Multiple Systems on a Quadra

[istar1018]

Hey gang -

I just got a Daystar PPC upgrade for my Q950, and decided to install 8.1 onto a spare partition (yay PPC optimization!). However, after installing 8.1, my Quadra insists on booting to the 7.5.5 partition. I've tried the Startup Disk control panel on both partitions, booting from a CD & using the control panel there (and even using the startup disk CD from 8.5 and 9.0).

This thread (http://tinyurl.com/6jsjof) suggests that this might never work, and this thread says I need FWB HDT (http://tinyurl.com/57938f). Is this true? If so, any advice on where to find a copy (my original disks of 2.0 crapped out, and the PE version I have on CD seems to be crippled)? I'd really like to be able to switch between partitions of 7.1, 7.5.5 and 8.1 on the fly.

Thanks!

 

[benjgvps]

System switcher? I think I used that one a while ago and it did that, Minus the partitions.

 

[beachycove]

Are all partitions HFS (no HFS+)?

 

[istar1018]

Are all partitions HFS (no HFS+)?

Yep everything is straight up HFS.

 

[porter]

I suspect you may have better luck with different physical drives for each OS version.

Also don't be surprised if the different versions keep recreating the desktop files on all the drives.

 

[Scott Baret]

I recommend formatting your drive as a single partition and using System Switcher or buying an external hard drive and installing 7.5.5 on it.

 

[Bunsen]

http://lowendmac.com/quadra/quadra-950.html

You must have a "fat" system installed to use a PowerPC upgrade as well as the 68040 CPU.

http://lowendmac.com/quadra/unofficial-powerpro-page.html#tips

http://lowendmac.com/quadra/power-mac-upgrade-card.html

 

[istar1018]

Yep, done all that PowerPro specific stuff... 'fat' systems installed and everything. For simplicity's sake, let's take the PowerPro out of the equation, and talk about multi-booting 8.1 and 7.5.5 on the Quadra. Even with the PowerPro removed, I can't do that with the startup disk control panel and 68k-specific installations.

All of this talk of multiple drives kind of stinks. There isn't any way to do it with separate partitions? Right now I'm running off of a 1gb SCSI drive, but eventually, I'd like to partition a 4gb CF card into smaller partitions... in that case, multiple drives = multiple IDE-SCSI adaptors, and multiple CF cards = more $$$ than I'd like to spend on this Quadra.

Let me know if you've got any more ideas. I guess I could put all the systems on one partition and use system picker, but that seems so unclean...

 

[porter]

I would have thought you could have picked up a load of 1Gig drives for $1 each.

Seems a bit overkill to have a huge Q950 running off a CF. A Q605 I could understand.

 

[istar1018]

I would have thought you could have picked up a load of 1Gig drives for $1 each.
Seems a bit overkill to have a huge Q950 running off a CF. A Q605 I could understand.

Good point. Because only small Macs should run from CF cards. I understand where you're coming from, but CF cards have more virtues than their small, quiet nature.

The problem with those $1 / 1 Gig drives is that their longevity and flexibility are both issues. The drive I have in there now is one of only three remaining from a lot of 7 that I bought - the other four failed - one head crash, two cases of stiction (which yes, I know could be fixed), and one dead controller board. Further, I plan on using this Quadra to run some Max patches, and it will be traveling occasionally, Without moving parts, CF cards should hold up much better than old hard drives. Further adding files onto a CF card is a piece of cake with a Macbook and an USB-CF reader.

So, it doesn't look like anyone regularly boots different systems off of different partitions. Good to know... maybe system picker is the best route. If anyone does happen to have a CD of HDT 2.0.x they'd be willing to part with or image, let me know.

Thanks!

 

[istar1018]

UPDATE!

Turns out as long as you have the FWB driver installed (which PE does), the command Shift-Command-Option-E-[partition #] forces boot from a specific HFS partition.

Thanks for everyone's ideas... now I'm multi-booting with ease. Yay!

 

[porter]

Thanks for everyone's ideas... now I'm multi-booting with ease. Yay!

Do you get forced desktop rebuilds?

 

[register]

Do you get forced desktop rebuilds?

As long as you release the Shift-Command-Option-E-[partition #] key combo after the Mac did detect the boot partition (Happy Mac appears) you should not have any side effects from the HDT trick (no forced desktop rebuild).
editional information: To trigger a desktop rebuild just hold the option key depressed upon mounting a volume. This works for any write enabled volume (like harddisk drives, Floppies, ZIP media etc.), no matter if mounted at boot time or later.

 

[istar1018]

Yeah, so for me, the first couple of times, 8.1 wanted to rebuild after switching, but lately it doesn't seem to care. Could be that I got better at releasing the keys quickly.