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Andrew Stephens · Dec 14, 2007, 01:38 PM

Hiya

I've been tasked with getting an old iMac G3 onto OSX. And it's a real pig.

I'd forgotten that unless you format the drive from scratch you have to be on OS 9.2 so I had to go from 9.0 to 9.1, then 9.2. Then I had to do an old firmware update, all of which I had to find on th eapple web site. Not so bad really but a bit of a faff. I know I could just wipe the drive but then I'd have to gt into backing up etc and reinstalling data etc, which is too much work. I'm backed up just in case via a usb drive...which brings me to the nutty problem... no firewire on this iMac, it's a slot loading 350Mhz.

Before I got the Mac over I had assumed that all slot loaders had firewire, but this one doesn't. Oh and it's got a CD drive only too. So, how to get OSX on (if it will)? My tiny hind brain is whispering that firewire is a pre-requisite for OS X of any flavour.

I'm going for 10.2 since it seems the best bet, less overhead and the first usable version f the OS really. But I've only got a DVD to install from. My first thought was to make a disc image of the dvd and dump that onto the iMac from a usb drive.

Any clever ideas?

Thanks

Big Mac · Dec 14, 2007, 01:45 PM

No, firewire's not a prerequisite. 10.0/10.1 goes all the way down to the original iMac. 10.2 should run, but you should check a resource like lowendmac.com first to verify compatibility.

analogika · Dec 14, 2007, 03:37 PM

10.4 is WAY WAY WAY better on that machine than 10.2 if you push the RAM to above 512 MB (my 400 MHz DV has 768 MB and runs 10.4).

10.4 came on three CDs through the media exchange program from Apple for the non-combo-drive machines.

If you can't get ahold of these, a messy but workable alternative is to stick the hard disk into an external case and install Tiger onto it from a machine with a DVD drive, and then put the drive back into the iMac.

Or to replace the internal drive with a slot-loading combo drive.

If 10.4 seems like too much work, even 10.3 will be MUCH more comfortable on that machine than 10.2 or even 10.1, god forbid.

steve626 · Dec 14, 2007, 11:31 PM

Not sure your install from the 10.2 DVD will work unless it's a "universal install" disk. If it came with some other Mac as original install disks, then it's a 10.2 install that's tailored to that type of Mac only and is unlikely to work on your G3.

angelmb · Dec 15, 2007, 04:13 AM

As analogika states, I would go at least for 10.3 -needless to say updating to 10.3.9 then-

Andrew Stephens · Dec 15, 2007, 05:06 AM

OK thanks. I think the quickest way forward is going to be to hoik the drive out of the iMac and install it in my old old Blue and white G3. Then I can target disc it to my laptop and install 10.4 from my original DVD.

iMac IS only 350 Mhz but I've upped the RAM to 640Mb and it will only see light e-mail and web use in it's new home.

cybergoober · Dec 15, 2007, 09:16 AM

analogika - Wasn't FireWire a prerequisite for 10.4?

imitchellg5 · Dec 15, 2007, 09:20 AM

Yes. And USB for Panther.

Andrew Stephens · Dec 15, 2007, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by imitchellg5

Yes. And USB for Panther.

or not.

I've ended up with a full 756Mb of RAM. In the end I shoved a spare 80GB HDD into one of my G4 towers and super duper'd the OS onto it. Then 10 mins with the screwdrivers and the drive is in the old iMAc and bingo, she runs.

Actually she seems to fairly fly. With a new faster bigger HDD and loads of RAM, I'm surprised at how well the machine handles 10.4.11. OK so it won't be happy running photoshop etc but it will surf the web, do mail and give a nicve old lady a very usable machine for probably another five years.

Thanks for the help and info. It was a pig job but go there in the end.

On a side note I wonder if anyone can tell me why both my B&W G3 and the G4 tower refused to boot into target disc mode when I attached my MPB to them via FW. Would have made life a little bit easier?

cheers MacNN dudes!

imitchellg5 · Dec 15, 2007, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

or not.

Actually it is. If you try to install it on a Mac without FireWire it will tell you that you have to have FireWire. There are ways around everything, just like getting Leopard on a Mac under 867 MHz.

angelmb · Dec 15, 2007, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

On a side note I wonder if anyone can tell me why both my B&W G3 and the G4 tower refused to boot into target disc mode when I attached my MPB to them via FW. Would have made life a little bit easier?

The B&W G3 and G4 PCI Graphics towers can't boot from Target Disk Mode nor FireWire external hard disk. So I guess your G4 a PCI graphics model, could be?

imitchellg5 · Dec 15, 2007, 03:26 PM

Because your G4 runs PPC OS X, and the MBP runs Intel OS X.

Edit: Never mind, I thought you were asking why can't the MBP boot off of the G3/G4.

red rocket · Dec 16, 2007, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Andrew Stephens

I've been tasked with getting an old iMac G3 onto OSX. And it's a real pig.

I'd forgotten that unless you format the drive from scratch you have to be on OS 9.2 so I had to go from 9.0 to 9.1, then 9.2.

That's odd. I just replaced the stock 6GB WD drive in my rev D tray‑loader with an 80GB Seagate, and all I had to pre‑install was 9.1, after which 10.3 installed just fine.