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Mac OSX (PPC) on Nintendo GameCube


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Someone ought to try putting a PPC version of Linux on it first, as proof of concept before wasting their time with mac os. A linux distro could possibly fit on a memory stick... but modifying the system rom would be... nontrivial.

 

No wonder you like Bush. You're both overwhelmingly optimistic in the face of certain defeat.

Which I suppose isnt all bad. (In a developer anyway)

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WOW!!!

I just gave a look at the GameCube Linux Project!!!

 

If we can set up grub, then i cannot see why we can't boot OSX!!!

 

My idea is to work with something similar to the deadmoo image....

I mean we can install OSX on a blank DVD, maybe using dd so we can copy a 4,5 Gb partition onto a blank DVD.

 

If we succeed in copying the OSX partition onto a DVD then thorugh grub we can boot it.

 

 

D'oh, I've just realized that OSX can only be installed onto a HFS+ partition and the DVD use the ISO9660 fs....

 

mmm... there is a High Speed Parallel and Serial port.... maybe we can try connecting an HD to the GC through these ports...

 

About the RAM... even if there is little RAM, it means that it will swap continuosly and run very slowly... but it should run!!!

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How bout OSx86 on a Xbox360, or PS2?
They don't run on x86 processors. Now OS X on a 360 or a PS3 or even a Wii is... a hack at best. But PS2? That runs on an uber-specialized MIPS processor; practically impossible without working emulation (which would be waayyy too slow) or rewriting OS X for MIPS and then some (not likely at all, considering that MIPS development is pretty much headed mostly for embedded systems at the moment, with N64 gone, SGI out of the picture, and PS2 making way for PS3; not to mention getting the source from Apple). Eh, I guess you could try emulation on a PS2 thanks to PS2-Linux, and it's only a matter of time before some nutcase finally gets Linux to work on an Xbox 360. Even then, it'd be pretty slow.

 

Someone ought to try putting a PPC version of Linux on it first, as proof of concept before wasting their time with mac os. A linux distro could possibly fit on a memory stick... but modifying the system rom would be... nontrivial.
Yeah... that's :pirate2: old news :). Although getting OS X on would be even harder.

 

No wonder you like Bush. You're both overwhelmingly optimistic in the face of certain defeat.

Which I suppose isnt all bad. (In a developer anyway)

Which is how Winston Churchill helped lead Britain throughout the German onslaught. Jabs at Bush are usually pretty inappropriate where they aren't called for, as much as I like the guy and unbridled discussion. :dev:

 

If we can set up grub, then i cannot see why we can't boot OSX!!!
Because GRUB is a bootloader, it's not as simple. OS X for PPC demands Open Firmware. One thing GC Linux does make easier, possibly, is putting in something that emulates it, which might get OS X running. On the other hand, the restrictions of the GCN's hardware (remember, Nintendo has intentionally geared GCN and Wii to 'fast', not 'big') could very well make this a nightmare, realistically speaking.
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WOW!!!

I just gave a look at the GameCube Linux Project!!!

 

If we can set up grub, then i cannot see why we can't boot OSX!!!

 

My idea is to work with something similar to the deadmoo image....

I mean we can install OSX on a blank DVD, maybe using dd so we can copy a 4,5 Gb partition onto a blank DVD.

 

If we succeed in copying the OSX partition onto a DVD then thorugh grub we can boot it.

D'oh, I've just realized that OSX can only be installed onto a HFS+ partition and the DVD use the ISO9660 fs....

 

mmm... there is a High Speed Parallel and Serial port.... maybe we can try connecting an HD to the GC through these ports...

 

About the RAM... even if there is little RAM, it means that it will swap continuosly and run very slowly... but it should run!!!

 

 

What about drivers/Kexts for all of those devices?

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I have to open the GameCube and take a look at the chipsets...

maybe the ATI "Filpper" will work through Radeon9700 kext...

The rest... I dunno.

 

As I've already said... this is no more than a unprobable try... :angel:

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Does anybody here have any real experience to be able to do this, or is this some theroretical-i don't know obj. c-what is a hardrive- discussion(No PUN intended, just look at other threads in this forum).

 

My point is, I'd like to see this work. OR at least see some one try.

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I know it exists a mod to change the miniDVD reader and put a normal DVD so you can also play copied GC games and it is also quite diffused...

 

It's not correct. The mod changes the holder. That means that copied dvd can be played but only the first 1.4 gb can be physically read

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I believe it's a hardware limitation as well that will stop you from reading more than 1.4gb's of data. Looking at the Panasonic Q, even that won't read full sized DVD's, not only because of the handing off of hardware between the two "OS's", but because the Gamecube hardware just *doesn't* make it possible.

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OS X for PPC demands Open Firmware.

 

Remember that OS X runs also on "old world" PPC, that are without OF.

And OSX 10.2 can run from a 700mb cd (=> the 1.4 gb minidvd)

BTW at least it would be possible to run OS 8 or 9, what do you think?

Maybe initially in a special PPC port of Basilisk optimized for NGC, then direcly from a mini DVD.

I'm dreaming? :dev:

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It's so hard to do. Mac OS X needs almost 32 MB of RAM, so in 40MB it runs veeery slow. You can't use a ramdisk too... And you can't use a pagefile. So the first and main problem is RAM.

Mac OS X can run from a CD, so in a 1.4GB minidvd it can run very well with some applications. The first versions of Mac OS X don't need OpenFirmware because they run on "old world" machines too, so it's not a problem. I don't know how much the G3 and the Gecko processor are similar, even they are both PPC...

Sherry Haibara

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Mac OS X needs almost 32 MB of RAM, so in 40MB it runs veeery slow.

 

The minimum for OS X is 64 MB and that was only with 10.0. If OS X is going to run on a GameCube, we're going to have to find some way to upgrade the RAM.

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This means that we'll run it on PS3 or Wii :withstupid: (impossible to install in that useless box called "xbox360")

The wii can use an usb hdd (confirmed on nintendo's official website) and it has enough ram. And the wii-mote can be used as a mouse ;)

 

On the other side, Sony said in the official UK website that the PS3 can natively run an OS and a linux port is already ready.

The article says "maybe Mac OS" although i don't think that Apple will permit that. And the optional (?) linux (?) OS, IMO it will be dummied down to limit piracy, it will be an internet browser/media player that can run signed apps.

 

btw... it will be cool having OS9/8 on NGC (i prefer OS9/8 to OSX)

OS8 can run even with a few ram, and running the OS in a "wrapper", maybe an SD card reader can be used as HDD

I read on the NGC SDK that DolphinOS has multitasking, so MAYBE, a talented programmer can replace the missing hardware with emulation....

(DolphinOS it's the NGC's OS, hex-edit a dvd image to see it :) )

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  • 4 weeks later...
How bout OSx86 on a Xbox360, or PS2?

 

 

Now that would be a big reason for me to go out and get an xbx360. iam wateing of the moment until

news of this so called emulation exploit comes into the public XS have hd news about it, but due to all the recent fake modchips Ice /devil360 etc... who all have clamed to have modchips for the xbox360 and not dvd firmware hacks, every one is very warey of any news related to a "moddchip" for the xbox360.

 

I've seen that someone is developing an OSX Live CD ... if it works,then we've solved the HD problem...

yeah but insnt that live cd for intel chipsets so it wont runlive on PPC chips?

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It's only for Intel.

 

Please, people, try to think before posting.

 

Don't talk if you don't know what you're talking about.

 

Mac OS X cannot run on a GameCube. Unless you want to write drivers for all of its hardware (a custom ATI chip, the actual chipset on the motherboard, the firmware, the controllers, ethernet, etc), retarget gcc for darwin to produce executables for the processor (as a standard ppc executable would be very unoptomized), hack the GameCube's BIOS to boot your OS X disc, write a new non-Open Firmware bootloader and modify the system to work on a non-OF platform (see writing new drivers above) fit OS X into 1.4gb, upgrade the GC's memory to at least 128mb, and modify OS X enough to run on a read-only filesystem, it just won't happen.

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I think we should try OS 8. It's small enough to fit on a mini DVD, it's probably small enough to install on a memory card, and it should have a wider variety of hardware because of the old Mac clones.

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If you really just want to show it off (no-one will ever use OS X for useful activities) just make a custom OS that looks just like the OS X enviroment. I mean, there arnt any practical uses of OS X on Gamecube, now Xbox i could understand, because of its computer like abilities (I have Linux, and Windows 98 on mine) My Xbox has a spiderchip in it running the latest EvoX software.

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