Here is a nice guide ....
Panther Installation Process - Detailed
http://discussions.info.apple.com/We...f1.0@.599b3b48
Once you have it installed ...
For trouble free OSX computing, I recommend these simple steps and applications .. You may want to save these suggestions for future reference
Most importantly ... Before & After any System Update .. Repair permissions: Close all files and applications on the disk you want to repair. Go to Macintosh HD/Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility and double click it. Then select your hard drive in the left panel and First Aid at the top. Then click on "Repair Permissions."
Use This Unix Maintenance Tool ...
Macaroni .. Just Set It and Forget It!
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9633
Why should you have to remember to clean up your Mac every day, every week, and every month? Shouldn't a computer be able to remember for you?
Macaroni is a tool which handles regular maintenance for Mac OS X, including the Mac OS X repair permissions process (once a week), as well as Unix-style maintenance. Without Macaroni, some of these tasks normally run in the middle of the night, and don't get run unless you leave your Mac on all night. Others don't run automatically at all, and won't happen unless you remember when they're due.
Macaroni runs these maintenance tasks on a regular schedule, regardless of when your Mac is on. If a scheduled maintenance task is not run when it's normally scheduled, Macaroni automatically ensures that it's run at the next opportunity, whenever the Mac is on. Macaroni installs into your system preferences and you can configure and monitor it from there if need be. Otherwise, just "set it and forget it".
Clean out caches occasionally with ...
Cache Out X
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9538
Regular Maintenance ... Repair Disk
about once a month
(1) Boot from your Mac OS X Install Disc 1 CD. Put CD in drive, wait for it to show up on the desktop, then go to upper left of screen under the Apple menu and choose restart. Immediately hold the "c" key down until you see the apple logo.
(2) When the Installer window opens, select Installer > Disk Utility from the Apple® menu bar.
(3) When the Disk Utility window opens, select "Macintosh HD" in the list on the left.
(4) Select the First Aid tab on the right
(5) Select the "Repair Disk" button on the lower right of the screen.
If errors are returned repeat this process 2 or 3 times until they are gone.
If you still get errors then you will need to use a third-party disk utility to repair your Mac OS X boot volume, such as Alsoft® Disk Warrior®
(5) After Repair Disk completes go to Disk Utility > Quit. Focus returns to Installer.
(6) Go to Installer > Quit. In the next menu choose Quit again and the computer will restart in OSX
If you can, buy a copy of "Disk Warrior" and keep it on hand for any major issues that might arise. There is no harm in running it every 4 months or so.
See this link for troubleshooting
and for other useful info ....
Resolving Kernel Panics
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html
A lot of your questions will be answered in "Mac Help", under the Help menu at the top of your screen.
Stay away from third party system enhancers ( "haxies" ). Don't add extra fonts unless you have to.
These steps should prevent 99% of the problems that users may run into.
Disclaimer .... the above is just my opinion based on my experiences.
Happy Computing!
P.S. I only had to write all the above only once because I use the amazing iClip ...
http://inventive.us/iClip/