# firmware to upgrade g3 for os x



## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

after struggling for two weeks, I've got my old g3 power pc (beige tower, 266mhz, 288mb ram), running os9. However, i want to install my os 10.2.8 on it. This cannot be done before upgrading the firmware. The document i need for that is listed in the downloadlist by applesupport, but no longer available. Someone must be allready running os 10.2.8 on the same machine as mine and therefore be able to send me the concerning firmware. Who is this person?


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## bobw (Oct 5, 2006)

I think you'll need XPostFacto


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## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

thanx. any suggestions as to where i find it?


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## bobw (Oct 5, 2006)

Click on the XpostFacto link in my post.


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## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

the problem is, i cannot register with this site because it doesn't accept any credit-card i have.


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## bobw (Oct 5, 2006)

You don't have to register it to use it;

XPostFacto is an open-source program that you can freely download and try. You can contribute to the development of XPostFacto by becoming a registered user. Registered users are provided with an account in the tech support forum on this site, and have the satisfaction of knowing that they have contributed resources necessary to keep Mac OS X running on unsupported systems


Download Link


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## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

thanks very much. i now have (after a downloading process that took half an hour) a file on my desktop that is called xpostfacto4.dmg.
As you can understand by my line of questioning, i am a beginner in the mac-world. So here is the next question: what do i do with this file?


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## sinclair_tm (Oct 5, 2006)

um, according to apple, that g3 does not need any firmware updates to run os x 10.2.8.  but if there is an apple supplied scsi card, then the card needs an update  (see here).  it was some of the g3 imacs that needed firmware updated to run os x, not the desktops.  so you should just be able to boot from the install cd and go from there.
now for xpostfacto, it is a neat little app that helps installing os x on unsupported macs, or macs that have issues with supported versions of os x.  if you can't get 10.2 to install as it should, then you should look into xpostfacto.  the instructions and info on the web site contains all the info you need, as well as the files that come with the app.  the .dmg file you see is called a disk image.  double clicking on it should 'open' it, mounting what looks like a removable drive on your desktop.  in that 'drive' you will find the files that you need.  haven't not done it in a long time, i don't remember exactly, but you should copy the main xpostfacto app to your "mac hard drive>system folder>control panels" folder.  then click on the apple icon in the upper left conor, scroll down to control panels and then to xpostfacto.  it should present you with a dialoge box with some options.  for the first time, you will need to have the os x install cd in the drive.  point the app to the cd, and the hard drive you want to install os x on, and click install.  it will copy files it needs to the hard drive, and reboot your mac to the install disk.  run the installer, telling it to use the same disk you told xpostfacto to use, and do not format the drive.  the installer will run, and when its down it will reboot your mac.  then it should boot into os x for the first time, and away you go.


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## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

lots of info for a "macabete"; i hope it will help


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## yeb (Oct 5, 2006)

not wanting to critisize you, the link you provided for the "card-update" leads exactly to the file i need. However, it is no longer being supported. i find myself in a catch22-situation; os9 is functional, the machine would support 10.2.8, but via this machine running os9, i cannot make the right configuration-changes.


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## sinclair_tm (Oct 6, 2006)

so you are using a scsi card then?  well, if i were you, i'd find a cheap ide drive to use instead, and pull the scsi card out.  and then the only thing you will need to worry about is that you will have to make a 7.5gig partition at the beginning of the drive to install os x on.  it has this restriction on older macs with ide due to the ide controller not being able to address large drives.


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## yeb (Oct 6, 2006)

thanx. there is a mac-store opening in our town in a few weeks time. if i don't get osx running before that, i will go and follow your advice.


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## yeb (Oct 6, 2006)

Great news. I want to thank everybody for their suggestions and help, it finally worked. I am now working from a os 10.2.8-environment. The machine is not as fast as under os 9 but it is widely supported and it's fast enough for me. One happilly surfing Duthman signing off!


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