Jeff at K2

Q: "nvram boot-args" returns error

According to this page:

 

Turn on performance mode for OS X Server - Apple Support

 

The command "nvram boot-args" should return values including whether or not Performance Mode is enabled. However, what it returns is:

 

"nvram: Error getting variable - 'boot-args': (iokit/common) data was not found"

 

Does this mean it's simply not set, there's an error, or that it's set to 0. I was expecting something like "serverperfmode=0" if that were the case.


Thanks,


Jeff

Many, Xserves, MBPs, Minis, iMacs, etc

Posted on May 19, 2016 5:56 AM

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Q: "nvram boot-args" returns error

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  • by John Lockwood,Helpful

    John Lockwood John Lockwood May 19, 2016 7:59 AM in response to Jeff at K2
    Level 6 (9,215 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    May 19, 2016 7:59 AM in response to Jeff at K2

    It would appear that as default serverperfmode=1 is not set, therefore rather than it being serverperfmode=0 it literally does not exist.

     

    The error message you are getting is consistent I believe with not having any boot-args set at all. I get this on my OS X Servers as well. I do however get the following on my OS X clients.

     

    sh-3.2# nvram boot-args

    boot-args mbasd=1

     

    This is what I would expect in our circumstances, the above enables support for the USB Apple SuperDrive and is an option I have enabled on all our clients as part of the imaging process I use.

     

    You might want to see Turn on performance mode for OS X Server - Apple Support

     

    Based on its wording I interpret it also as confirming that the default is that Performance mode is not enabled.

  • by tim.rohrer,

    tim.rohrer tim.rohrer Aug 21, 2016 12:12 PM in response to John Lockwood
    Level 1 (36 points)
    Servers Enterprise
    Aug 21, 2016 12:12 PM in response to John Lockwood

    I came across this thread after reading the linked article and getting the same error. And I can confirm that going ahead and issuing the command to turn on performance mode made it so the error was not returned when nvram boot-args was issued.

     

    I provided feedback on the article because I thought it could be clearer.