MorphZone

How to install MorphOS 3.20 from USB-Stick (Mac Mini G4 A1103)

hiTCH-HiKER

# 1
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 171 from 2003/12/31

It's the first time I try to install MorphOS 3.20 via USB (because I don't have any blank CDs left), but I couldn't find a way to do so.

What I did:
- Download the USB boot image from morphos-team.net (morphos-3.20-hybrid.hdimg)
- Write the image on a 4GB-USB-Stick (sudo dd if=morphos-3.20-hybrid.hdimg of=/dev/rdisk4 bs=4m)
- The USB-Stick is recognized by my MorphOS 3.18 installation, but unfortunately you can't do the install from there (see attached screenshots)
- When entering the Boot-Menu of the Mac (pressing the "alt" key) there is no USB-Stick from where I could boot
- Using Open Firmware I didn't succeed booting from the USB stick, the documentation (https://www.morphos-team.net/guide/usb-boot) is very strange, because it descibes how to create a new boot media and there isn't any reference to the .hdimg-file you downloaded before.

ME1DM7NJ_t.jpg ME1DM7NK_t.jpg
»05.06.26 - 13:40

Kronos

# 2
Moderator

Posts: 2560 from 2003/2/24

I'm not even sure if you can USB boot a Mac from the .hdimg (never managed to boot any PPC-Mac from USB).
The error message shows that you still loaded the boot.img from HDD which is 3.18 and won't do for install.

IMO the best way to go would be to download the .iso and follow those instructions from step 1.
»05.06.26 - 16:06

pampers

# 3
Paladin of the Pegasos

Posts: 1065 from 2009/2/26

Quote:

Kronos wrote:
I'm not even sure if you can USB boot a Mac from the .hdimg (never managed to boot any PPC-Mac from USB).

Afair I always did use ISO on Mac's but to be honest, morphos.net says MAC on hdimage, so there might confusion coming from?
MorphOS 3.x
»05.06.26 - 16:15

Kronos

# 4
Moderator

Posts: 2560 from 2003/2/24

Well the .hdimg is SFS so OSX or OF won't be able to read it.

It should be possible to place the mac_ppc32 boot.img on the boot: partition of the HDD (that can be read by OF) them manually boot the file from OF. Once it is started it should see the USB stick as a bootable device (similar to what is seen in OP's error message) and just boot.
»05.06.26 - 16:26

sailor

# 5
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 476 from 2019/5/9

From: Central Bohemi...

Quote:

hiTCH-HiKER wrote:
- Using Open Firmware I didn't succeed booting from the USB stick, the documentation (https://www.morphos-team.net/guide/usb-boot) is very strange, because it descibes how to create a new boot media and there isn't any reference to the .hdimg-file you downloaded before.

It isn´t strange. Only it is complete docs, including formatting the flashdisk. It is not allways needed.
1. download morphos-3.20.iso, not .hdimg
2. Take standart formated flashdisk (Fat32 or so )
/ or take your flashdisk with hdimage and format it again with Win machine
/ or format it in MorphOS exactly as described here.
3. copy morphos-3.20.iso to flashdisk as morphos.iso
4. mount/open .iso, from there open /mac_ppc32/ directory and copy boot.img to flashdisk
5. on flashdisk you should have morphos.iso and boot.img
6. continue here
AmigaOS3: Amiga 1200
AmigaOS4: Micro A1-C, AmigaOne XE, Pegasos II, Sam440ep, Sam440ep-flex, Sam460LE, AmigaOneX1000
MorphOS: Efika 5200b, Pegasos I, Sam460LE, Pegasos II, Powerbook G4, Mac Mini, iMac G5, Powermac G5 Quad
»05.06.26 - 17:31

Zylesea

# 6
Yokemate of Keyboards

Posts: 2085 from 2003/6/4

Quote:

hiTCH-HiKER schrieb:
It's the first time I try to install MorphOS 3.20 via USB (because I don't have any blank CDs left), but I couldn't find a way to do so.

What I did:
- Download the USB boot image from morphos-team.net (morphos-3.20-hybrid.hdimg)
- Write the image on a 4GB-USB-Stick (sudo dd if=morphos-3.20-hybrid.hdimg of=/dev/rdisk4 bs=4m)
- The USB-Stick is recognized by my MorphOS 3.18 installation, but unfortunately you can't do the install from there (see attached screenshots)
- When entering the Boot-Menu of the Mac (pressing the "alt" key) there is no USB-Stick from where I could boot
- Using Open Firmware I didn't succeed booting from the USB stick, the documentation (https://www.morphos-team.net/guide/usb-boot) is very strange, because it descibes how to create a new boot media and there isn't any reference to the .hdimg-file you downloaded before.

ME1DM7NJ_t.jpg ME1DM7NK_t.jpg

I do the updates always w/o a stick via the iso on hdd, here's how:
https://deyaneya.de/bckrs/MorphOS/morphos_update.html
--
http://via.bckrs.de

Whenever you're sad just remember the world is 4.543 billion years old and you somehow managed to exist at the same time as David Bowie.
...and Matthias , my friend - RIP
»05.06.26 - 20:29

Flash

# 7
Acolyte of the Butterfly

Posts: 112 from 2019/11/1

Installed on my PegII via USB stick and all is ok.
I'll try later on my Mac mini (silent upgrade version) via USB and will give you a feedback.
»06.06.26 - 11:54

hiTCH-HiKER

# 8
Order of the Butterfly

Posts: 171 from 2003/12/31

Thanks a lot for all your quick replies!

I succeeded using the quick & dirty way:
1. Writing the .hdimg file to a blank USB stick (via dd, see my first comment)
2. replacing the boot.img on my MorphOS 3.18 system with the new 3.20 boot.img from the stick
3. reboot the Mac Mini with the USB stick plugged in
4. Then the welcome screen appears (without iPrefs error message, because the kernal version matches) and you can start the installer and choose a new install

I know this isn't the recommended way to install MorphOS, but booting from the stick didn't work, whatever I tried and this method worked like a charm.

[ Edited by hiTCH-HiKER 07.06.2026 - 09:16 ]
»07.06.26 - 09:16