Install OS X over a network

[velocityg4]

Hello Folks,

Recently I got an iMac G4 for free and I am looking to upgrade it from 10.1 to 10.4. Now this iMac does not have a DVD drive it just has a cdrw drive. Anyways I was curious if it was possible to install 10.4 over an ethernet network.

I know there are procedures for doing so with Windows and was curious if the same was true for Mac OS X. Yes I am aware that you can use a firewire cable, but I do not have one.

Is it possible? If not looks like I will have to install 10.2 as I can not find my 10.3 cd's. This may be better anyways as it has only 256mb RAM.

Or is there a way to force an upgrade while booted. Then I could make a dmg transfer it and install off that.

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[MacsRgr8]

The "Mac" way to install over a network, is to implement a Mac OS X Server as NetBoot / NetInstall server, but I assume that is not what you're looking for...

TBO I have not tried any other method. Maybe it's possible to boot from any Mac OS X CD, mount an AFP share using the Terminal, and let Disk Utility restore from an image which is hosted on the AFP volume...?

 

[velocityg4]

Assuming this is possible, if I ran a restore from an image hosted by on an AFP volume would the OS have to be installed first an then make an image of that volume? If I simply restored from a DMG made of my 10.4 DVD I would think I would only have a hard drive acting as a 10.4 installer.

If the above procedure is not possible, does anyone know if this next procedure would work?

1. Boot into the installer for 10.2
2. Make two partions
i. partition "A" set at say 5GB's for a 10.4 image
ii. second "B" partition remainder for OS install
3. Install a minimal 10.2 installation onto "B".
4. Use disk utility to recover a DMG of 10.4 onto "A"
5. Boot of the hard drive partition "A" acting as a 10.4 installer and install 10.4 a freshly formated partition "B"
6. Have a working OS install

Well if this does work could I format the partition "A" to recover my 5GB and use some utility to merge the partitions back together.

 

[leexgx]

i know this is an bit of an mega bump but the above works Perfectly well

i have an powerPC and i could not get the Drive to install off DVD (10.5.4) but i could boot to the install screen and access the disk program had DMG file of my DVD i made some time ago and i was not able to make the USB pen drive boot and as i have seen around it seems the powerPC do not support booting from USB only firewire, but the intel ones do, that wasted Loads hrs as an USB pen Write speed is slow

i tryed 2 dual layer dvds i could not get it to read them in the mac (DMG was bunt on an windows pc)

i made 2 partitions but i made the first partition to use most of the disk and second partition as small as i could (20gb i think) and loaded the DMG onto the second drive once i exited the disk program i was able to pick start up option and pick my hdd second partition for booting and was able to install OS x in 15 mins far faster then the DVD last time i did it, so i leave this as it is until i get 10.6 i guess (if it even work on an powerpc G5 1.9ghz 2.5GB good spec find it hard if they not support it next release) as its doing no harm beaning there and its far faster at reload if needed

your site was very usefull

other question How do you get an Network install of OSX to work from an windows base pc, could not get it to work (not that i need it now any way)