Linux-only Mac Pro 3,1 (2008) boot using PCIE adapter M2 SSD

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boldstripe

Smack-Fu Master, in training
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  • #1
    Some Mac Pro tower users--wanting to run MacOS--successfully used certain M2 SSD cards on PCIe adapters. But what works or not seems complicated, and Apple revised this machine several times.

    Is it any easier if I only want to run Linux on my Mac Pro 3,1 (2008)? The Linux installation (MX-Linux) went well and the machine works better than ever before. I don't need MacOS now. I'm hoping that new Linux systems already have drivers etc to make this work in a way that MacOS may not.

    1. Can I boot Linux on this Mac Pro from a PCIE-adapter mounted M2 SSD?

    2. What hardware (M2 SSD) do I need? NVME or AHCI? Does it matter?
     
    Paladin

    Paladin

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  • #2
    The BIOS of the mainboard is the important part. Depending on the hardware and firmware on the mainboard, it may support NVME and it may support booting from NVME but I don't know what combination of variables you need there.

    The CPU and mainboard need to support NVME protocol over the PCIe or m2 slots (if any).

    If it doesn't support those then you can use an m2 drive in either an m2 slot or and adapter in a PCIe slot with an AHCI/SATA drive. Those will just be the same as a 2.5 inch SSD on SATA port. The operating system doesn't have anything to do with it really.
     
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    boldstripe

    Smack-Fu Master, in training
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  • #3
    Thank you, Paladin. You are correct and I have now found unsupported methods available to update the Mac Pro 3,1 firmware on this MacRumors thread:
    https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ma ... s.2194878/

    The process is not risk free and could even damage the machine. It upgrades firmware in 3,1 Mac Pro towers and later so they can boot MacOS from an NVME drive at speed. Some later Mac Pros already have this apparently.

    I've read on the thread that I'll still need MacOS to do this, in order to prepare files from existing ROM and run special tools. There is hope, but no guarantee, that it will then allow Linux NVME booting.

    Thanks again, you sent me looking for the right thing!
     
    E

    example1234

    Smack-Fu Master, in training
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  • #4
    boldstripe said:
    Some Mac Pro tower users--wanting to run MacOS--successfully used certain M2 SSD cards on PCIe adapters. But what works or not seems complicated, and Apple revised this machine several times.

    Is it any easier if I only want to run Linux on my Mac Pro 3,1 (2008)? The Linux installation (MX-Linux) went well and the machine works better than ever before. I don't need MacOS now. I'm hoping that new Linux systems already have drivers etc to make this work in a way that MacOS may not.

    1. Can I boot Linux on this Mac Pro from a PCIE-adapter mounted M2 SSD?

    2. What hardware (M2 SSD) do I need? NVME or AHCI? Does it matter?
    Click to expand...
    Couldn't you just put /boot of linux on a basic ssd and run the os on a nvme without booting off it? Your performance would be the same without the risk.
     
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