I own a Apple G5 PPC64. Years ago I installed MOS 3.12 to an internal HD. I had install issues with it then but now I'd like to upgrade to 3.15 to see if the changes warrant a purchase.

I burned the MOS Live CD image to a DVD disc and it sometimes boots OK. But here is the issue I need help with: the MOS website states that to upgrade use the iWizard tool that pops up when booting the DVD. The problem is that the iWizard doesn't auto start. Nor is the application in the Tools folder, or any other folder that I can find.

I am also finding the installer itself rather cryptic, asking first to select a script. If this program is the iWizard replacement, it doesn't seem to much guidance at all, and nothing about upgrading.

[ Edited by Mach 05.05.2021 - 18:13 ]

If you look at the MorphOS 3.15 installation image/CD, you can see that there's WBStartup/FirstFlight icon, which launches the welcome application when booting from the disc/image. And if you select install/upgrade from that application, it launches Tools/IWizard application which handles the actual OS installation. Both are visible on the installation media if you have correctly burned/mounted the image, and booted from it.

If you can't see those you must have booted from your old system from the HD. Please select "About MorphOS..." from the right mouse button pull-down menu and it tells which kernel (boot.img) you're running on. And MorphOS.readme on the root of the boot media (MorphOSBoot:) tells which version of the disk based files you have. Both should indicate that you're actually booted to 3.15 installation setup.

The Installer program isn't used with the OS installation, it's only for 3rd party applications, which call it from their own installation scripts.

When you have the DVD and insert it when booted from some other system, can you see the previously mentioned files on it? And proper MorphOS filesystem structure?

If you insert it into the machine and boot with the Alt/Option key pressed, can you see and select the disc from the Mac's boot menu that should appear when you keep the key pressed at the boot?

If I told you that yesterday I booted to the Live CD no less than 5 times and checked the about MorphOS to make sure it read v. 3.15 (it did) with the First Boot screen never appearing, you probably wouldn't believe me. So, I won't mention it.

Today, however, just as you said, I booted to the same disk again, the first thing appeared was the keyboard selector and right after that, FirstFlight. Upgrading went smoothly.

However, I've another issue. In testing the now installed 3.15, I changed the keyboard layout to Dvorak and OWB locked up, so I rebooted. Now all I get is a white screen with the Ambient Screen bar at the top. The mouse will move but clicks have no effect. I tried re-installing the update but that had no effect.

Last time I had such strange issues was trying to install MorphOS on a SATA-SSD on a PCI-SiL SATA-Controller on my PowerMac G4...

You wrote that you did install on a HDD on the G5s internal SATA controller? Does this HDD perhaps have a jumper to set it on 'SATA-1' mode? I know this is only wildly guessing around but I also do know the G5s SATA-controller is very picky and stange side effects can appear when it 'does not like' a SSD/HDD.

Other than that these problems rather sound like OpenFirmware issues... Did you already do a PMU reset or test your G5 with an appropriate Apple Hardware Diagnostics DVD?

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Hehe, maybe it loaded boot.img from the CD, but then for some reason booted the system from HD? That would give you 3.15 in the About window, even though the actual system would have been booted from the HD (you could check where the SYS: assign goes then).

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Good, and indeed there should also be the keybaord selector when booting from the installation media.

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You didn't happen to copy/install any 3rd party screenbar modules before the reboot? Or do you have them from earlier installation in SYS:Classes/Screenbar/

In any case if you get problems with booting, I usually start hunting it down by disabling WBStartup directory, S:user-startup, and S:user-network-startup (rename them to some other name temporarily), and if that doesn't help, then the same for sys:prefs/env-archive.

Or actually if it's Dvorak failing, maybe you should try to remove SYS:Prefs/Env-Archive/sys/keyboard.conf as the first try?

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Yes I am confirming that its only locking up after changing the keyboard. Regarding your suggestion, as I am a little new to MOS, would you suggest I try to delete the file before or after setting the Keyboard to Dvorak? Right now it reads: Keyboard="usa1" RepDelayS=0 RepDelayM=200000 RepSpeedS=0 RepSpeedM=10000. If it locks up again I won't be able to change anything.

FYI: I always used a straight install - nothing 3rd party.

[ Edited by Mach 08.05.2021 - 11:30 ]

It seems that Dvorak doesn't work currently in MorphOS and you'll have to wait for MorphOS upgrade to get it working.

There was a similar issue with other user:
https://morph.zone/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=12730&forum=53#143263

Thanks, I appreciate you finding another instance of this issue and restoring my sanity. I now vaguely remember back even before v. 3.12 that the Dvorak layout wasn't functioning then either. I think that was the reason I never registered it. It doesn't seem to be a high priority of the MOS dev team.

[ Edited by Mach 09.05.2021 - 09:39 ]

Frank @ MorphOS has kindly supplied me with a replacement Dvorak keyboard file that works fine in MOS 3.15. As a fix, copy it to the sys:morphos/devs/keymaps folder and change the selected keyboard layout in the preferences. The change survives a reboot and should be incorporated into the next update. If you wish to get the file directly from MorphOS you can email support@morphos-team.net.

Edit: Well, I attached the file I was given and it wouldn't upload. Trying it again with the attachment manager gave this nonsensical message: "You can attach it's no more 0 files". So I guess you could PM me or contact MOS.



[ Edited by Mach 25.05.2021 - 08:29 ]

Background info: Since some positions of dead keys were not moved...