MP 1,1-5,1 MacPro5,1: What you have to do to upgrade to Mojave (10.13/10.14 BootROM upgrades instructions thread)

[kings79]

I'm not even answering these questions and I'm getting frustrated; I don't know how Alex puts up with it.

"1 + 1 = 2"

"So I want to add 1 to 1 and that will give me 2?"

"Yes, read post #1"

"Ok, I read it, I just want to make sure before doing this, because you're not making sense..."

Yes, waaay more patience than the average joe.

We are very lucky.

 

[tsialex]

I'm not even answering these questions and I'm getting frustrated; I don't know how Alex puts up with it.

"1 + 1 = 2"

"So I want to add 1 to 1 and that will give me 2?"

"Yes, read post #1"

"Ok, I read it, I just want to make sure before doing this, because you're not making sense..."

I try to think that every question is a opportunity to better my first post. So, I try to use the 1 + 1 = 2 questions as a way to improve it.

Obviously sometimes this gets tired fast, so I stop answering until the next day.

 

[Demigod Mac]

I've had an OWC Accelsior_E2 PCIe SSD for several years now. A few months ago I tried upgrading to High Sierra but the OS load sometimes would take in excess of 5 minutes. Restore to Sierrra and boot times are back to within 30 seconds. I fear the same might be true of Mojave as well, though I've not tried yet since there aren't Nvidia web drivers. I suspect it might be TRIM related - the card does its own garbage collection but macOS might be trying to force it at boot?

If it has the same problem and there's no solution I might just get a cheap NVMe SSD and carrier board since those will be supported with the new BootROM.

 

[UKenGB]

This is the way I do and I don't recommend it for anyone but people who like to have total control of the macOS install...

Thanks, good to know.

One more question. With 10.14.1 imminent (in the next few days?), does it make sense to wait for that to be released and skip 10.14.0? Will it update firmware from 089 to 140 in one step, or must we go via 10.14.0 (with 138 fw) first?

Does anyone know yet?

 

[bobbydaz]

Yes, after you updated to BootROM 138.0.0.0.0, you can install from:

• macOS onto the same drive
• macOS selecting a empty drive
• startosinstall on the same or onto another drive (needs SIP disabled for the last one)
• createinstallmedia usb-key.

thanks again, you’ve been an absolute asset to this forum my man!

 

[tsialex]

Thanks, good to know.

One more question. With 10.14.1 imminent (in the next few days?), does it make sense to wait for that to be released and skip 10.14.0? Will it update firmware from 089 to 140 in one step, or must we go via 10.14.0 (with 138 fw) first?

Does anyone know yet?

I'd wait some days and do a clean install of 10.14.1. You can go from MP51.0089.B00 to 140.0.0.0.0, I tested here.
[doublepost=1540375963][/doublepost]

I've had an OWC Accelsior_E2 PCIe SSD for several years now. A few months ago I tried upgrading to High Sierra but the OS load sometimes would take in excess of 5 minutes. Restore to Sierrra and boot times are back to within 30 seconds. I fear the same might be true of Mojave as well, though I've not tried yet since there aren't Nvidia web drivers. I suspect it might be TRIM related - the card does its own garbage collection but macOS might be trying to force it at boot?

macOS only automatically enables TRIM to Apple SSDs and to some very specific 3rd party ones. I suspect your problem is elsewhere.

 

[UKenGB]

Reason I ask is because people have reported previously working flashed 79xx series GPU's not out putting vision on Mojave.

I just started the process this morning with my 4,1=>5,1 Mac Pro. With original HD4870 I updated firmware to 089 and then fully installed 10.13.6 (decided to not try and install Mojave on Sierra), all of which was no problem.

I then installed my Mac EFI flashed HD7950 and it re-booted into HS and ran also without any issues at all. Looking good I thought. So I started the Mojave installer which wanted to update the firmware and after re-starting it with the button pressed in etc, I left it alone to update the firmware.

When I returned, the screen was black and the ACD monitor just occasionally flashing, but no other apparent activity and no way I could find to get the screen to work. I waited as long as could and then killed it with the button and re-booted into the previous installation backup. All seemed ok with an Apple logo and the progress bar on screen, but then it just went black again. I left it for a long time until disk thrashing sounds had subsided and tried to log in blind. This seemed to have no effect and I was wondering what to do now. But then, some combination of keyboard and mouse actions (and maybe some arcane incantations - ok, swearing brought the screen to life. I was indeed logged in to the previous install on the backup disk. But I have no idea what it was I did that kicked the screen into life. However bootrom was now showing as 138, so the firmware update had indeed worked ok.

With everything now working, I re-started and logged into the desired volume containing the recent update to HS. Got to the end of the progress bar and although it did go black briefly (maybe it always does) I then had full display of my HS desktop and everything seemed to be ok. So...

I then proceeded with the Mojave install. No complaints as the installation got started. The screen has gone off a few times (although no re-boot) and the grey screen is now back with the progress bar showing some time still remaining. Only time will tell if once finished I will have a working display.

So that's it so far, but I was intrigued by the previous post about flashed HD79xx cards giving trouble. Could someone provide any more info about this? What is the supposed trouble and is there a fix? Am I perhaps suffering this exact problem?

-------

Well I'll be ...

As I was about to post this the screen when black, then returned grey with progress bar a couple of times, then black again and came back with proper login screen. I logged in and I am now looking at my new Mojave desktop and my fusion boot drive is now APFS. So it does seem to have worked (so far . So why the black screen hiccup in the middle?

 

[tsialex]

I just started the process this morning with my 4,1=>5,1 Mac Pro. With original HD4870 I updated firmware to 089 and then fully installed 10.13.6 (decided to not try and install Mojave on Sierra), all of which was no problem.

I then installed my Mac EFI flashed HD7950 and it re-booted into HS and ran also without any issues at all. Looking good I thought. So I started the Mojave installer which wanted to update the firmware and after re-starting it with the button pressed in etc, I left it alone to update the firmware.

When I returned, the screen was black and the ACD monitor just occasionally flashing, but no other apparent activity and no way I could find to get the screen to work. I waited as long as could and then killed it with the button and re-booted into the previous installation backup. All seemed ok with an Apple logo and the progress bar on screen, but then it just went black again. I left it for a long time until disk thrashing sounds had subsided and tried to log in blind. This seemed to have no effect and I was wondering what to do now. But then, some combination of keyboard and mouse actions (and maybe some arcane incantations - ok, swearing brought the screen to life. I was indeed logged in to the previous install on the backup disk. But I have no idea what it was I did that kicked the screen into life. However bootrom was now showing as 138, so the firmware update had indeed worked ok.

With everything now working, I re-started and logged into the desired volume containing the recent update to HS. Got to the end of the progress bar and although it did go black briefly (maybe it always does) I then had full display of my HS desktop and everything seemed to be ok. So...

I then proceeded with the Mojave install. No complaints as the installation got started. The screen has gone off a few times (although no re-boot) and the grey screen is now back with the progress bar showing some time still remaining. Only time will tell if once finished I will have a working display.

So that's it so far, but I was intrigued by the previous post about flashed HD79xx cards giving trouble. Could someone provide any more info about this? What is the supposed trouble and is there a fix? Am I perhaps suffering this exact problem?

-------

Well I'll be ...

As I was about to post this the screen when black, then returned grey with progress bar a couple of times, then black again and came back with proper login screen. I logged in and I am now looking at my new Mojave desktop and my fusion boot drive is now APFS. So it does seem to have worked (so far . So why the black screen hiccup in the middle?

Maybe this is not exactly the same problem as yours, but this happens with GPUs that are not exactly the same port layout as the reference HD 7950 from Sapphire.

It's a lot worse with HD 7850/7870 and R9-270X flashed with 7950 Mac EFI, almost unusable without disconnecting and reconnecting the monitor cable.

 

[UKenGB]

Having got it running to the point that I can restart and get a display again, I find the Mojave install is somehow screwed. I cannot log in to any of my email accounts and iCloud Keychain has been turned off. Easy I thought.

But I simply cannot turn on iCloud Keychain. When I try to do so, it requests the Apple ID password, which I enter and is accepted, but it then wants authorisation from another of my devices (so could be iPhone, iPad or MacBook Pro - also Mojave, but without issues) or to use my iCloud Security Code and to be honest I have no recollection of any such thing, so I choose 'Request Approval' from another device. It then says it's setting it up and does precisely nothing. Sometimes it might show Keychain as checked and it might show an Options button which may or may not accept clicks and if it does, there's the daisy wheel briefly and then nothing. If Keychain is checked on, if I leave that section of Preferences and return, it's off again. It is simply failing to ask for any sort of Approval from the other devices, they are completely silent.

All references I can find about enabling iCloud Keychain and how to set/reset the iCloud Security Code describe options that simply don't exist in Mojave or iOS 12, like an 'Advanced' section. It's all just hopelessly deficient.

I realise this is rather getting away from the 'install Mojave on Mac Pro' thread but it is a direct result of having done that. Is anyone else having such difficulties with iCloud Keychain in Mojave and iOS 12? Any solutions?

Right now Mojave on my Mac Pro is totally unable to control this fundamental function.

 

[tsialex]

Having got it running to the point that I can restart and get a display again, I find the Mojave install is somehow screwed. I cannot log in to any of my email accounts and iCloud Keychain has been turned off. Easy I thought.

But I simply cannot turn on iCloud Keychain. When I try to do so, it requests the Apple ID password, which I enter and is accepted, but it then wants authorisation from another of my devices (so could be iPhone, iPad or MacBook Pro - also Mojave, but without issues) or to use my iCloud Security Code and to be honest I have no recollection of any such thing, so I choose 'Request Approval' from another device. It then says it's setting it up and does precisely nothing. Sometimes it might show Keychain as checked and it might show an Options button which may or may not accept clicks and if it does, there's the daisy wheel briefly and then nothing. If Keychain is checked on, if I leave that section of Preferences and return, it's off again. It is simply failing to ask for any sort of Approval from the other devices, they are completely silent.

All references I can find about enabling iCloud Keychain and how to set/reset the iCloud Security Code describe options that simply don't exist in Mojave or iOS 12, like an 'Advanced' section. It's all just hopelessly deficient.

I realise this is rather getting away from the 'install Mojave on Mac Pro' thread but it is a direct result of having done that. Is anyone else having such difficulties with iCloud Keychain in Mojave and iOS 12? Any solutions?

Right now Mojave on my Mac Pro is totally unable to control this fundamental function.

Maybe your hardwareIDs are corrupted. If you know how to dump your BootROM I can check it for you. I'll PM instructions.

 

[Macschrauber]

You can try a pram reset, helped me thru odd imessages login issues.

 

[UKenGB]

You can try a pram reset, helped me thru odd imessages login issues.

I've done that twice now. No difference.
[doublepost=1540456018][/doublepost]

I'd wait some days and do a clean install of 10.14.1. You can go from MP51.0089.B00 to 140.0.0.0.0, I tested here.

Any ideas when it will be released? There was a new beta released in only the last couple of days, so I'm thinking it may be a while yet.

 

[smirk]

I just wanted to thank @tsialex and everyone who has contributed to this and other MR forum threads for all the good information. Yesterday I followed the instructions in post #1, popped in my new RX560, and upgraded to Mojave. Everything's running great. Afterward, I had a couple questions about things, but they were already answered in the forums.

Thank you!

 

[UKenGB]

Another oddity that puzzles me.

With my Mac Pro running on the recent Mojave installation, I tried to install onto an external USB HD. I connect the HD, start the installer (on the boot drive) and away it goes, saying it'll take only a few minutes. Which it apparently does as the machine then seems to re-boot, but back to the original HD from which I was running the installer and a login screen. I log back in and, er, nothing. The external USB HD has some stuff on it, but the installer is not picking up after the restart and continuing with the install.

Not a major problem in fact, but somewhat puzzling. To me anyway.

 

[tsialex]

Another oddity that puzzles me.

With my Mac Pro running on the recent Mojave installation, I tried to install onto an external USB HD. I connect the HD, start the installer (on the boot drive) and away it goes, saying it'll take only a few minutes. Which it apparently does as the machine then seems to re-boot, but back to the original HD from which I was running the installer and a login screen. I log back in and, er, nothing. The external USB HD has some stuff on it, but the installer is not picking up after the restart and continuing with the install.

Not a major problem in fact, but somewhat puzzling. To me anyway.

Did you flashed the reconstructed 140.0.0.0.0?

 

[UKenGB]

Did you flashed the reconstructed 140.0.0.0.0?

Yes and unable to get iCloud Keychain working which could be the reason why so many logins are simply failing. I've created a clone on another volume but reboot has effectively come to a halt. As it got towards the end of the progress bar it slowed down and had taken about half an hour to reach the end and seems to be doing nothing now. It seems everything I try simply fails in some way if Mojave is involved. There's so many apparently inexplicable failures on both the Mac Pro and (to a lesser extent) the MacBook Pro, although that at least is able to operate its email accounts (and iCloud Keychain).

I've made a USB installer so I'll try booting from that, once I figure how long to leave this, just incase it does get there in the end.

If I had a gun I'd probably shoot it and put it out of its misery.

 

[tsialex]

Yes and unable to get iCloud Keychain working which could be the reason why so many logins are simply failing. I've created a clone on another volume but reboot has effectively come to a halt. As it got towards the end of the progress bar it slowed down and had taken about half an hour to reach the end and seems to be doing nothing now. It seems everything I try simply fails in some way if Mojave is involved. There's so many apparently inexplicable failures on both the Mac Pro and (to a lesser extent) the MacBook Pro, although that at least is able to operate its email accounts (and iCloud Keychain).

I've made a USB installer so I'll try booting from that, once I figure how long to leave this, just incase it does get there in the end.

If I had a gun I'd probably shoot it and put it out of its misery.

Start with the basics, run Apple Hardware Test, do a totally clean install, then you begin the troubleshoot. You had lots of things wrong.

I start with this:

• BootROM - ok
• AHT (use the MP5.1 version)
• Clean install
• iCloud.

 

[UKenGB]

Start with the basics, run Apple Hardware Test, do a totally clean install, then you begin the troubleshoot. You had lots of things wrong.

I start with this:

• BootROM - ok
• AHT (use the MP5.1 version)
• Clean install
• iCloud.

Yes, thanks. I'm working through it all.

 

[caliguy1965]

I am on Mojave now on my 2009 5.1 Mac Pro with a Asus Rog Strix RX560 4G Gaming (4Gb) Graphics Card.
Install was a breeze as I was on High Sierra, card was recognized immediately and just had to update the Boot Rom to 138.0.0.0.0 before Mojave install. Everything is running smooth but have a couple questions:

1. Do I need to keep the old card Gt120....I read it might be needed so best to keep it, but I do not see why?
2. When the mac boots up and I hold the "Option" key it does not go to screen with boot options.......I think I read something about this but not sure....is there something else I need to do to make that work?
3. Is there anything else left to do as far as integrating the Graphics card to my Mac Pro & Mojave?

Thank you

 

[PianoPro]

I am on Mojave now on my 2009 5.1 Mac Pro with a Asus Rog Strix RX560 4G Gaming (4Gb) Graphics Card.
Install was a breeze as I was on High Sierra, card was recognized immediately and just had to update the Boot Rom to 138.0.0.0.0 before Mojave install. Everything is running smooth but have a couple questions:

1. Do I need to keep the old card Gt120....I read it might be needed so best to keep it, but I do not see why?
2. When the mac boots up and I hold the "Option" key it does not go to screen with boot options.......I think I read something about this but not sure....is there something else I need to do to make that work?
3. Is there anything else left to do as far as integrating the Graphics card to my Mac Pro & Mojave?

Thank you

#2 is the answer to #1. There is no way to get the Option boot screen with the RX560 card, and probably never will be. So that is a reason to hang onto the GT120 card in case you really need that in the future. I also use an RX560 card and I'm hanging on to one of my original MP cards (HD5770) for that reason.

Why would you need it? It makes some things easier such as installing Windows with UEFI booting, but you can install Windows without it using legacy-BIOS booting. Could come in handy some day for other types of trouble-shooting.I suspect I will never need it again, but since I've swapped it in and out nearly a dozen times in the last month while messing around with different Windows installs, I wouldn't count on never needing it again.

In answer to #3, there is really nothing you need to do for RX560 card when using Mojave.

 

[caliguy1965]

#2 is the answer to #1. There is no way to get the Option boot screen with the RX560 card, and probably never will be. So that is a reason to hang onto the GT120 card in case you really need that in the future. I also use an RX560 card and I'm hanging on to one of my original MP cards (HD5770) for that reason.

Why would you need it? It makes some things easier such as installing Windows with UEFI booting, but you can install Windows without it using legacy-BIOS booting. Could come in handy some day for other types of trouble-shooting.I suspect I will never need it again, but since I've swapped it in and out nearly a dozen times in the last month while messing around with different Windows installs, I wouldn't count on never needing it again.

In answer to #3, there is really nothing you need to do for RX560 card when using Mojave.

Thank you, that was very helpful. Only time I needed windows, I used VMware Fusion......I assume that would work ok, without having to put back the GT120.
So, what cards don't have this issue......if any?

 

[Watashiwa]

Have a 4K Display and a GT120 is there a way to update the bootrom? Like hdmi to dvi to the GT120? Or do I need a second screen?

1. Disconnect any 4K or DP1.2 display. You can't update to MP51.0089.B00 with a 4K/DP1.2 screen connected to your Mac EFI card. It's a old bug that Apple corrected with MP6,1 and "forgot" to correct with the MP5,1. MP5,1 efiflasher don't support 4K screens or DP1.2, you can reconnect after you update.

Or do I shut down disconnect the screen, start holding powerbutton until it flashes and boots and reconnect the screen again?

Thanks

 

[tsialex]

Have a 4K Display and a GT120 is there a way to update the bootrom? Like hdmi to dvi to the GT120? Or do I need a second screen?

1. Disconnect any 4K or DP1.2 display. You can't update to MP51.0089.B00 with a 4K/DP1.2 screen connected to your Mac EFI card. It's a old bug that Apple corrected with MP6,1 and "forgot" to correct with the MP5,1. MP5,1 efiflasher don't support 4K screens or DP1.2, you can reconnect after you update.

Or do I shut down disconnect the screen, start holding powerbutton until it flashes and boots and reconnect the screen again?

Thanks

GT120 don’t have DP1.2, so probably works. Please test and report if works.

 

[h9826790]

GT120 can boot and shows boot screen on a on a monitor that set to use DP 1.2 (and upward) connection. Most likely because the card itself is DP 1.1

 

[Watashiwa]

GT120 can boot and shows boot screen on a DP 1.2 (and upward) connection.

I have no bootscreeen with the GT120 on Mini DisplayPort with a 4K Display don’t no it’s a good idea to upgrade?