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G4 iBook questions

blackxacto

blackxacto

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 15, 2009
1,296
159
Middle TN
G4 iBook, 1.42 GHz PPC, 1GB ram, 80gb HD, 10.5.8

Bought this iBook to run a huge DRM library collection for PPC only.

Questions:

1. Have tried several System Installer DVDs of mine from older machines (none PowerBooks) but none are recognized by the iBook. Do I have to have a specific iBook Leopard Installer DVD?

2. Is it possible to back install Tiger if I can ever get to boot from a Tiger Install DVD. Do I need a iBook Tiger installer DVDS?

3. Why can't I change the name of the administrator account. If I am the only user? Do I need to boot from an installer DVD?
 
Chances are if the install disks are from older machines the OS version on them won't be compatible with a newer machine. A retail version of Leopard or Tiger 10.4.2 or later should work fine. Leopard can be downgraded with a clean Tiger install (backup any important data first).

The easiest way to change the short name of an administrator account in PPC versions of OS X is to create another admin account and migrate to that one. The long name can be changed in System Preferences > Accounts.
 
Last edited:
G4 iBook questions

RedHeeler: Are you saying that the installer System DVDs from my G4 Mac, G5 Mac, Snow Leopard iMac, will not BOOT & install Leopard or SL on this G4 iBook?

Why not? Just curious. Dang I've got all these leftover installer DVDs, even from OS7,8,9, and I'll never be able to use them?


redheeler said:
Chances are if the install disks are from older machines the OS version on them won't be compatible with a newer machine. A retail version of Leopard or Tiger 10.4.2 or later should work fine. Leopard can be downgraded with a clean Tiger install (backup any important data first).

The easiest way to change the short name of an administrator account in PPC versions of OS X is to create another admin account and migrate to that one. The long name can be changed in System Preferences > Accounts.
Click to expand...
 
blackxacto said:
RedHeeler: Are you saying that the installer System DVDs from my G4 Mac, G5 Mac, Snow Leopard iMac, will not BOOT & install Leopard or SL on this G4 iBook?

Why not? Just curious. Dang I've got all these leftover installer DVDs, even from OS7,8,9, and I'll never be able to use them?
Click to expand...

Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6 is not supported on PowerPC Macs. You must use a later revision retail Tiger disk (e.g. 10.4.6), a Tiger restore disk appropriate for the model, or a retail Leopard disk (any version). Are the disks being recognized at all?
 
And just like Snow Leoaprd is not supported because you have a PowerPC Mac and NOT and Intel Mac, OS 7, 8, and 9 will likewise NEVER run on the iBook.

OS9 is supported under Tiger as Classic (but not under Leopard), but the iBook is not capable of booting OS 9 and OS 7 and 8 are too old to support the iBook.

Don't know what you were thinking here as far as being able to run multiple systems natively. The iBook would not be a good choice for that. I don't think there's any one Mac that could run OS 7 all the way up to OS X 10.5
 
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