How to install MacOS9 on unsupported iMac G4 using FW

[r6mile]

I have tried lots of different combinations but cannot seem to find a way to install MacOS 9 Lives on my unsupported iMac G4 15 inch 1GHz (USB2). I don't have any blank CDs so am using a Lacie FW drive that I have used for lots of bootable OSX installations.

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong?

- I downloaded the Unsupported G4 Mac OS 9 Lives install from the Macintosh Repository here
- Using Disk Utility in OSX 10.4 Tiger, I then partitioned the Lacie drive using Apple Partition Map, ensuring to tick the OS 9 drivers option.
- I then used the "restore function" in Disk Utility to restore the ISO file to the FW drive, ticking "erase destination".
- I then restart the iMac, and at the boot picker I see the "MacOS9Lives" drive, but when I boot into it after a few seconds I am greeted with the Classic-style flashing question mark on floppy disk icon.

(I have also tried restoring the IMG file inside the ISO, instead of the ISO itself, but get the same result)

Many thanks for any help!

 

[!!!]

Are you restoring onto the drive itself, or a partition inside the drive? Also, do check the output of diskutil list to ensure that the driver partitions remain.

Otherwise, maybe Mac OS 9 can't be booted from firewire drives on unsupported hardware?

 

[r6mile]

I don’t think the OS X Tiger tool allows you to restore onto the drive itself - on the restore option, I am unable to drag the drive itself. So the only thing I can do is restore onto the fresh partition I created.

 

[r6mile]

PS: I ended up giving up and just buying some CD-Rs (I don't think the electronics store had sold any for a while!) and the computer booted from the OS9Lives CD just fine!

(Now in the process of backing up by Tiger and Sorbet Leopard partitions, as OS9 Drive Setup couldn't see the partition map I had already created, so will have to create a new one from OS9 itself)