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iBook G4 upgrade:

jrsx said:
So I have a 1.33 mhz iBook g4 running OS 10.4.11 Tiger, and I was looking into installing Leopard on the machine. It only has 512 MBs, so it might be wise to upgrade that, too. But my question is, Ebay is very expensive for Leopard, and I did a little searching, and I found this site (LINK REMOVED). I believe it is a download, so is it legal? If so, is it a good choice to download it, or would it be better to get DVD installation media? Thanks
Click to expand...

OP,
My recommendation, based on my experience, is that Leopard is not a sensible upgrade for G4 -machines, except:
- if you need one or more of the new features introduced in Leopard
- if your G4 is a high-spec dual G4 Powermac
In general, Tiger simply runs G4's better.

If for whatever reason you want to take the plunge, I recommend:
- Max out ram. What you need is a 1 GB ram stick, like this
- make a clone copy before you go - just in case you regret upgrading, you can revert. Use an external HDD and CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper
- Acquire an original Leopard install DVD, whether you buy or borrow it (or try the Apple route), does not matter, but keep away from pirated versions - they might not be kosher.

If, (and considering the age of your mac, this is a big IF) your iBook is in perfect order, and you'd want to give it a few more years, AND you are good with spudgers and screwdrivers, you can consider a PATA SSD as a viable upgrade route. The iBook is one of the most hideous pieces of hardware to upgrade (see iFixit guide for 14" iBook here), but i've done the operation on one iBook (and a number of Powerbooks) and everyone has been really pleased. Eventhough the bandwidth of the PATA interface is a serious constriction, an SSD does significantly improve transfer of small files (software, OS) and markedly reduces noise. (I've jokingly said, that an SSD-equipped Powerbook G4 is THE Powerbook G5 Apple never made.)

RGDS,
 
spyguy10709 said:
Intell, I'm going to violate my NDA simply because I can't stand how you're an "authority voice" around here, yet rarely know much about what you're saying - the Dev Connection lets you download old versions of OSX all the way back to Panther.

To the eventual Mod that reads this - I'm not "being mean" or "abusing forum members". I'm helping the other members of the forum get the correct information.
Click to expand...

Those are the debug/beta builds, not the actual retail releases. Some of those links are broken as well or the GM for the particular version of Mac OS X isn't listed.
 
spyguy10709 said:
Intell, I'm going to violate my NDA simply because I can't stand how you're an "authority voice" around here, yet rarely know much about what you're saying - the Dev Connection lets you download old versions of OSX all the way back to Panther.

To the eventual Mod that reads this - I'm not "being mean" or "abusing forum members". I'm helping the other members of the forum get the correct information.
Click to expand...

Mod Note: I have no issue with this. This or buying retail copies of OSX on eBay are about the only legal ways to get copies of old versions of OSX.
 
spyguy10709 said:
Intell, I'm going to violate my NDA simply because I can't stand how you're an "authority voice" around here, yet rarely know much about what you're saying - the Dev Connection lets you download old versions of OSX all the way back to Panther.

To the eventual Mod that reads this - I'm not "being mean" or "abusing forum members". I'm helping the other members of the forum get the correct information.
Click to expand...

This is pretty awesome. How would that violate the NDA though since Leopard is no longer pre-release software?
 
RedCroissant said:
This is pretty awesome. How would that violate the NDA though since Leopard is no longer pre-release software?
Click to expand...
I imagine that falls in the same area as the licensing that still affects System 7.

7.5.5 and below were released by Apple as publicly available downloads. 7.6 and above are still copyright and you need to pay Apple to get them.

No one is really using or should use (especially devs) pre-release software, but that doesn't mean you can't download it, then update and thus get a commerically available product for free. Hence, an NDA.
 
So I'm guessing to actually have access to pre-release software, you have to pay the $99 a yr. to be a Mac dev? All I see in the downloads section is Xcode and Kernel debuggers, no pre release Mac OS.
 
Intell said:
Those are the debug/beta builds, not the actual retail releases. Some of those links are broken as well or the GM for the particular version of Mac OS X isn't listed.
Click to expand...

Wrong again, intell. If only you had taken the time to read, the GM is the original retail release. The same build number, the same everything.

I'm shaking my head at every post you make, attempting to discredit what I said. You're incorrect. Please accept that, and move on.
 
A relative is a registered developer, just contacted him to see what's available for download (i want a retail copy of Tiger 10.4.0 to install on my iBook) & he has just told me that the earliest OSX available on the developer portal is Leopard, Build 9A58xx dated Oct.26 2007. Apart from 10.4.0 Server editions, there are no Tiger available, prior to that there is Panther 10.3.9 which is still available.
 
ad931 said:
A relative is a registered developer, just contacted him to see what's available for download (i want a retail copy of Tiger 10.4.0 to install on my iBook) & he has just told me that the earliest OSX available on the developer portal is Leopard, Build 9A58xx dated Oct.26 2007. Apart from 10.4.0 Server editions, there are no Tiger available, prior to that there is Panther 10.3.9 which is still available.
Click to expand...

My friend just recently downloaded 10.4 Tiger from the dev site.
 
jrsx said:
I know he was downloading it, cause it was on my mac...;)
Click to expand...

Just called my relative again, he had another look, only Tiger Server Editions are available versions 10.4.3 onwards

Oh well, never mind... still trying to track that elusive Tiger 10.4.0 full retail... patience

----------
jrsx said:
I know he was downloading it, cause it was on my mac...;)
Click to expand...

according to my relative, as far as Leopard is concerned, all versions from 10.5.0 onwards are available in the developer portal
 
My friend has a different dev account he received from Apple for free (instead of $99) for doing some work for them....
He said he had access to 10.4 Tiger and pre-releases. I wonder if it was somehow a different account than your relative's. Strange...
 
jrsx said:
My friend has a different dev account he received from Apple for free (instead of $99) for doing some work for them....
He said he had access to 10.4 Tiger and pre-releases. I wonder if it was somehow a different account than your relative's. Strange...
Click to expand...

Suspect this explains it as my relative has the $99 account!
 
seveej said:
- make a clone copy before you go - just in case you regret upgrading, you can revert. Use an external HDD and Carbon Copy Cloner.

RGDS,
Click to expand...

Thx. Just bought a IDE to USB converter cable off of Ebay for $3! I have another 40 GB HD sitting around, so I'll use it.
 

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spyguy10709 said:
Wrong again, intell. If only you had taken the time to read, the GM is the original retail release. The same build number, the same everything.

I'm shaking my head at every post you make, attempting to discredit what I said. You're incorrect. Please accept that, and move on.
Click to expand...

The GM isn't always what's pressed to the disc, even with the same build number. Most of the time, but not always. The GM freezes the APIs. If bugs are found they are fixed, keeping the same build number for compatibility with applications that check the build number. In some cases the build number does change. Furthermore, some of the GM links are dead resulting in Apple's 404 page. I'm not discrediting what you've posted, mearly finishing the sketch. While I do accept the fact that I am incorrect when I am, this is one of those times where we are both correct, but looking into the house through different windows and describing the same room.

You do seem to like me to some degree. Your signature could show a slight lack of original thought or it could be a sign of flattery. Either way, you followed me with mine. How pleasant.
 
Ok so I have one more question. My iBook doesn't like booting from USB for some reason, at least on Linux, so if I burn onto a DVD it will have to be dual-layer. However, my internal drive does not read DL DVDs. I have an external DVD-DL drive sitting around, but I can's seem to boot my Tiger CDs from it. Is their a command in OpenFirmware to boot from USB CD drive? Or should I split the ISO into two ISOs. If I split it, will it give me the warning to put in the second disk? Thanks guys
 
jrsx said:
Ok so I have one more question. My iBook doesn't like booting from USB for some reason, at least on Linux, so if I burn onto a DVD it will have to be dual-layer. However, my internal drive does not read DL DVDs. I have an external DVD-DL drive sitting around, but I can's seem to boot my Tiger CDs from it. Is their a command in OpenFirmware to boot from USB CD drive? Or should I split the ISO into two ISOs. If I split it, will it give me the warning to put in the second disk? Thanks guys
Click to expand...


Check this, I hope this helps you: http://macintoshlinux.blogspot.com/2013/02/install-mac-os-x-leopard105-to-ibook-g4.html
 
Your iBook doesn't provide booting from the USB bus.
I have read where some have used firmware commands to allow USB boots, but the process doesn't work every time, nor does it work on every Mac model.

As the link in the prior post suggests, you should use a device that has a Firewire interface - and a good possibility is if you have another PPC Mac, so you can use that Firewire Target Disk mode. I have done that with dozens of OS X installs.
 
DeltaMac said:
Your iBook doesn't provide booting from the USB bus.
I have read where some have used firmware commands to allow USB boots, but the process doesn't work every time, nor does it work on every Mac model.
Click to expand...

All USB 1.1 and USB 2 PowerPC Macs support booting from the builtin USB bus. The only iBook that doesn't is the clamshell iBook because it's USB 1.0, which the OP does not have. It does work every time and OpenFirmware commands are not always required.
 
Inaccurate, at best.

USB boot "supported" is a misnomer.
"Mess around until it boots once, but won't the second time" is not too much fun.
Example - I have tried numerous times (including two different linux versions), and with ALL (5) different iterations of eMacs, with different methods that do work on _some_ Macs. (I agree that some will boot, as I have seen it, too) But, USB boot doesn't happen on eMacs.
well, one exception to that is booting to USB in OS 9 on those Macs that boot to OS 9. That does work, but not terribly useful when one wants OS X...
 
DeltaMac said:
Inaccurate, at best.

USB boot "supported" is a misnomer.
"Mess around until it boots once, but won't the second time" is not too much fun.
Example - I have tried numerous times (including two different linux versions), and with ALL (5) different iterations of eMacs, with different methods that do work on _some_ Macs. (I agree that some will boot, as I have seen it, too) But, USB boot doesn't happen on eMacs.
well, one exception to that is booting to USB in OS 9 on those Macs that boot to OS 9. That does work, but not terribly useful when one wants OS X...
Click to expand...

Apple explictly states that USB boot is supported on PowerPC Macs in this KB article: https://support.apple.com/kb/TA25908

Bootable USB drives: A storage device such as a SuperDisk, Zip disk, or other USB storage drive can be used to hold a valid system folder and used at startup.
Click to expand...

Just because you may have had problems with USB booting doesn't mean that many others have. I and mostly everyone else in the PowerPC subforum has had great success in booting a PowerPC Mac via USB. So much that I have yet to encounter a PowerPC Mac that I could not boot from a USB device out of the hundreds (thousands?) that I have worked on. Some of those Macs are 800Mhz and 1.42Ghz eMacs with OS X. Even Skybell, the Queen of eMacs, has booted her eMac from a USB drive. Linux of course doesn't work without much trying, but when attempting to boot into Mac OS as designed it does work.
 
Well I have tried for HOURS and cannot get a USB stick to boot in OpenFirmware with Ubuntu and Lubuntu, while dozens of others have. I'm not sure even though Apple says you can that you actually can boot into a USB stick no-sweat. I simply can't figure it out. I've used a tons of commands and I just get and "X" across the screen.
 
jrsx said:
Well I have tried for HOURS and cannot get a USB stick to boot in OpenFirmware with Ubuntu and Lubuntu, while dozens of others have. I'm not sure even though Apple says you can that you actually can boot into a USB stick no-sweat. I simply can't figure it out. I've used a tons of commands and I just get and "X" across the screen.
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't support booting Linux via USB or Linux at all. That may be your problem. You could try booting an OS X installation via USB.
 
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