I think OS4 CAN be run on MAC MINI (USABLE)

[Piru]

My Mac Mini config:

[Piru]

@gaula92

Just wait for that RADEON-Rom flashing

Last I checked the only flashing tools available were for the OEM gfxcards.

So how exactly would anyone flash their Mac Mini?

[Piru]

@timofonic

Linux has PROC, it makes possible quite many things like dumping firmwares of your graphics cards and such.

Mac Mini radeon has no ROM or firmware visible in the PCI space, so linux can't even read anything from it, yet alone write.

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

Funny that it works just fine with other OSes such as *BSD, MorphOS, etc.

Can you point any workarounds enabled in linux for example?

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

No, it does not.

If the "problem" is like described in that message, then the problem is in the "custom non-osX-OS" radeon driver, not the firmware.

Also, it is a well known fact that Apple never released any flash updates for the PPC Mac Minis.

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

Apple has a strange relationship in wich they pay to unlock features of the underclocked Radeon in the MacMini - Moana may not have patches for the lower probably more locked Radeon Rom Revision . OSX patches these holes

Uh they do what? That makes no sense at all. I repeat, I don't see any workaround or patches in the linux radeon driver. The performance is identical to Mac OS X.

RV280 isn't exactly rocket science either.

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

my point is even OSX is patched and Linux is patched theres no reason for Linux not to work as good as OSX.

And I ask again, where is the patch in Linux or *BSD?

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

I am asking where in the Linux, *BSD or X source tree the supposed patch is located at. I don't see it.

Frankly, I believe there is no such thing, but rather just proper chipset initialization, which for some reason is lacking in the OS that has problems.

Which is more probable:

A) There's some secret apple patch that fixes the problem for every other OS but the said OS. Magically the patch is invisible in at least two of the OSes.

or

B) That said other OS is just buggy and doesn't do proper chipset initialization (the gfxcard chipset or any other related HW resource).

?

[Piru]

Ah right. So there is no "patch", just proper chipset initialization.

Regardless, since there are no flashupdates available the only solution is to fix the driver.

[Piru]

would you considser it possible to flash the Rom Revision even or even chip the Mac?

I don't see a way.

By "chipping" you mean to physically swap some flash memory on the board? Or remove the flash, program it and put it back? That might work, assuming you could do it without damaging the HW. Would still be pain in the backside though, as the Mac Mini HW is really really tiny.

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/macmini/macmini_board.jpg
See the chip on the left bottom (AM29L...). That's type 1 TSOP40 packaging, 40 pins total, 0.5mm pitch. There's just a 0.3mm gap between the pins. Ouch.

But without network and audio drivers, with flaky USB, instability and so on, would you really bother?

[Piru]

Are all the boards listed on your screenshot actually working?

Some don't have drivers. Obviously there is still work to do.

[Piru]

@BooBoo1200

Id be intrested to know if MorphOS works across all version of the Rom Revision at all resolutions

Naturally.

My Mini has -120 for example.

[Piru]

Piru will argue against this point until death. He believes that because there are tons of cheap, unused MacMinis laying around, that people will be drawn to use them with MorphOS.

No need to argue. MorphOS for Mac mini has been a huge (*) success. Everything we've seen with it has validated our decision.

I guess he hasn't driven by any auto junkyards lately.

I use the public transportation. Sure, it's something like 1000 € / year, but still much much cheaper than owning a car.

Wait, we were talking about computers?

MorphOS will go extinct with that kind of business model.

If you think someone is trying to make a profit here you're grossly misguided.

It still makes much more sense to use existing and easily available, good mac hardware than try to cook up your own. Eventually we will need to look into something else, but for now there's no better alternative.

(*) Huge in terms of the amigoid scale of things.

[Piru]

MorphOS' strategy will last only as long as the Mac Minis last.

Well not quite as we're not limiting ourselves to Mac mini. We already support eMac aswell, and we're looking at bringing support to some PowerMac G4s and PowerBook G4 next.

All these machines combined will cover any possible needs for HW for a very long time. As I've stated before we're well aware that it will not last forever, though, but until then we have very nice HW to play with.

[Piru]

And until Piru publishes some real sales numbers I'll continue to disbelieve him when he says the move to MacMini was a huge success.

Believe what you will. I can't force you to believe anything. If you don't believe me then you wouldn't believe any numbers I'd be presenting, anyway (and no, I won't be quoting any numbers).

He also tried to get me to believe that MorphOS wasn't a "business" venture.

Again you're free to believe whatever you want. MorphOS isn't a business venture however.

And this crazy belief that MorphOS will supercharge your 5 year old hardware is ridiculous.

Any such claims are silly. There's a limit to any HW performance, which no SW can bypass.

However, funnily the 5 year old HW runs circles around some of the PPC HW that is sold as new, today. The price-tag of these new offerings is just plain ridiculous. It clearly tells us that there is no point in trying to create new PPC HW today.