Xserve Hard Drive Not Seen When Booting From OS X Server 10.5 DVD

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Level 1

4 points

Xserve Hard Drive Not Seen When Booting From OS X Server 10.5 DVD

I have inherited an "ancient" Xserve (Slot Load) G4 (M8888LL/A). I recently upgraded the internal slot load CD-ROM to a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive. I had hoped this would allow me to easily boot and install from the Mac OS X Server 10.5 (Leopard) installation DVD.

Booting from the Leopard Server DVD works fine, however, at the beginning of the installation, when I have to choose what drive I want to install to, the Xserve's internal hard drive (the only ADM in the server) is not listed. Running Disk Utility does not show the internal hard drive either. It only shows the combo DVD drive; nothing else. The internal hard drive isn't shown +at all+, +the entire disk is missing+; it's not just "not mounted", it's as if it doesn't even exist.

However, I know the drive is working and is seen by the system. If I boot using an external Firewire hard drive, it is able to see the Xserve's internal hard drive without any issues. I can then install OS X Server from the external Firewire drive without any trouble and then boot from the internal drive, once the install is finished.

I would be satisfied with this workaround, but I want to use the external Firewire drive as a Time Machine backup drive, and would like to have all the space on the drive available for backups. So I would very much like to be able to install from the DVD drive.

I've noticed that when I boot from the installation DVD, the ADM activity light shows steady solid blue once the DVD has booted up. This is unusual, as the blue activity light should only be illuminated when there is disk activity. --However, the light is on constantly, without blinking.

Also, when I run the mount command, the DVD disc is shown as Disk1s3, however, the internal hard drive is not listed at all; there is no Disk0 listed. It's almost as if the DVD cancels out the internal hard drive ID somehow. (I'm know that makes no sense)

Lastly, I have found a kind of workaround: if I remove the ADM BEFORE I boot up from the installation DVD, and then hot plug the ADM after the installation DVD has booted up, then the hard drive is seen and I can choose it as a proper install location. Interestingly, the hard drive is assigned the disk ID Disk6s3 when I hot plug it this way. But nonetheless, can someone please explain to me why I can't just start out with it already plugged in?

Oh, and yes, I have tried multiple times to repartition and erase the drive using Apple Partition Map with HFS+ Journaled, in all four drive bays. --Doesn't help; I still can't see the drive when I boot from the install DVD (as long as I start with the ADM already plugged in to the server).

Does this make sense to anyone?

Thanks for any help or insight anyone can offer.

Xserve (Slot Load) G4, Mac OS X (10.5.8), 1.33 Ghz., 2 GB RAM, 60 GB ADM, DVD Combo Drive

Posted on Dec 29, 2009 6:54 PM

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Answer 1

Douggo

Level 4

2,740 points

Dec 29, 2009 7:56 PM in response to jsmiley125

The first and only obvious thing that springs to my mind is the jumper settings on the new DVD drive. IIRC, the G4 Xserves used PATA ADM's and I would imagine that they are set to Cable Select. Even though the DVD drive should be on a different bus from the ADM slots, I'd compare the jumper settings from the old CD drive and the new DVD drive and match them if you haven't already done so. You may have to experiment with the settings on the DVD drive to find a setting that might work.

-Doug

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Answer 2

jsmiley125 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 29, 2009 8:24 PM in response to Douggo

Doug,

I had wondered about the same thing, but after taking a closer look at the DVD Combo Drive, I can't see any physical jumpers anywhere on the drive. I had also checked online to see if there was a firmware update, or utility to change the master/slave selection via software, but there is none. Actually, I take that back, a firmware update was released for the Combo Drive in 2003, however it addresses a problem ejecting discs. --It says absolutely nothing about master/slave issues.

But I too agree that, that seems like the most obvious thing. Does anyone know if there's a way to change the master/slave/cable select setting via software/firmware for a slot load DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive?

Thanks again!

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Answer 3

Douggo

Level 4

2,740 points

Dec 29, 2009 10:28 PM in response to jsmiley125

I did some digging around and there is no mention of jumper settings for any of the slot-load optical drives for any model they are used in. So much for that being a possible cause..

On a lark, if you have the original Install discs that came with the Xserve, can you boot from them and does the ADM exhibit the same problem?

-Doug

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Answer 4

Dec 30, 2009 2:46 AM in response to jsmiley125

Is this a stock ADM and drive as supplied by Apple?

It sounds like the ADM may be stock and that the hard physical hard drive has been replaced.

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Answer 5

jsmiley125 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 30, 2009 9:23 AM in response to Douggo

Doug,

Unfortunately I do not have the original OS disks. But, I can get
my hands on some OS X 10.2 CDs (regular workstation, not server) and boot from them to see if that works.

I'll try it tonight and report back.

--JJ

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Answer 6

jsmiley125 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 30, 2009 9:25 AM in response to DaddyPaycheck

This IS the original ADM that came with the server. It has never been replaced.

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Answer 7

jsmiley125 Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 31, 2009 6:54 PM in response to Douggo

Doug,

I tried booting to both an OS X 10.2 and OS X 10.3 (both not Server, just regular workstation; the only server disc I have available is the 10.5 DVD) install CDs... and somehow created more questions than answers:

I was able to see both CDs while running OS X Server 10.5.8, booted up from the local hard drive (ADM). And, I was able to choose each CD as a startup disk, from the Startup Disk utility, however, once I rebooted the Xserve and actually tried to boot from either CD, it just skipped past them both and booted straight from the hard drive, like nothing was in the combo drive. <Sigh>

So... I then grabbed a Tech Tools DVD, and tried booting from that. --That worked; no problem. Once I was booted from the Tech Tools DVD, it was able to see the internal hard drive. I ran a number of tests on the drive, all of which passed.

So, 10.2, 10.3 CDs -no go. Tech Tools DVD -works great, sees the internal Xserve hard drive.

BTW, after running the Tech Tools tests, I tried running the OS X Server 10.5 install from the DVD again, and again, it didn't see the internal drive.

-JJ

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Answer 8

Douggo

Level 4

2,740 points

Dec 31, 2009 10:02 PM in response to jsmiley125

Hi JJ,

So, 10.2, 10.3 CDs -no go. Tech Tools DVD -works great, sees the internal Xserve hard drive.

The fact that it will boot from the TT disc is encouraging. I may not be surprised that it wouldn't boot from the 10.2/10.3 discs unless they the retail version and not machine-specific discs. The 10.2/10.3 discs for the G4's had machine-specific boot ROM code - you couldn't boot the G4 iBook with a G4 Sawtooth disc..

Still, this leaves you with no resolution. 😟 There has to be some incompatibility between the 10.5 DVD and the interaction with the ADM when booting from the DVD. The only other solution is to try an external DVD drive to see if it will boot from that and have the ADM function. That kills the utility of having the internal DVD drive, but ought to prove if it's tied to the DVD drive, the 10.5 disc or the combination of both.

-Doug

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Answer 9

Jan 1, 2010 3:14 AM in response to jsmiley125

Sorry I missed the upgraded optical drive part. Which model optical drive did you replace the original with? Are you sure that the other disks that you are booting from are DVDs and not CDs?

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Answer 10

jsmiley125 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jan 6, 2010 5:06 AM in response to Douggo

Doug,

Unfortunately, I don't have an external firewire DVD drive to test with; and having just spent $100 on the internal DVD drive upgrade, I'm not inclined to spend another $100. :-/

But, just FYI, I do have an external firewire hard drive, which has a bootable image of the Server 10.5 DVD. When I boot from it, the Server installation does see the Xserve's ADM. But, I realize, that isn't the same as testing an actual DVD drive, in case there is some bizarre conflict that only occurs when booting from the server disc.

Unfortunately, this may go unsolved; like I said, I'm not too eager to go buy a firewire drive at the moment. I had thought maybe someone would see this and say, "Oh yeah, OS X Server DVD and an old G4 Xserve, that's a known issue..."

Thanks for the help though!

--JJ

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