How to install OSX+9 on a clean HD ? (Dual-boot Question)

It's simple....don't sweat it. When you install the new disk you will need to format it. At that time you will be given the opportunity to "partition the harddrive" which basically means that you can use part of the drive for OS 9 and part for OS X.
If the version of OS 9 that you want to run is "classic" then this is automatically handled during the OS X install (someone else jump in if I am wrong here) because "classic" is a nested subset within OS X.
If you need a different version of OS 9 (for example "classic" won't run SCSI devices) then you need to manually set the hard drive partition, which is an option available when you format the drive.

In my G4 I have 2 x 80 GB drives:
Drive 1 has OS X.2.8 installed and appears on the desktop as a single hard drive
Drive 2 is partitioned with 40 GB running OS 9.0.4 (to run a SCSI card)
and 40 GB running OS X.3
These appear on the desktop as two different drives, even though they are partitions of the same piece of hardware.

Wait, now this gets really tricky...when I open Startup Disk in System Prefs I am given the option of 4 start up disks to choose from:
*OS 9.0.4 (partition 1-drive 2)
*OS 9.2.1 ("classic" on drive 1)
*OS X.2.8 (OS X on drive 1)
*OS X.3 (partition 2-drive 2)
As I said before, if you were using the "classic" version of OS 9 on your old HD (if you only saw one HD icon on your desktop) then all you need to do is install OS X and follow the prompts. If you need another (non-"classic") version, then manually partition.

So to recap...2 actual harddrives, 3 harddrive icons on the desktop, 4 systems to start up from.....
(......5 is the number that I want in front of the big "G"!)

If anyone reads this post and sees any errors or can shed more light on this subject, please chime in...I am by no means an authority on this subject, but I have partitioned a few HDs in my day.

Hope this helps!
-e 🙂

Nope, ever since the powerbook G4 aluminium generation booting in os9 has been impossible... If I remember correctly all G4 powermacs can boot in os9, though.

It's probably unnecessary to partition your hard drive. I've migrated to two new hard drives with OS 9 and 10 on the same (and only) partition. It depends what Mac you are running. I have a Gigabit machine.

A Mac being dual-boot really depends on what machine it is. You can dump an OS 9.x System Folder onto any hard drive, but the machine has to be old enough for hardware support built into the system. As new G5's are released, hardware profiles show up deep inside the System (10.3) folder. So, just because my PMac 7200 can run OS 7.5-9.1 it doesn't mean that I can just 7.5 on my Gigabit PMac. However, if you had dual boot before, you can still have that ability.

I thought that Classic required a 9.2 System Folder, even if the Mac isn't 9 bootable. That may have changed with Panther, though.

You don't need to have seperate partitions for 9 and X. I don't even suggest doing it unless you have a very specific need to do so.

it is easy

Just install 9, then install X, making sure NOT to erase the drive when doing so, and you will be fine. Startup disk will let you choose either to boot from and classic mode will work.

Note to whoever said it. ALMOST all G4 powermacs can dual boot. The only exception is the very last G4 powermac that was released, the FW800 moddel. They are can only boot 10. Just thought you should know.

wylie said:

Now, does the dual-boot part stem from the original hard drive settings, or is there something else that enables the dual-boot Os option

Ie, can i just buy i new HD, install OS X And 9 on to it, and it will give me the option of which start-up disk to load up?

Click to expand...

Yes. You have to install OS 9 first, but you can install one and then the other on the same drive and regain your dual-boot capability.

Another way to do this is to install OS X and then (assuming you have them) use your Software Restore CDs to restore the Classic System Folder.

~Philly

wylie said:

many of these replys seem to be stating that it is easy to install OSX and classic mode

I want to dual boot OSX and OS9 , like i was able to before my hard drive died.....

the real reasoning for my question......was to determine whether the original (dual - boot) hard drive that i had, was the reason that i could start up in OSX or OS9......and that if i buy a new, clean hard drive, whether the dual - boot option will stil be avaliable to me

Is it the hard drive that enables dual boot ability, or is it something else within the comp thta allows dual boot, i dont want to buy a new clean hard drive if i cant dual - boot it

sorry to make a meal out of this question...im not very good at explaining myself

😕

Click to expand...

There's nothing special about the hard drive to enable dual booting. you simply install OS X and OS 9 and proceed as normal. So buy a new drive, install what you want, and it will operate exactly as it always did. The hard drive isn't involved in selecting which system to boot from. It merely holds the data.