OS9 boot problem

Question

OS9 boot problem

Being a latecomer to OSX, I've been trying my hand at installing both OS9.2 and OSX (Jaguar) on a Bondi iMac (now running at 333mHz). The hardware has been brought up to snuff, with 288MB RAM and a 10GB hard disk, but getting this machine to where I could boot EITHER into OSX or OS9.2 hasn't worked, no matter how I set up the drive for boot volumes (Drive Setup) or choose one through the Startup Disk conrol panel. All I get is a gray screen.

I did check several of the docs here for relevant info, but none appear to offer a solution, unless I've missed something.

What follows is the sequence of actions I took:
1. Opened firmware update, which told me that the firmware was up-to-date. I did not, then, have to fiddle around with the "programmer's hole".

2. Updated Apple's disk drivers. Initialized drive using Drive Setup (from OS 9.1 CD-ROM). Set drive up with two partitions, the top one being 8GB (for the OSX 10.2 volume) and the balance 1.75GB (for the OS9 or Classic volume). Mac Extended OS.

3. Installed OS9.1 on the smaller volume, chose that volume as the Startup Disk through 9.1's Startup Disk control panel.

4. Restarted into OS 9.1. (At this point all is well, but goes downhill from here.)

5. Restarted from the 9.2.2 CD-ROM and proceeded with installation of 9.2.2 over the existing 9.1 volume. Checked to make certain that the smaller (now OS9.2.2) volume is selected as the startup disk. Nothing here appears to be out of the ordinary.

6. TRIED to restart in OS 9.2, but no go. All I got was a gray screen with the following tiny text in the upper left corner:

Apple iMac open firmware 3.0f2
Built on 4/23/99 @ 14.31.03
All right reserved Apple Computer Inc.
ok
0 > _

So, what am I missing here?

Beige G3/266, Bondi iMac 233, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Nov 28, 2005 6:01 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Nov 28, 2005 6:31 PM in response to Michael Hetes

Hi, Michael. You mention a 9.2.2 CD-ROM, and I suspect that's the root of your problem. No CD that can install OS 9.2.2 is likely to do so properly on a Bondi iMac, since it's bound to be a model-specific CD that was shipped with some other Mac.

Erase your 1.75GB partition, reinstall OS 9.1 on it from a retail OS 9.1 installer CD, and then use the downloadable OS 9.2.1 and 9.2.2 updaters in sequence, not a CD, to bring the OS up to 9.2.2.

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Answer 2

Nov 28, 2005 9:37 PM in response to eww

Hi, Michael -

In addition to eww's advice, you may be experiencing an issue re the 8GB limit that applies to your model.

Per Apple KBase Article #25249 - Gray or White Screen After Hard Drive Upgrade, the 8GB limit, which applies to your iMac 233/333MHz model, applies to all OS's, not just OSX.

The fact that your machine booted to OS 9.1 on the second partition may have been a fortuitous occurance. The first volume (partition) may actually be a bit smaller than 8GB, and the initial install of OS 9.1 fell inside the first 8GB - but the update to OS 9.2.x placed OS components outside it.

Suggest you install OS 9 on the first partition along with OSX - the two are designed to cohabit the same volume, although having them on different partitions makes some things easier. Alternatively, reformat the drive with two partitions occupying the first 8GB of the drive, one for OSX, and one for OS 9.

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Answer 3

Nov 29, 2005 2:09 AM in response to Don Archibald

i would do a google search with the name brand of the drive and the model number like this (BN M# strap settings) it should show some links that shows the jummper settings for your hdd. I had install problems on this beige when installing OS X it would go ther the first disk just fine then it restart like normal than a white screen poped up (witch was the openfirmware screen) with the words can't open writing accrost the screen. then a guy from these forums helped me out and told me that the strap settings on the hdd was not right. my hdd jumper setting was on master. so i looked at the site for the name brand of my drive that the guy linked to and tryed diffrent jumper settings. the first one i tryed worked wich called for me to remove the jummper witch put it into single master setting and has worked ever since.

This might not apply to the iMac but i dont know it is worth a shot

and before i did any thing i pressed and held the cuda for 30 seconds if the iMac has one

i got 2 partitions the first is OS X and its 8gig's on the second is os 9.2.2. once in os 9.2.2 i went to startup disk and chose to boot into OS X and it does without a hitch. And when i want to boot into 9.2.2 i hold down the option key at start chime

hope you get it all sorted arround

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Answer 4

Nov 29, 2005 2:36 AM in response to Frank McHugh

sorry for the double post but dont you have to install a firmware update to get it to work right if you already havent. it also seems that since its stoping at open firmware the auto boot is off try typing boot (press enter/return) or bye (press enter/return). i cant remember how to set autoboot to on in open firmware

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Answer 5

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Nov 29, 2005 9:23 AM in response to Don Archibald

I concur with and gratefully accept Don's correction, i.e. that both OSes need to be in the first 8GB of the drive — a requirement I forgot about when posting above. So while there may well be merit in my comments about the OS 9.2.2 CD, there probably isn't any in my advice to reinstall OS 9 on your 1.75GB partition. Don's idea is better — install both OSes on the 8GB partition, or divide the first 8GB into two partitions.

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Answer 6

Nov 30, 2005 9:27 AM in response to eww

OK. I grok what you guys are getting at, and it all makes perfect sense.

Just one more question: Will I still require a separate partition with a copy of OS9 in order to boot into that OS (which was the cause for this post in the first place)? Or will that be unnecessary?

If so, do I need to perform any tricks with setting up that partition as the Startup Disk?

i cant remember how to set autoboot to on in open firmware

I didn't even know such a thing was possible.

Thanks very much for your imput.

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Answer 7

Nov 30, 2005 10:37 AM in response to Michael Hetes

Hi, Michael -

Will I still require a separate partition with a copy of OS9 in order to boot into that OS (which was the cause for this post in the first place)? Or will that be unnecessary?

OS 9 and OSX can be on the same partition, and both remain bootable OS's - OSX was designed to cohabit the same volume as OS 9 without conflict.

You may find that drag-copying the OS 9 System Folder from the other partition to the 8GB partition will be sufficient - I've 'installed' several OS 9's that way on supplemental volumes (volume = an unpartitioned drive, or a partition of a partitioned one), and each has been bootable immediately.

Many folk prefer to have OS 9 and OSX on separate volumes, because it can make maintenance and housekeeping easier - but it's not necessary. For what it's worth, Macs which originally shipped with both OS 9 and OSX pre-installed came with both OS's on the same volume, including those machines which were OS 9 bootable.

***

How to select which to boot to?

When you want to switch OS's, use Startup Disk (control panel in OS 9, or control pane in System Preferences in OSX) to select the other OS and then restart.

***

If so, do I need to perform any tricks with setting up that partition as the Startup Disk?

No tricks are necessary, provided that partition has OS 9 drivers installed, and thus is mountable by OS 9. If that partition is visible on the desktop when booted to an OS 9 Install CD, it has the drivers.

***

i cant remember how to set autoboot to on in open firmware

That's not necessary. By default, all connected drives are mounted at boot (provided they are powered and have media).

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Answer 8

Nov 30, 2005 10:39 AM in response to Michael Hetes

Michael,

I don't see a problem with booting into OSX in your original post.

If you hold down 'X' while you power on or restart, it should boot into OSX for you.

While in OSX you can use the Finder to copy the OS9.2.2 system folder from the smaller partition back to the 8Gb partition,

Then you can test it by selecting it (make sure you get the right OS9,2,2 disk) in the Startup Disk system preference and restarting. You could also test it (but not as thoroughly) by selecting it in the Classic system preference and trying to start Classic.

If all goes well you should be able to trash the OS9.2.2 on the second partition.

OS9.2.2 and OSX will live very happily on the same disk partition.
I have 2 x 4Gb and a 110Gb partition in my old iMac. The first partition contains OS8.6 and OSX10.2, the second contains OSX 10.3 and OS9.2.2. The OS9.2.2 on the second partition is used as classic for both OSX installations - that's a white lie, it's selected as the classic OS9 folder, but I never actually run anything under classic on this mac.

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Answer 9

Dec 2, 2005 7:34 AM in response to Simon Teale

Well, there is light at the end of the tunnel -- this one, anyway.

It seems that dr. eww's diagnosis was right on the money. Using a 9.2.2 disk was a bad idea, and following the course of action described above proved to be the cure for my initial issue -- booting into OS9.2.2.

Just for laughs(?) though, I also installed, at the same time, an OS9.1 volume on the remaining 1.8GB partition of the drive prior to installing Jaguar, which I was able to boot into after the OSX install. However, upgrading that partition to 9.2.2 seemed to break it. That partition will no longer boot without the infamous gray screen. Any ideas why?

From Simon Teale:

The first partition contains OS8.6 and OSX10.2, the second contains OSX 10.3 and OS9.2.2.<</div>

Just one question about your setup: Can you boot into any of the four OSes listed above?

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Answer 10

Dec 2, 2005 9:13 AM in response to Michael Hetes

Michael,

I can. All fall within the first 8Gb of the disk, and all four appear in the startup disk system preference / control panel in any of the OS's. Although for OS8.6 I had to use a more up-to-date version of the Startup Disk control panel (from OS9) to allow OS8.6 to 'see' OSX as a startup system.

It's now my Software testing mac, where I try out new versions of software and new patches.

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Answer 11

eww

Level 9

53,028 points

Dec 2, 2005 9:36 AM in response to Michael Hetes

Just for laughs(?) though, I also installed, at the
same time, an OS9.1 volume on the remaining 1.8GB
partition of the drive prior to installing Jaguar,
which I was able to boot into after the OSX
install. However, upgrading that partition to 9.2.2
seemed to break it. That partition will no longer
boot without the infamous gray screen. Any ideas
why?

Yes. I suspect this paragraph from Don's first post above probably explains that:

"The fact that your machine booted to OS 9.1 on the second partition may have been a fortuitous occurrence. The first volume (partition) may actually be a bit smaller than 8GB, and the initial install of OS 9.1 fell inside the first 8GB - but the update to OS 9.2.x placed OS components outside it."

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