March 26, 2026
Pi becomes a FireWire time machine
Using FireWire on a Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi revives old camcorders as Apple moves on — the comments are wild
TLDR: A Raspberry Pi hack brings old FireWire cameras and gear back to life after Apple ended support, letting people digitize tapes with simple tools. The comments split between joyful archivists, skeptical “who still uses this?” questions, and a timer-ticking warning that Linux may drop FireWire in 2029.
Apple just pulled the plug on FireWire in macOS 26 Tahoe, and the internet immediately turned a Raspberry Pi into a tiny time machine. With a cheap add‑on board, an old FireWire card, and a bit of tinkering, creators are rescuing dusty MiniDV tapes and studio gear. The vibe? Half nostalgia trip, half rebellion. One archivist bragged they’ve already saved their whole tape stack with Linux tools and said it “can be done unattended,” while others cheered that their beloved audio racks might finally ditch that one aging iMac.
Then came the drama. Skeptics poked the bear: “Who’s even still using FireWire?” they asked, while pragmatists shot back that there’s a whole world of DV cameras and pro audio boxes that still slap. The plot twist that spiked blood pressure: Linux’s plan to sunset FireWire support around 2029 (source). Cue the race to digitize everything now, before the drivers ride off into the sunset. Meanwhile, the “repost police” chimed in with a “saw this days ago” nudge, because of course they did. Jokes flew about “digital archaeology on a lunchbox computer” and the Pi becoming a DV exorcist. Yes, you’ll need to recompile some stuff, but the community says the payoff is sweet: old cameras, meet modern backups.
Key Points
- •Apple removed FireWire support in macOS 26 “Tahoe,” prompting a Linux-based workaround.
- •A Raspberry Pi with a GeeekPi Mini PCIe HAT and a StarTech Mini PCIe FireWire adapter enables FireWire connectivity.
- •Linux must be recompiled with CONFIG_FIREWIRE and CONFIG_FIREWIRE_OHCI, and the Pi configured for 32‑bit DMA.
- •Boot settings require dtparam=pciex1, dtoverlay=pcie-32bit-dma, and pcie_aspm=off; then reboot.
- •dvgrab on Linux successfully captures DV video over FireWire 400; FireWire 800 needs auxiliary power to the card.