> First of all, how do I set it up so that I don't have to > hold down the shift key at boot up. I tried to install the > software that came with my video card but I couldn't even > see where I could access the cd-rom. Up until now I have > been strictly x86, so I am not even sure what booting without > extensions means. Will it make my cd-rom inaccessible?
One of the nice things about the MacOS is that it is kind of modular in design. System "extensions" are mainly drivers and system software, but they are also like plug-ins, in that if you drop them in a certain directory they will load and if they are not in that directory they will not load. Your CD-ROM driver is a system extension. When you booted without the extensions you did not load the CD-ROM driver and thus could not access the device. You also did not have networking because none of those drivers loaded either.
System "extensions" are actually several types of software, mainly Extensions and Control Panels. These each live here:
//Boot Drive/System/Extensions //Boot Drive/System/Control Panels
. . .if they are in those directories they load at boot, if not they won't. Apple provided a keyboard by-pass to loading the system extensions at boot because they knew they were going to have to let 3rd-party software install drivers and the potential exists for an extension conflict that may prevent normal booting. This is probably what you are experiencing.
Apple provides a piece of software for managing extensions called "Extension Manager". Access it under the Apple Menu under Control Panels. What it does is tell you what extensions are currently loaded and allows you to disable them. What it actually does is move them to another folder called "extensions disabled" and "control panels disabled". It of course also let's you re-enable them later.
What you need to do is identify which extension is causing you grief. Use a strategy like disable all of them and slowly add them back in until you find which one is the problem. Then if you determine it is 3rd party software, see if they have an updated driver. If it is Apple software that is the problem I would reinstall. (Disable all extensions except the CD-ROM driver and you should be able to boot with CD-ROM support. Note it is very common to use 3rd-party, non-Apple CD-ROM drivers on an S900.)
> Finally, I have a Mylex DAC960 Raid controller I would like to > use, but I have a feeling like it probably is not going to happen. > Does anyone know if it possible to use one with PPC?
Probably not. I once tried to use an Adaptec AAA-131 in my S900 and it would not even boot. I don't think it is necessarily a platform incompatibility (x86 vs. PPC) but more a software incompatibility. You might be able to use it under OSX but I'll defer to more knowledgeable folks on that.
Best, -Greg
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