponsive

tsialex · Apr 8, 2020

10.15.4 Supplemental Update has new firmwares, I'll update the list soon.

refabmac · Apr 9, 2020

@tsialex does 144 also brick W series processors the way 142 did? I upgraded my 4.1 > 5.1 to 144 with a metal gpu and westmere processor following the tutorials here but would now like to return to the original Nehalem processor. Thanks in advance for your help.

tsialex · Apr 9, 2020

refabmac said:
@tsialex does 144 also brick W series processors the way 142 did? I upgraded my 4.1 > 5.1 to 144 with a metal gpu and westmere processor following the tutorials here but would now like to return to the original Nehalem processor. Thanks in advance for your help.

Only 142.0.0.0.0 don't work with W3xxx.

wonderspark · Apr 9, 2020

Ah, good to know! I thought anything 142 and beyond was bad for W3xxx... I mis-understood that warning.

Bruudinho21 · Apr 14, 2020

I have a MP5,1 single processor W3680, Mac OS Mojave already installed but still on old Boot ROM version 138.0.0.0.0.
In order to update Boot ROM I would need a Mojave 10.14.6 installer which Apple doesn't provide.
How can I proceed in order to upgrade the Boot ROM and later on install Win10 on Bootcamp?

As I am not a developer or someone related to scripts I am not sure how to do to download Mac OS according to https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

crjackson2134 · Apr 14, 2020

Bruudinho21 said:
I have a MP5,1 single processor W3680, Mac OS Mojave already installed but still on old Boot ROM version 138.0.0.0.0.
In order to update Boot ROM I would need a Mojave 10.14.6 installer which Apple doesn't provide.
How can I proceed in order to upgrade the Boot ROM and later on install Win10 on Bootcamp?

As I am not a developer or someone related to scripts I am not sure how to do to download Mac OS according to https://github.com/munki/macadmin-scripts/blob/master/installinstallmacos.py

You really need to read through the instructions on Post #1 on the thread below:

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

tsialex · Apr 16, 2020

Apple just released 10.15.5 DP1 (19F62f), only BridgeOS Macs got BootROM updates:

MP7,1 - J160:

Code:

Apple ROM Version
  BIOS ID:      MP71.88Z.F000.B00.2004030551
  Model:        MP71
  EFI Version:  1037.120.55.0.0
  Built by:     _reportmem@pdb172
  Date:         Fri Apr  3 05:51:04 2020
  Revision:     1037.120.55 (B&I)
  ROM Version:  F000_B00
  Build Type:   Official Build, RELEASE
  Compiler:     clang-1103.2.29.8
  UUID:         2377FE0D-73DC-34E3-9D50-0EA81B2D981B
  UUID:         4783BBF9-FE70-3891-B005-6899B59056FE

Apple ROM Version
  BIOS ID:      MP71.88Z.F000.B00.2004030551
  Model:        MP71
  EFI Version:  1037.120.55.0.0
  Built by:     _reportmem@pdb172
  Date:         Fri Apr  3 05:51:04 2020
  Revision:     1037.120.55 (B&I)
  ROM Version:  F000_B00
  Build Type:   Official Build, RELEASE
  Compiler:     clang-1103.2.29.8
$IBIOSI$    MP71.88Z.F000.B00.2004030551
Copyright (c) 2005-2020 Apple Inc.  All rights reserved

No new EFI versions for pre-T2 Macs, same firmware versions as 10.15.4 DP4:

Current EFI firmware list for non-BridgeOS Macs:

Mac:	EFI version:
IM13,1	290.0.0.0.0
IM14,1	142.0.0.0.0
IM14,2	142.0.0.0.0
IM14,3	142.0.0.0.0
IM14,4	202.0.0.0.0
IM15,1	233.0.0.0.0
IM16,1	233.0.0.0.0
IM16,2	233.0.0.0.0
IM17,1	176.0.0.0.0
IM18,1	181.0.0.0.0
IM18,3	181.0.0.0.0
IM19,1	1037.100.345.0
MB10,1	185.0.0.0.0
MB8,1	188.0.0.0.0
MB9,1	190.0.0.0.0
MBA5,1	262.0.0.0.0
MBA6,1	120.0.0.0.0
MBA7,1	193.0.0.0.0
MBP10,1	260.0.0.0.0
MBP10,2	283.0.0.0.0
MBP11,1	159.0.0.0.0
MBP11,2	159.0.0.0.0
MBP11,4	197.0.0.0.0
MBP12,1	190.0.0.0.0
MBP13,1	243.0.0.0.0
MBP13,2	265.0.0.0.0
MBP13,3	265.0.0.0.0
MBP14,1	205.0.0.0.0
MBP14,2	205.0.0.0.0
MBP14,3	205.0.0.0.0
MBP9,1	231.0.0.0.0
MM6,1	283.0.0.0.0
MM7,1	247.0.0.0.0
MP6,1	135.0.0.0.0

jacoubo · Apr 19, 2020

Hi.
How to install Mojave on Mac Pro 5.1?
with High Sierra rom: MP51.0089.B00
I'm a super novice on the subject.
Can you update or modify the rom so you can install mojave?
My graph is RX570

tommy chen · Apr 19, 2020

jacoubo said:
Hola.
¿ Cómo instalar Mojave en Mac Pro 5.1?
con High Sierra rom: MP51.0089.B00
Soy super novato en el tema

Gracias

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

next time have a look, and please write in english here

.

lazerdisk · Apr 26, 2020

Here's how I updated the firmware to 144.0.0.0.0 on my Mac Pro 4.1 (flashed to 5.1) running a patched version of Catalina

- I unplugged all hard drives except the Time Machine one, and plugged in a clean drive
- This forced it to boot into recovery mode
- I selected install macOS
- A prompt appeared telling me that a firmware update was required
- I shut down, and held the power button until it beeped
- The screen went black for a few minutes as I don't have an EFI supported GPU installed
- After a while it booted back into recovery mode, and from there I clicked install macOS again just to make sure the firmware update prompt was gone, and it was
- I clicked cancel, shut down, and put all my original hard drives back in

And that's all

I'm now on 144.0.0.0.0, coming from 138.0.0.0.0

I hope this helps someone, as it's a very long and confusing thread. But it was quite simple at the end.

Macschrauber · Apr 26, 2020

lazerdisk said:
Here's how I updated the firmware to 144.0.0.0.0 on my Mac Pro 4.1 (flashed to 5.1) running a patched version of Catalina

- I unplugged all hard drives and plugged in a clean drive
- This forced it to boot into recovery mode
- I selected install macOS
- A prompt appeared telling me that a firemware update was required
- I shut down, and held the power button until it beeped
- The screen went black for a few minutes as I don't have an EFI supported GPU installed
- After a while it booted back into recovery mode, and from there I clicked install macOS again just to make sure the firmware update prompt was gone, and it was
- I clicked cancel, shut down, and put all my original hard drives back in

And that's all

I'm now on 144.0.0.0.0, coming from 138.0.0.0.0

I hope this helps someone, as it's a very long and confusing thread. But it was quite simple at the end.

There are some odds, if not to say impossibilities:

If there are no drives but a clean drive: from where do you get recovery mode ?

lazerdisk · Apr 26, 2020

Macschrauber said:
There are some odds, if not to say impossibilities:

If there are no drives but a clean drive: from where do you get recovery mode ?

Not sure, honestly. I always thought recovery mode was part of the BIOS/firmware? I'm 100% positive all drives were removed, especially as I had to unscrew the main drive from the tray in order to put in the other drive.

Then this screen popped up

tsialex · Apr 26, 2020

lazerdisk said:
Here's how I updated the firmware to 144.0.0.0.0 on my Mac Pro 4.1 (flashed to 5.1) running a patched version of Catalina

- I unplugged all hard drives and plugged in a clean drive
- This forced it to boot into recovery mode

Just impossible with a MP5,1, no Internet Recovery.

startergo · Apr 26, 2020

lazerdisk said:
Not sure, honestly. I always thought recovery mode was part of the BIOS/firmware? I'm 100% positive all drives were removed, especially as I had to unscrew the main drive from the tray in order to put in the other drive.

Then this screen popped up

Open disk utility at recovery.

tsialex · Apr 26, 2020

startergo said:
Open disk utility at recovery.

Read the #4,213, how you get at Recovery without any disks with a MP5,1?

startergo · Apr 26, 2020

tsialex said:
How you get at Recovery without any disks with a MP5,1?

that was my question too. But if he opens it he will see there is a drive inside. He says a clean drive, but apparently there was at least Recovery HD there. cMP's have no internet recovery.

Macschrauber · Apr 26, 2020

Or the USB Stick with DosDudes Patcher was lurking around in some usb port

lazerdisk · Apr 26, 2020

Edit:

Nevermind, mistery resolved. I had another disk where the second SuperDrive once was ?‍♂️

I'll update my original post accordingly.

Macschrauber · Apr 26, 2020

Is there a disk in the odd bay living by the dvd writer ?

tsialex · Apr 26, 2020

lazerdisk said:
Haha I feel so lost right now

Here's a video

Disk utility shows an internal Time Machine disk, but as you can clearly see, all disks have been removed. No USBs attached or anything. I have no network drives, etc...

It takes about 5 minutes to get to the recovery screen
[automerge]1587904486[/automerge]
Nevermind, mistery resolved. I had another disk where the second SuperDrive once was ?‍♂️

Yep, the only alternative would be that you have an Apple prototype with double the SPI space and Internet Recovery…
[automerge]1587905126[/automerge]
Btw, Catalina don't have MP5,1 firmware from Recovery…

startergo · Apr 26, 2020

tsialex said:
Yep, the only alternative would be that you have an Apple prototype with double the SPI space and Internet Recovery…
[automerge]1587905126[/automerge]
Btw, Catalina don't have MP5,1 firmware from Recovery…

Maybe that Efi updater with the fd file were sitting in the EFI partition?

tsialex · Apr 26, 2020

lazerdisk said:
Edit:

Nevermind, mistery resolved. I had another disk where the second SuperDrive once was ?‍♂️

I'll update my original post accordingly.

Still impossible, Catalina don't have MP5,1 firmware.
[automerge]1587905741[/automerge]

startergo said:
Maybe that Efi updater with the fd file were sitting in the EFI partition?

Possible, but extremely unlike.

Anyway, the post #4,213 is just wrong.

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

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