E-Maculation

Hi there,
I can't manage to do a clean install of 9.0.4, and that frustrates me a lot…

I have a working 9.2 install, and for that my script is: Using the same file with a fresh image, I can boot my 9.0.4 install image to the Desktop, but mouse and keyboard aren't working. The Initialize prompt appears and I'm stuck. Same using -M mac99,via=pmu-adb.
Using -M mac99, mouse and keyboard work but the initialisation fails saying the drive is defective. I'm then stuck with a working Mac OS 9 booted from the CD, but no hard drive visible in Disk Utility. Same with an image pre-formatted in 9.2.
Using -M mac99 with a fresh install of 9.0.4 made from 9.2, I get the flashing question mark floppy even though the System folder is blessed.
Using -M g3beige, openbios complains "this image is not for this platform".

Is it possible to do a clean install of 9.0.4, and how? Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi,

For 9.0.4 installs you need to make sure your copy of the cd contain Mac OS Rom version 5.6 or above. 9.0.4 for e.g., the G4 Cube will work. You can find it on the macintoshgarden site.

You can boot from it using the mac99 machine model. via=pmu of via=pmu-adb will not work due to mouse/kbd issues regarding usb.
Initialization of the disk should then also work, as should installation of a clean system.

Best,
Cat_7

Cat_7 wrote:For 9.0.4 installs you need to make sure your copy of the cd contain Mac OS Rom version 5.6 or above. 9.0.4 for e.g., the G4 Cube will work. You can find it on the macintoshgarden site.

Thanks!
So it looks I'm out of luck… It worked like a charm with the Cube image from the Garden, but I'd like my 9.0.4 install in french… I just spent one hour searching the web to the last page of Google and it seems nobody ever uploaded a Cube CD image in french. I have a Cube myself, but obviously not the original media. I tried to copy the Rom file from the Cube image to the fresh 9.0.4 install I made from 9.2, but it crashed during boot. It was expected, I guess. Well, it'll be 9.0.4 in SheepShaver for now, and 9.2 in Qemu!

What works with 9.0.4 that doesn't work with 9.2.x?

I always found 9.0/9.0.4/9.1 highly unstable even on supported Mac's. 9.2.x was far more stable, even on unsupported Mac's.

So, if you have software that won't work, or won't work as well then it maybe worthwhile to run 9.0/9.0.4/9.1 vs. 9.2.x, if you don't mind random system freezes and loss of data.

superpantoufle wrote:

Cat_7 wrote:For 9.0.4 installs you need to make sure your copy of the cd contain Mac OS Rom version 5.6 or above. 9.0.4 for e.g., the G4 Cube will work. You can find it on the macintoshgarden site.

Thanks!
So it looks I'm out of luck… It worked like a charm with the Cube image from the Garden, but I'd like my 9.0.4 install in french… I just spent one hour searching the web to the last page of Google and it seems nobody ever uploaded a Cube CD image in french. I have a Cube myself, but obviously not the original media. I tried to copy the Rom file from the Cube image to the fresh 9.0.4 install I made from 9.2, but it crashed during boot. It was expected, I guess. Well, it'll be 9.0.4 in SheepShaver for now, and 9.2 in Qemu!

All you need to do is install the Language Pack for Francais after installing the US English default install. Then you can switch between the two. I believe the language pack is on the universal CD in the Apple Extras folder, and may be on the G4 Cube CD as well.

darthnvader wrote:What works with 9.0.4 that doesn't work with 9.2.x?

Nothing, really. Functionnally speaking, 9.0, 9.1 and 9.2 are more or less the same. It's not about running specific software, it's about "having them all"… for historical reasons, and for the fun.

darthnvader wrote:All you need to do is install the Language Pack for Francais after installing the US English default install. Then you can switch between the two. I believe the language pack is on the universal CD in the Apple Extras folder, and may be on the G4 Cube CD as well.

I'd love to be wrong, but I've never an "universal" classic Mac OS in the sense of "localised in all languages", like Mac OS X where you can switch between languages on the fly (or with a reboot). The languages packs in the CD Extras folder of Mac OS 9 installs are about keyboard layouts and fonts, so Mac OS can display text in different languages and the user can type in different languages. The Mac OS 9 "Z" version is localised in English but comes with all keyboard layouts and fonts needed to type and display for example Cyrillic, Chinese, Hebrew, or French accented characters. Localised versions of the classic Mac OS have always been full installs, to the best of my knowledge.

The elusive French 9.0.4 full install must certainly be on the "Mac OS Anthology" DVDs, I'll have to dig it up!

superpantoufle wrote:Localised versions of the classic Mac OS have always been full installs, to the best of my knowledge.

That's right. Classic Mac OS was available in different languages, but always only one language. Mac OS X was the first to contain different localisations in one installation.

Cat_7 wrote: Mon Jun 01, 2020 7:39 pm For 9.0.4 installs you need to make sure your copy of the cd contain Mac OS Rom version 5.6 or above. 9.0.4 for e.g., the G4 Cube will work. You can find it on the macintoshgarden site.

Is there a link for the Mac OS ROM 5.6? I tried some G4 Install and Restore CDs from the Macintosh Garden but they had different versions. Mac OS ROM 5.6 doesn't appear to exist in the MacROMan repository either.

Hi,

That was an error from 2020
The rom in question is 5.2.1

Best,
Cat_7

AFAIK, the published ROMs went from 5.5.1 to 6.1, both from what I've been able to find, comparing against publishing dates, and checking the headers for the development f versions.

adespoton wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 12:42 am AFAIK, the published ROMs went from 5.5.1 to 6.1, both from what I've been able to find, comparing against publishing dates, and checking the headers for the development f versions.

Your utmconfigs README.md probably needs an update
https://github.com/adespoton/utmconfigs ... /README.md

joevt wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 7:44 am

adespoton wrote: Sat Feb 21, 2026 12:42 am AFAIK, the published ROMs went from 5.5.1 to 6.1, both from what I've been able to find, comparing against publishing dates, and checking the headers for the development f versions.

Your utmconfigs README.md probably needs an update
https://github.com/adespoton/utmconfigs ... /README.md

Probably; I haven't had time to test yet. With the recent versions, A/UX likely works now in UTM, and most of the issues with 10.6 are fixed now too. If you've got specific updates for me to make, feel free to add an Issue.