The macOS 9.2.2 iBook G4 and PowerBook G4! 😁

[retr01]

I picked up an iBook G4 12" in great condition at 1.07 GHz, and the RAM maxed out to 1.25 GB. Yay!

Now, I will get the 30 GB IDE ATA/100 HDD swapped out to the 128 GB SSD. This is what I am thinking:

https://www.amazon.com/mSATA-44pin-Notebook-Laptop-Enclosure/dp/B01GRMUQRG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

128gb 256GB 500gb 1TB mSATA SSD Internal SATA 3 Solid State Drive Lot Dogfish | eBay

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I would like to chime in. I have read a few accounts that it has worked, so I was wondering if anyone here on TinkerDifferent has done this already?

 

[retr01]

And yes, macOS 9.2.2 will work on an iBook G4 (early/late 2004).

Mac OS 9.2.2 for iBook G4 - Macintosh Garden

Mac OS 9.2.2 for unsupported iBook G4 series Macintosh notebooks. This method uses a modified boot ROM created by darthnVader (MacOS9Lives). http://macos9lives.com/smforum/index.php?topic=5775.msg43574#msg43574 (OP darthnVader).

macintoshgarden.org

 

[rjkucia]

I actually just got your iBook's sibling/cousin/close friend, a PowerBook G4 12" 867MHz, and in fact just ordered the same PATA-mSATA enclosure! I assume I was out of luck for OS 9, but it sounds like it *might* work with a Mac OS 9 Lives image. So I'll see if I can get mine to work too!

 

[retr01]

Cool, @rjkucia! I found this journal by someone else a few years back while upgrading to the SSD, which led me to go that route for my iBook:

My PowerBook G4 12" Journal - Full tear down, SSD upgrade and CPU Fan.

Introduction I recently decided to give some attention to my PowerBook G4 12" 1.5Ghz, SuperDrive with 1.25GB RAM, which I acquired earlier in the year. The previous owner didn't know what the specs were and had it listed as an 867Mhz original series with CD-ROM and 256MB RAM. I took a punt and...

forums.macrumors.com

As for macOS 9.2.2, which PowerBook G4 do you have? Titanium or Aluminum? The Titanium (A1025) should be able to use this one to have a modified System Folder:

Mac OS 9.2.2 System Folders for Power Macs G4 and PowerBook G4 Titanium (DVI) - Macintosh Garden

Some 9.2.2 System Folders for machines that don't allow traditional CD/DVD-based install of Mac OS 9. Download #1: Mac OS 9.2.2 folder from a Power Mac G4 Quicksilver. Download #2: Mac OS 9.2.2 folder with Classic Function installed for Mac OS X Tiger. Download #3: Complete Mac OS 9 extraction...

macintoshgarden.org

According to this site below, the PowerBook G4 models with the identifiers of [5,1], [5,2], [5,3], [5,4] are the best.

Mac Classic

Tips and tricks to help keep your Mac OS 9/Early Mac OS computers usable today. Software downloads, guides, hacks and news.

mac-classic.com

 

[rjkucia]

Yeah, the HDD replacement looks like a huge pain in the ass, but still easier than a lot of PCs of that era still lol. Hopefully your iBook is somewhat easier.

The 12" only came in Aluminum, and does not support 9 natively. Apparently it was the first model to drop Mac OS 9 support entirely. According to this, I should be able to hack it to work, I'll just be missing WiFi and graphics acceleration.

 

[retr01]

Some graphics acceleration is working on the 12" iBook G4. Hmmm.

Modified Via ATI drivers for iBook G4 Radeon 9200M9+ OS 9 ).

Modified Via ATI drivers for iBook G4 Radeon 9200M9+ OS 9 ).

macos9lives.com

 

[rjkucia]

Yeah, I clicked through to the forum post hosting the image and I think those issues might have been fixed in a newer release, but the internal speakers might not work. In any case, I'm excited to try OS 9 on this - should be extremely fast!

Also, I looked up what it takes to replace the iBook's HDD, and it looks like it's arguably even more difficult than the PowerBook. Sorry, lol

 

[retr01]

Harder? I've done difficult things before. It will be fun! Whoo!

 

[retr01]

just ordered the same PATA-mSATA enclosure!

Same here. And the 128 GB SSD, too. *rubs my hands*

 

[retr01]

I'm excited to try OS 9 on this - should be extremely fast!

Yes, and Virtual PC 6 should fly, too. Not sure how graphics will work, but I imagine if host graphics works, then I should be able to play the MS-DOS Inca games on my Mac Mini G4 and the iBook G4.

 

[3lectr1c]

Yeah, the HDD replacement looks like a huge pain in the ass, but still easier than a lot of PCs of that era still lol. Hopefully your iBook is somewhat easier.

I’d have to disagree with you there - every single PC laptop from that time has some sort of cover on the bottom of the side that only takes a few screws to open, with the hard drive right inside. The G4 iBook on the other hand is a monumental process that I’ve unfortunately had to do before to upgrade my own to an SSD. Definitely more difficult.

 

[rjkucia]

Just finished the job last night! As expected, a huge pain in the ass, haha.

I’d have to disagree with you there - every single PC laptop from that time has some sort of cover on the bottom of the side that only takes a few screws to open, with the hard drive right inside. The G4 iBook on the other hand is a monumental process that I’ve unfortunately had to do before to upgrade my own to an SSD. Definitely more difficult.

Yeah looking back at that comment I'm not sure what I had in mind, since thinking about it now I haven't actually worked on too many laptops from the early '00s. Most laptops definitely have easier ways to get to the hard drive, but still I don't think it's the worst I've ever worked on. At least there weren't any delicate ZIF connectors that break if you look at them wrong, or daughterboards with poor tolerances that you have to jam in just right!

 

[retr01]

Cool! Waiting for my iBook G4 to arrive. The other stuff arrived.

 

[rjkucia]

By the way, anyone have a recommendation for how to set up the partitions? I started off partitioning my 256GB drive with just 20GB or so for OS 9 and leaving the rest blank. My plan was then to add another partition and use Target Disk Mode to then restore the old HDD to the new drive. However, in Disk Utility (on High Sierra) I don't see a way to create new partitions without erasing the whole drive. Should I have set up all my partitions at the start? Or something else?

 

[retr01]

I'd split it in half. I stick with a 128 GB SSD and have partitions of 64 GB for OS X and 64 GB for OS 9. Plenty. If I need more storage, I will get an external device via FW400.

In your case, @rjkucia, with a 256 GB SSD, 128 GB even partitions will be acceptable. Remember that macOS 9 has a usable and addressable limit of 190 GB for storage media. I read somewhere else that it was 200 GB. Hmmm.

9.1 / 9.2 - What File system type to use ? - Apple Community

discussions.apple.com

You can reduce the partitions if you wish for either side. Keep in mind to give enough space for having fun with macOS 9 and enough room for OS X to breathe.

As for the methodology, I am wondering as well. I thought about doing it in target mode. Then, I wondered if it might be easier to burn a bootable OS X Tiger CD and work from there to set up the SSD and install OS X Tiger on one partition. Then, boot from a burned unsupported G4 MacOS 9 CD to install on the other partition.

 

[rjkucia]

I'm actually planning on 3 partitions - OS 9, Tiger, and Sorbet Leopard - but I was mostly wondering about HFS+/Apple Partition Map's capability of modifying partition tables without completely erasing the disk. For example, if later on I decide I want to install some flavor of Linux later on on a 4th partition, what's the best way I can prepare for that now so I don't have to wipe the disk at that point?

 

[retr01]

I'm actually planning on 3 partitions - OS 9, Tiger, and Sorbet Leopard - but I was mostly wondering about HFS+/Apple Partition Map's capability of modifying partition tables without completely erasing the disk. For example, if later on I decide I want to install some flavor of Linux later on on a 4th partition, what's the best way I can prepare for that now so I don't have to wipe the disk at that point?

Yeah, apparently if there are macOS 9 drivers, changing and resizing partitions have not been possible yet. I noticed some discussion about that over at Mac Rumors.

Resize Mac Os X 10.4.11 partitions non destructively

Hi all, I am happily fiddling with my eMac G4. I would like to decrease OS X partition without losing its content / functionality. What kind of software can I use? I also have another mac so I could use the eMac in target mode and do the resize from there. Thanks for your suggestions :)

forums.macrumors.com

 

[retr01]

Interesting. You can have substantial hard drive space as long as each partition is 190 (or 200) GB or less for macOS 9 to be able to "see" and "use."

How Big a Drive Does Mac OS 9 Support? - Low End Mac

Someone in our Facebook group asked an interesting question: “Anyone know the maximum size flash drive that can be used in OS 9.2 on a 300 MHz iBook G3?” I have to admit, he had me stumped. Someone quickly chimed in that Apple’s HFS+ supports up to 2 exabytes (an exabyte is a million terabytes...

lowendmac.com

 

[rjkucia]

Aha, thank you! That's probably my problem.

 

[retr01]

Today, I got my 12" iBook G4! Now here is the introduction...*drum roll*