Installing Mac OS 9 on an Apple Silicon M1 Mac! - Running via QEMU

[@lindsaymobil22]

In recent times I've come to have a whole new appreciation for Mac OS 8/9 beyond just nostalgia. I was studying its UI/UX for some design projects and really came to love some of the tiniest little details Apple thought to include, and sure it might be really quirky by today's standards, but it's such a pleasure to look at and use! It took me until 2021 to notice that the Platinum system sounds are in full stereo, like dragging windows from left to right actually means the drag sound pans from left to right 😂 I just recently got my hands on a boxed bondi blue 233MHz iMac G3 that still had its original Mac OS 8.5 discs (only just very recently installed OS 9.2.2 on it), and the more I use that system the more I fall in love with the OS and the experience of it all, including its quirks and slight tendency to be a bit crash happy. It evokes just so much joy and wonder that no modern computer has been able to do for me in years. Sitting in front of it the first night I had it felt like it was 1999 all over again and we'd just gotten our first home computer 😂 I'm really looking forward to getting it set up better on my desk in the new year and using it as a distraction free writing platform as well as for some MAME and other emulation tasks, and just enjoying some of the sheer ludicrousness of some of the software from that time!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

I see what you mean!! New OSes can be quite cluttered for sure, and I suppose there is something quite charming about os9 and the like being a bit “crash happy” ! Huge congrats on getting a boxed iMac G3, I hope it provides you with hours of fun/use. It would definitely be an awesome writing machine. :) Thanks again for watching, the support is huuuugely appreciated. :)

[@transitengineer]

Thank you, for your excellent post. While, I never cared for the CRT iMac systems. Because at the time, I felt they were a step back (no internal floppy drive, no internal Zip dive, no internal video card, no internal open PCI card slots, etc.). Preferred the G3 All-in-One which, was being sold at the same time. However, I did like the first generation colorful ibook laptops (smile...smile).

[@QuinsTechCorner]

@@transitengineer You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :) Yes I can see where you're coming from there - and those iBook Clamshell laptops were divine!

[@stephensalex]

This was a fun video, thank you. Adding on to your comment about how slow the download speeds are. It's not just slow under QEMU, it's slow on real vintage hardware also. It's due to the implementation of TCP/IP in lots of older operating systems. Basically, working as expected :)

[@stephensalex]

Thanks for the love! Have an excellent day!!!

[@ZETA8384]

mate. i LOVED this video, nostalgia overload. def got my sub. keep up the good work

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Really glad you liked it! There are a lot of nostalgia inducing videos on this channel, and we keep it going on our discord if you’re interested! discord.gg/6YzQnttZdW

[@MMWProductions1]

Very underrated video! I was thoroughly entertained, throughout. Excellent work!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Ahhh you’re too kind, thanks for the support, means a lot :)

[@michaeldavis8382]

Good video. I have tried os 9 using utm, but cannot get any external drives to mount on the virtual machine desktop. Also, the shared folder under utm does not show up on the desktop. How would anyone load third party software on the virtual os 9 system? The real purpose would be to use older applications, not play with the os stuff.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Yeah I have also had this exact same issue!.. I usually just download software from within the OS, via macintosh repository. :-)

[@michaeldavis8382]

@@QuinsTechCorner I was hoping to migrate my business, as I currently use Foxbasemac, Canvas 3.5 and McDraw every day, typically running from an external hard drive. I use Classic under a PowerPC G5 tiger machine. However the lack of both browsers and browser speed is killing me. There are no software alternatives since all programs have been abandoned despite being the best of their class. Was hoping emulation would work. UTM needs to market a refined and specific OS 9 emulation program addressing the drive access problem, something like Classic. I thing there is a decent market, perhaps not in number of users but the amount of money those users would pay. I would spring for $1000 or more.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

@@michaeldavis8382 Yeah it's such a shame.. it's great to have a handful of passionate people but yeah, this kind of thing has always been a challenge for software.. :/

[@r9740]

Amazing. I would like to bring and use this M1 Macbook with OS9 at a univ.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Great idea!!

[@davidknapp928]

Nicely done! How did you make out with accessing external drives (USB optical drives, for example) or other accessories? Some of us still have old hardware or OS9 apps on CD/DVD and it would be a treat to be able to install/use them….

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Thanks! :) While I haven't tried using USB devices yet, I'm almost certain that it can be done, I will likely explore this in a future video which I will make in the new year. Thanks for watching!

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

I was tech lead on Toast 5.1.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

nice :)

[@tenminutetokyo2643]

That’s nuts!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

It’s so good!!!! :)

[@capndavey1]

loved OS9 you could copy the system right from the installer disc then boot it can't do that now!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Yeah that was pretty cool!

[@ileshpatel5513]

Any ideas on how to share a folder between the MacBook Pro and QEMU/Mac Os9?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

I’d use the UTM QEMU GUI with folder sharing: docs.getutm.app/settings-qemu/sharing/

[@dreadful_hero]

Did you have to do anything special for network connectivity?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Not that I remember! Maybe check out my mate Greg’s video on his “Definitive Mac Pro Upgrade Guide” channel about QEMU if you have trouble!

[@thelongarmmarine]

I got it running on my new 16” PM…but have yet to figure out to add a program to it or the HD…fun tho…

[@QuinsTechCorner]

That’s great!! Hope you enjoy it! Yeah I just use macintosh repository within mac os9 to download stuff!

[@zakaroonetwork777]

Will it Recognize the Apple CD drive? I want to runs a Specific App from the 1990’s that is only available on CD. … ?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Hmm likely not, but if you plug your apple cd drive into your modern computer, you’ll have access to the files on the disk, and you can copy them elsewhere (a shared drive that your emulator accesses)

[@JonRowlison]

Have you tried the same testing on M1/M2 Mac with SheepShaver?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

I haven’t actually! Might give it a try. :)

[@QuinsTechCorner]

I haven’t actually! Might give it a try. :)

[@cementinquentin]

Greetings from Reddit!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Hello hello! Great to have you here, hope you enjoy the video! :)

[@thomasdeloch9614]

@ Quin's Tech Corner Can you run successfully Pro Pinball Big Race USA for example on that emulated machine? I`m asking about this particular game cos all the time i run it on my emulated MacOS 9 i got an error "Vertical blank timing procedure failed" randomly. It must be something with libraries but I`m not quite sure. Thanks in advance everyone who can help.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Hmm I haven’t tried games on this. I suspect graphics would be very limited in an environment like that, hence your issue.

[@Mr.GlitchInfinity]

I’m trying this in 2024 with an M2 MacBook. This mostly works but I have an issue where my cursor has an insane seizure. I’m not sure if it’s an issue with my iso file but I’m downloading a 2nd one right now to see if it fixes it Update: new iso didn’t work

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Hi, Perhaps try setting your mouse type to "USB tablet". Link to the forum here: github.com/foxlet/macOS-Simple-KVM/issues/314

[@Mr.GlitchInfinity]

@@QuinsTechCorner thanks for the link but I don’t have that menu thing with the screenshot shared. Was that qemu manager thing downloaded in your tutorial

[@Mr.GlitchInfinity]

@@QuinsTechCorner I also wanted you to know that I actually just tried out an iso of tiger 10.4 and the cursor is normal but there’s no disk destination to install it ._. Can you provide any help for this?

[@pixxelpusher]

A guide to do this with Mojave or Catalina on M1 would be great!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Cool, I'll make one! :)

[@pixxelpusher]

@@QuinsTechCorner Great! I've subbed. Have been trying to work it out for the last 2 days but can't get it working.

[@bishnubabu]

I am testing it on UTM, can't make the wifi work. Any idea?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Hi, have you tried playing around with the config in UTM or googling the issue? Maybe join our discord server and we can help you out! discord.gg/6YzQnttZdW

[@The_Ballo]

Have you tried Tiger?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Not on QEMU! Maybe I give it a try, although I doubt there would be graphics acceleration.. :/

[@retrogaminga1072]

good stuff!!!

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Glad you liked it!

[@yeahthatkornel]

What happened to your website? I get DNS error.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Try quinstechcorner.net/

[@RichardNievesNY]

Do you think it would be ever possible for someone to have High Sierra running on M1? I have a great deal of apps on High Sierra no longer run on newer OSs and looking for a way to get them running again.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Most likely not.. it’s technically possible of course, but the whole thing would need to be rewritten for ARM, and there’s no way Apple would do that. If it happens, it would be a passion project by someone with a heap of skills in that area. I’d just pick up a decent intel max for that purpose.

[@transitengineer]

Wow, this is an outstanding video. Just wish that, I had about 20 percent of your mac computer skills. If you ever create a pay slower pace course to teach some of the things that, you highlight on your channel, please let me know because, I would like to sign-up. My first Apple computer was an All-in-One 5400 which, shipped with OS 7.5, but it died many years ago. So, I own a several vintage software titles on CD-ROM including Microsoft Office 2001. However, in my current collection is an All-in-One 5500; the last Black and White model a Powerbook G3 Pismo; 12-inch G4 Powerbook; glossy white 20-inch G5 iMac; glossy white 24-inch Intel iMac with Fire-wire 400 and Fire-wire 800 ports; an early MacBook Pro also, with both Fire-wire 400 and Fire-wire 800 ports; and a 2010 mac mini (the last model with a built-in DVD super-drive).

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Thanks for the kind words, that’s very flattering!! Yes, the pace is something i’m still getting used to, will have to see how I go. Thanks also for sharing all of your wonderful apple history, I love to hear this stuff!!

[@transitengineer]

@@QuinsTechCorner Thank you, for replying to my post. I still enjoy using my very first software title which, is Word Perfect 3.5 (the last version released for mac systems) because after you type, the program will read it back to you. Since 1997, this has been very helpful in catching many of my typing errors. Therefore, it is always one of the first applications installed on any of my Power PC systems with a 603(e), G3, G4, or G5 processor (smile...smile).

[@QuinsTechCorner]

@@transitengineer Oh that's a great idea! I will definitely check that out and install on the OS9 emulator. :-) Thanks for the info!

[@wunderking-nuke]

has anyone tested this in QEMU on Ubuntu?

[@QuinsTechCorner]

I personally haven’t, but can’t think of any issues from the top of my head!

[@dmug]

Oh hey, funny i just did a video on this myself almost the same time. I also did one nearly a year ago before we had a native M1 version. QEMU doesn't do sound out of the box, you have to QEMU screamer. See the vid here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKu3qp9riNhrpKM Awesome work, our videos are the same and totally different as you give a walk-through on using OS 9 whereas I just get to the point of running QEMU with Sound. I'll link yours in the description of my video.

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Oh awesome, thanks heaps for that info! Appreciate the link too, i’ll put yours in my description also. :-) cheers.

[@dmug]

@@QuinsTechCorner You don't even need to watch the for UTM but I mention this vid here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oovWm4qrfcyhnas

[@QuinsTechCorner]

Fantastic, I’ll check that out thanks!

[@Hammid]

God bless nuclearfamily.jpg

[@QuinsTechCorner]

YES! nuclearfamily.jpg is forever in our hearts