Bondi Blue Install No Working CDRom

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Level 1

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Bondi Blue Install No Working CDRom

I bought a 1998 (I'm pretty sure it's) Bondi Blue (with a bad CDRom drive) that came with OS 9.2 and booted into Macintosh Server Manager. It won't let me go beyond that without a username/pw and that's fine so I wanted to install another HD (I have a 40 GB one I'm trying) and I was thinking perhaps I can just image OS 9.2 to the HD from one of my other Macs. When I try that I just get the folder/question mark and it doesn't do anything else.

I figured maybe if I clear the PRAM I could get further but holding the 4 keys for that results in no beeps, no nothing. It just sits there. How long should it take? I've held it for at least a minute.

I also bought another CDRom but I question if it works too. It's very difficult to open although the light does come on when I turn the machine on.

As a last resort I have a slot-loading G3 that boots fine so I was wondering about cloning it's drive but prefer if I can just figure out how to get something installed on the Bondi I would be happy.

Can anyone offer me suggestions please? Thanks.

Posted on May 13, 2024 8:23 AM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

245,231 points

May 13, 2024 2:28 PM in response to DonLafferty

There is a way to mac those old Macs boot from USB, sadly I'm drawing an absolute blank on how to find it in my notes.... oh wait...

"Command-Option-o-f" to boot into Open Firmware.

Boot PowerPC Macs via USB 2.0 drives

Authored by: kL on Mar 07, '06 01:24:18PM

Why set nvram variable? I've had open-firmware based Pegasos PPC and it simply had boot command, so instead of:

setenv boot-device ud:3,\:tbxi

should be enough to write:

boot ud:3,\:tbxi

8. Restart your iMac while holding down Command+Option+O+F. This will place you in Open Firmware.

9. Type dev / ls to get the device tree list.

Look for something in the output like:

/usb@b

/disk@1

As we're talking about a tree here, write down the complete path to this node. In my case it would be:

/ht/pci@2/usb@b/disk@2

10. Type devalias ud /ht/pci@2/usb@b/disk@2. In other words: make 'ud' equal to the path you found in step 9.

11.Now verify you got the right disk:

dir ud:3,\

(3 is the partition number you wrote down in step 7). And look for a file with tbxi attribute, probably in:

\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX, e.g.:

dir ud:3,\System\Library\CoreServices

12.Then boot from it:

boot ud:3,\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX

13. Wait a little bit – while the iMac restarts and if you see the Leopard Installer begin, you're done.

https://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20101011105729488

Why rare when I can do it! All you have to do is type in open firmware the following:

boot ud:3,

:tbxi or if you just have one USB device, type: boot ud:,

:tbxi.

Works everytime, also works for flash drives and external optical drives hooked up to USB..

Only drawback: It won't appear as a start up disk under system preferences, I am trying to figure out how to hack it to make it recognize it. USB 2.0 booting on PowerPC was introduced silently with Tiger 10.4.3(from what I read).

for any powerpc mac, go into open firmware and type: devalias.. scroll until you see "ud"(your device needs to be hooked up for this to work). Then follow the instructions above.. You will be amazed to welcome USB as a new member of your powerpc bootable family.

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Answer 2

DonLafferty Author

Level 1

10 points

May 13, 2024 2:57 PM in response to DonLafferty

Success! I would have tried BDAqua's instructions but happened to see the RetroTech guy install an SSD in one almost as old as mine so I tried something. As I mentioned, I have a slot loader also and a USB to IDE adapter. I put a drive on the adapter and connected to the slot loader (SL from here on out) and saw the drive. So that SL has both 9.2 and 10.? on it so I booted into X to use Disk Utility and created a partition for OS 9.2, rebooted into that on the SL, stuck a 9.2.1 install CD in, and installed onto the USB disk.

Then I put that disk in the BB, turned it on, and it worked!

Does the BB Rev A. have Open Firmware? I should probably try it again but I had tried in the past and couldn't get it to come up. I'm also curious about PRAM. How can I tell if it's a Rev A or B? It is def one or the other as it has an Infrared receiver. About This Computer reports 160 MB of RAM so I'm suspecting A.

I know a lot about PCs but not Apples. I have a bunch of them but mainly as a collector. I've never really spent a lot of time learning about how to do special stuff.

But thanks for those you made suggestions. It's really appreciated.

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Answer 3

DonLafferty Author

Level 1

10 points

May 13, 2024 12:11 PM in response to BDAqua

I really appreciate this but I'm afraid the Bondi won't boot from USB and since I can't even get into the OS I can't do the other stuff.

I guess I'm curious if anyone knows a way to get by the Server Manager screen. I'm fine with installing something else and if there's a way to just copy a drive that would work too I think. Maybe I should pull the HD out of the slot-loader or maybe I can just use it with my USB to IDE adapter to copy the drive. If I make a copy of the disk should it be bootable?

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Answer 4

BDAqua

Level 10

245,231 points

May 13, 2024 4:03 PM in response to DonLafferty

Great work! :)

The "revision A" model "unofficially" can support a maximum of 384 MB of memory (one 128 MB and one 256 MB module) and the "revision B" model can use a maximum of 512 MB of memory (two 256 MB modules).

** 15.0" (13.8" viewable area) display supports 640x480 at 117 Hz, 800x600 at 95 Hz, and 1024x768 at 75 Hz.

† The video in the original model (Revision A) can be upgraded to 6 MB via the VRAM expansion slot.

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/faq/differences-between-original-bondi-imac-g3-models.html#:~:text=The%20"revision%20A"%20model%20",and%201024x768%20at%2075%20Hz.

Apple and Open Firmware

Apple Computer adopted Open Firmware with its PCI-based Power Macintosh models, starting with the Power Macintosh 9500 in 1995. For such models through the beige Power Macintosh G3, the classic Macintosh Toolbox was stored within the boot ROM itself as an Open Firmware device. Thus, they are still classified as Old World ROM systems. Starting with the first iMac G3 in 1998, a bootloader would instead load New World ROMs from the boot drive. The Open Firmware interface can be accessed at startup by holding down the COMMAND + OPTION + O + F keys