Don't wanna mess up, little help please. OS X + Clamshell + HD + RAM

[one1]

I'm trying to build the lady friend a little mac to learn on, I use a 17' PB and have no experience with OS 9 (until now) nor with installing OS X.

I have a nice little mint condition Indigo Clamshell Ibook that's bone stock. Next to it is a nice 40GB hard drive, 248mb ram, OS X 10.3 retail disks, and a lot of hope..........

Obviously I am on OS 9 right now with the Ibook. I used disk copy to send the HD image and contents to my 2gb USB flash, then burned it to CD for backup.

I plan on installing the ram, then the HD, then trying to simply load the OS X disk. Now that all sounds good in theory........ but realistically what problems could I run into?

Will I need to somehow find a way to use OS 9 to boot (perhaps mount the OS 9 from the flash - can I do that if needed?), then install OS X or should the OS X pick up on the empty HD and go to work right there?

I'm just trying to be prepared, since I have a few days before the disks get here.

In the end it will initially be:

366 mhz, firewire
312 real ram, not counting virtual (will put cash down for the 512 stick after I see it work, not before!)
40 GB HD
OS X 10.3

My 17" PB is on 10.4.9 and if I can use it somehow to help this go more smoothly I can jump firewire over to the Ibook if needed, should anyone know of a better way to make this whole thing go smoothly. Seen here: http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d5/audiogodz1/stuff/macs1.jpg

 

[GimmeSlack12]

The RAM is easy to install
OS X is even easier to install
The hard drive, now that is going to be pretty difficult. I'm not familiar with installing an HD on a clamshell, but the current iBook G4 I have is very tough to install a new internal on.

You have the OS 9 image on your flash drive? or you have a copy of the OS 9 system on the Flash drive. The image alone will do no good. But I doubt you'll need it.

You must be a PC user because you sound scared about what you're trying to do. Don't be, installing OS X is a no brainer and it'll run fine on the Clamshell. If you do run into trouble then you can use your PB 17" to help out using Target mode. Connect the two machines via the firewire and boot the clamshell and hold "T" until the firewire logo comes up. Then the clamshell drive will appear on your PB 17" desktop.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[one1]

You have the OS 9 image on your flash drive? or you have a copy of the OS 9 system on the Flash drive.

I used disk copy to send an exact disk image and all contents of the HD to the USB Flash.

You must be a PC user

hey, hey, hey....... I just got here and you already wanna start a fight? GIMME some SLACK

installing OS X is a no brainer and it'll run fine on the Clamshell.

Well that is what I am hoping for, BUT I have seen a few posts here and there where there were boot issues on older machines and OS 9 may be needed to boot. That was my concern. My 17" PB was loaded with Tiger when I got it and I have never done anything but use it since.

I keep the computer squeaky clean, 6gb used on the entire HD, never use VM (1 gig of ram installed), and OnyX the computer every week. No issues = no need to know how to fix it

 

[gikku]

There was a firmware update in OS 9.2.2 that prepared for OS X. Perhaps, update to 9.2.2 if you haven't already. It was also included on OS X 10.1 disks, but not sure if it was still included by 10.3, or indeed if it's still necessary and not superseded by other firmware updates in 10.3 (?)
Did you need to keep specific OS9 files or apps to run under classic in 10.3?

Excellent hard disk install guide at
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Mac/iBook-G3-Clamshell/49
If you can use a screwdriver you'll have no trouble, just keep track of all the different screws. It takes about 90 minutes.

You could clone your PB onto the Clamshell, getting it to 10.4.9 also.
Use Superduper to make a bootable back-up of the PB to an external hard drive, or presumably, the HD you plan to install in the Clamshell.
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13803

 

[one1]

I didn't know if I had enough computer to run 10.4.9

I will not need, nor ever want to see, OS 9 again.

In the end I will not have anything aside of an empty HD and some retail 10.3 disks. The OS 9 won't be anywhere to be found, which is why I was concerned over the boot from retail 10.3 on an empty (and I mean brand new, clean) HD.

 

[GimmeSlack12]

Ahhh a Classic user and PC user. I forget about the horrors of those Operating Systems, you remind me of such things when you keep referring to Virtual Memory. Not that its gone in OS X, but that it isn't a concern.

I'll repeat, installing OS X is a no-brainer and the complaining you read on these boards is from the 5% of Mac users that have actual issues (and the top 10% most nit-picky people on the planet).

Though I'm glad to hear you are going to not need OS 9 at all, I would keep it around for a little bit just to be totally sure. And still not sure about the Flash drive boot option (although I don't see any reason why not).

 

[gikku]

If you don't need OS 9.
Boot the clamshell from the 10.3 disk, press "C" at the boot chime.
The HD you have may need to be formatted, use Disk Utility from the 10.3 disk, select Mac OS Journaled.
Install 10.3
It'll take maybe 45 mins.
Go online and run "software update" afterwards.

 

[one1]

If you don't need OS 9.
Boot the clamshell from the 10.3 disk, press "C" at the boot chime.
The HD you have may need to be formatted, use Disk Utility from the 10.3 disk, select Mac OS Journaled.
Install 10.3
It'll take maybe 45 mins.
Go online and run "software update" afterwards.

Nice, thanks. Hope the stuff get's here tomorrow.