[scgf]

My G4 iBook has now been returned (see vertical line post) and I am awaiting a new one from Apple. In the meantime I am wondering whether it would be best to install Panther from scratch or to use the Software Install CDs as directed when I switch on the new iBook.

I am not at all interested in OS 9, nor Appleworks. The major thing bothering me is the notebook 'extras' the System Restore disks seem to offer - do these get installed automatically when using standard Panther installation CDs? I am assuming the iBook is set up to cater for battery users etc. and the energy saving profiles adjusted accordingly.

Thanks for any advice.

[nredman]

clean install panther

[scgf]

Originally posted by nredman:
clean install panther

Will a clean install set everything up correctly for a portable device? I can't remember if you are asked about the type of Mac on which you are installing Panther, or whether the Panther install process works it out.

Thanks for your advice.

[SupahCoolX]

Yes, it will install whatever is needed for your system to function properly.
Also, during installation, I recommend deselecting the languages and printer drivers you don't use to save a ton of hard drive space.

[scgf]

Many thanks, guys. I will do a clean install as soon as I get my iBook. It left Taiwan early this morning so I am exoecting delivery around Monday of next week.

[ginoledesma]

Definitely do a clean install of Panther. My iBook shipped with the "problem mounting disc images" issue which plagued the early iBooks, so no way am I restoring it from the Restore CDs.

The only thing you'd need with the restore CDs is Classic, which the Panther Install CDs do not have.

[zen]

But the clean install won't put back AppleWorks, Quicken and all the other guff that the iBook comes loaded with, will it? You'd need to do the software restore to get all the preloaded stuff back. I think. A Panther clean install will just include the iLife stuff and whatever else Panther comes with (Safari etc etc).

Can you install these items individually later on without doing the full install/restore?

EDIT: Whoops, ok the first poster doesn't want AppleWorks etc. But for my own benefit advice would be good! And yes, the Panther install will configure the system for the iBook (power management etc etc)

Zen

[scgf]

You can extract individual packages from the restore CDs. This page discusses the issue:

http://www.appletechs.com/archives/00000092.html

[darcybaston]

Just put a restore CD in the machine, open a terminal and look at how it works:

Code:
/volumes >cd "ibook g4 restore cd"
/volumes/ibook g4 restore cd >la
total 384
-rwxrwxr-x   1 db  unknown    6148 29 Sep 12:39 .DS_Store
-rw-r--r--   1 db  unknown    2896 29 Sep 12:38 .DiscInfo.plist
-rw-r--r--   1 db  unknown    7975 29 Sep 12:33 .RestoreInfo.plist
d-wx-wx-wx   2 db  unknown      68 29 Sep 12:39 .Trashes/
drwxr-xr-x  12 db  unknown     408 29 Sep 12:38 .images/
-rw-r--r--   1 db  unknown    2048 29 Sep 12:39 Desktop DB
-rw-r--r--   1 db  unknown       2 29 Sep 12:39 Desktop DF
-rw-r--r--   1 db  unknown  166941 18 Sep 15:00 Read Before You Restore.pdf
drwxr-xr-x   3 db  unknown     102 28 Sep 06:58 SoftwareRestore.pkg/
/volumes/ibook g4 restore cd >cd .images
/volumes/ibook g4 restore cd/.images >ls
AOL.dmg                 EarthLink.dmg           SoundStudio.dmg
AppleWorks.dmg          MSOfficeTD.dmg          ZinioReader.dmg
CPUXHelp.dmg            OS9General.dmg
Deimos Rising.dmg       Quicken.dmg
/volumes/ibook g4 restore cd/.images >open OS9General.dmg

In that example, "la" is an alias for "ls -al". You just CD into the mounted volume's folder (the restore cds name), CD into the ".images" folder (where the dmg images are) and mount an image with "open imagename.dmg".

Then hide the terminal and the finder will have the image mounted. Well, after it's done verifying it and mounting it that is. Pick and choose what you want from each restore CD.

What's really amusing, or distressing for the inconvenience of bulk, is that my iBook came with 5 restore CDs, and 3 of them are mostly for the Tony Hawk 4 game.

[ghporter]

Silly question, but won't a replacement iBook come preloaded with everything already? I mean, does Apple send out replacements with blank hard drives, or do they just send you the retail package? New iBooks come with Panther.

I don't have a problem-never have-but this thread makes me wonder how Apple does things.

[scgf]

All the Macs I have bought (iMac, G5, iBook) come with OS X partially installed, much like Windows on new Windows XP machines. When the machine is switched on it asks for the System Restore CDs and proceeds to install various bits and pieces and configures the system with user options like language etc..

[murbot]

I have never had a Mac ask for a system disc during the first startup. I'm not sure what the heck you're talking about.

[scgf]

Maybe Macs destined for countries other than the US require the system restore CDs. I am in the UK and have personal experience of setting up 6 different Macs running OS X - 2 x iMac, 1 x eMac, 2 x iBook and 1 x PowerMac G5. All booted up with an on-screen message asking for the first System Restore CD (or DVD).

I would imagine this procedure has been adopted to allow the user to set up the machine for his/her particular language and keyboard.

[ginoledesma]

Same on my end (Philippines, source Mac channel: Singapore). The first time I booted my iBook, I was prompted to insert the Software Restorce CDs.

My PowerMac G4/400, however (purchased at Outpost), came with Mac OS 9.0.2 pre-installed.

[zen]

Yeah, it depends on the country. Here in NZ (and Australia), Macs come fully loaded up, and when they are booted for the first time you get the Welcome to Mac OS X thing and the registration screen. The system restore discs are supplied for future use.

Zen

[ghporter]

We got our new iBook just last month (our first OS X machine!), and when we turned it on, there was OS X-no disk requested or anything. That's why I wondered...

[gigglebyte]

to the best of my knowledge the US is the only place where everything is preloaded....out side of the US they need to load the software..you have no idea how wierd that was when I talked to somebody in France and they told me that...as for what you should do...I would restore and then upgrade so you can easily get all the original apps on the system..as for the issue ginoledesma had...it was NOT caused by the restore CD's but the image that was being used at the factory which are different and the way to fix that was to use the restore CD's on the comp

[zen]

Originally posted by gigglebyte:
to the best of my knowledge the US is the only place where everything is preloaded....

Except for New Zealand and Australia, as I mentioned above!

Zen