[kupan787]

Well I had to switch to OS 9 for the first time in 2 months now (wow has it been that long), andnow I cant get back to OS X. I select it in the System Disk Control Panel, but when I restart, I go back to OS 9.

I am running OS X on a Beige G3, so I can't hold down the opt key to get the menuish thing on startup, but is there any other way to start up in X?

I can get to open firmware, and I knwo the partion number my OS X is installed on, so what is the command to get it to boot off that (or is there another beter gui tool).

Thanks,
Ben

[lythari]

Try holding down option when you start up your computer. On my Pismo I get a screen showing all the operating systems on my various partitions, from which I can pick which one I want to start off. Not sure if you can do that on a Beige G3 though.

[Ghoser777]

Here's something I found a little while ago (worked under the PB, but not my work... I forget who wrote it up):

Without further ado:

1) Set the system to reboot into OS X in the System Disk prefs panel.
2) Open the terminal.
3) Type nvram -p > osXboot.nvram
(This runs the command "nvram -p" which prints out the contents of the
nvram, where the boot variables are stored. The command then redirects the
output from the screen into the file osXboot.nvram. The file name is
unimportant.)
4) Set the system to reboot into OS 9.
5) Type nvram -p > os9boot.nvram in the terminal.
6) Type diff osXboot.nvram os9boot.nvram
(This compares the differences between two files. If differences are
found, then it prints the line number that the difference was found on,
and if it was a change or a deletion, etc. Then it prints "<" and the
changed line from the first file. Then you get three dashes. Then it
prints ">" and the changed line in the second file. Check the man pages on
diff if this is unclear.)
So you should get an output like:


code:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
22c22


< boot-device
/pci@f2000000/pci-bridge@d/mac-io@7/ata-4@1f000/@0:10,\\:tbxi


---


> boot-device /pci@f2000000/pci-bridge@D/mac-io@7/ata-4@1f000/@0:9,\\:tbxi


------------------------------------------------------------------------This
is telling you that the nvram variable "boot-device" is different for
booting into X and 9. The confusing garble afterward is what makes it boot
into X (top line) or 9 (bottom line).

The output looks like this if you are on a B&W G3 or later. A beige G3 and
maybe some early iMacs will spit out something totally different. Don't
worry. It's still correct.
There may be additional changes, too, if you need to boot off a different
partition or disk. If there are, you need to take them into account, too.
7) OK, still with me? Now, open up a new terminal window and type pico
9boot.command -- this opens an easy text editor and makes a new file
called "9boot.command". You could do it in text edit, but I'm not sure if
it saves with UNIX hard returns correct. Pico does.
8) OK, now we're editing our script -- basically a text file with shell
commands that gets run whenever you run it from the terminal, or (if its
name ends with ".command") when you double-click it from the finder.
Now, type sudo nvram boot-var="contents" into pico, where "boot-var" was
the changed variable and "contents" is the contents of that variable that
the bottom line of the diff output gives. (Bottom line = second file = os
9 booting nvram).
You may not need to quotation marks if there are no spaces in the boot
variable's contents. Also, if you need to change multiple variables, you
might be able to do this like sudo nvram boot-var1="contents1"
boot-var2="contents2", or you might need to do it on separate lines. I
can't remember -- you'll have to experiment.
9) If you want the script to automatically restart (not recommended until
you get it debugged) you need to include the line sudo shutdown -r now at
the end.
Note that each time the script calls the sudo command, you have to type
the root password, unless you edit the file /etc/sudoers (I think?) and
add your username. Then you just have to type it once, I think...
10) Now, type control-O to save the file. (here on out, control is
abbreviated as ^, to go along with UNIX convention). Press return if you
need to confirm the name. Type ^-X to exit.
11) Now, the system does not think that the script is an executable! To
make it so, type chmod +ax 9boot.command. "chmod" changes the file data so
that "a"ll users are given (hence the "+") the e"x"ecute priviledge on the
file.
12) To run the script, type ./9boot.command into the terminal (from the
directory in which the file is saved). You need to include the "./" so
that the system knows to look for the command in the current directory
(known as "."). Or you can double-click it from the finder.

IMPORTANT DEBUG TIPS
1) Repeat this and make a script to reset the boot-vars back to the OS X
state. This may be helpful.
2) Reset the boot system to OS X from the preferences panel. Now, try
running the 9boot script (without the restart option!) and then dump the
nvram contents into a different file. (ie: nvram -p > 9script.nvram Use
diff to compare the 9script.nvram file with the 9boot.nvram file, which we
know to be accurate. If there are any differences, you're in trouble! Do
the same for the X boot script.

If your system becomes farked after this, here's what to do:
1) Restart with the OS 9 CD.
2) Restart holding command-option-P-R and let the machine chime a couple
of times before letting go.

[Ghoser777]

Originally posted by lythari:
<STRONG>Try holding down option when you start up your computer. On my Pismo I get a screen showing all the operating systems on my various partitions, from which I can pick which one I want to start off. Not sure if you can do that on a Beige G3 though.</STRONG>

HELLO! He already addressed that in his post - he has the Old World ROM, not New World (I think that's what it's called). So option key won't work.

F-bacher

[Ghoser777]

Oh wait... I guess that would only work if you were already booted into X.... Sorry.

F-bacher

[bmedina]

Wow, that blows. Are you sure you're running the latest version of the Startup Disk control panel? I think I remember reading that you may have these kinds of problems if you're not running the latest version. Just check for update in the Software Update control panel in OS 9 and it will tell you if there's a newer version available.

[ 08-09-2001: Message edited by: bmedina ]

[Cipher13]

1. If you're using the startup disk control panel, try System Disk, and vice versa.

2. Reset the PRAM (Apple-Option-P-R at startup, release on the third chime)

3. In OS9, use Disk Warrior to run over your hard drive, OSX and OS9 partitions. The ABL table or the boot sectors are possibly damaged. This, in combination with process 2, should get it going okay.

Originally posted by kupan787:
<STRONG>Well I had to switch to OS 9 for the first time in 2 months now (wow has it been that long), andnow I cant get back to OS X. I select it in the System Disk Control Panel, but when I restart, I go back to OS 9.

I am running OS X on a Beige G3, so I can't hold down the opt key to get the menuish thing on startup, but is there any other way to start up in X?

I can get to open firmware, and I knwo the partion number my OS X is installed on, so what is the command to get it to boot off that (or is there another beter gui tool).

Thanks,
Ben</STRONG>

If you can get into Open Firmware then you do the following:
1.Type "printenv" and enter
You will get a list of stuff on the screen, hit the space bar.
2.There will be a line with the boot device listed as in the other post here. Like this:
boot-device /pci@f2000000/pci-bridge@d/mac-io@7/ata-4@1f000/@0:10,\\:tbxi
3. That last bit with the number and tbxi are important. Let us say your number is also 10.
4.Type:
"boot hd:10,\\:tbxi" and enter (without the quotes!)
you should boot into your OS that you selected in the startupvolume.
5.If you end up booting into OS9 repeat the procedure but with a number one or two higher than the one before .i.e. 11 or 12.
6.That should work if your not got your OSX and OS9 on one partition.
Good Luck