installing OS X on a g4

[jvaska]

ok...i'm going to install OS X on my G4/400...i was going to wait maybe another year, but not after i got wise and learned about some of the linux/php/mysql things i can tackle...

i thought i would just buy a new hard drive and start from square one...

one thing i've heard a couple times though is that OS X/9.2 will render some of my RAM unusable...has anybody experienced this? apparently, it had something to do with a firmware upgrade or something...

also...since i'll have three drives in my computer...should i do anything with the two old drives to make them work with OS X better? i've never been clear on this exactly...do i need to do anything with the slave drives (aside from moving pins around)...or will it be perfectly fine just to leave them as they are...(i'll need the one drive though just in case something goes haywire with installation)...

anything else i should think about before i install?

thanks for the tips...jv

 

[King Cobra]

Regarding the firmwear issue...
one thing i've heard a couple times though is that OS X/9.2 will render some of my RAM unusable...has anybody experienced this? apparently, it had something to do with a firmware upgrade or something...

I checked on a computer memory website www.18004memory.com and it displayed that the firmware update issue is resolved with their memory.

"The Apple 4.1.7 and 4.1.8 firmware updates incorporate a number of fixes that dramatically improve system stability and performance", per Apple. The new firmware updates also drastically changed the computers hardware specifications. As a result, many Apple users have found that the RAM they purchased no longer works. Coast to Coast Memory is currently stocking memory that is fully JDEC MO-161-D compliant for firmware revisions 4.1.7 & 4.1.8. For customers who have memory purchased from us that no longer functions after updating the Apple firmware, contact our technical department @ 1-800-4MEMORY for further details. All of our current memory upgrade options are fully JDEC MO-161-D compliant.

As for your question with Hard Drive pins, I currently am not available to answer that. But just so you know, if you purchased memory recently from these guys, it should work properly in your computer.
__________________

Fear the King.

 

[AlphaTech]

I'd say just take the drive that has OS 9 on it now (or 8.x) and update it to 9.2.2 and THEN install OS X. The ONLY time OS X will do anything with your memory is if you purchased inferiour/cheap memory. One case where you are best off NOT going the cheap route.

Is your G4 400 using the Yikes or Sawtooth motherboard??? If you have a Sawtooth (AGP) then you don't have much to worry about. Make sure you DO NOT have any Microtec RAM installed (that is cheap crappy memory with a silver sticker with black type on it).

Make sure your hard drive has about 2GB of free space, so that you can both install and run OSX well. If you have anything under 256MB of RAM (or even 512MB) I'd say get some more. I'd even go as far as maxing out your memory to 1.5GB. I did that on my G4 500 tower and OS X ran like a dream. Even OS 9.2.2 ran better.

 

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by AlphaTech
Is your G4 400 using the Yikes or Sawtooth motherboard??? If you have a Sawtooth (AGP) then you don't have much to worry about.

So what happens if he has a PCI graphics G4? I installed OS X and 9.2 on mine and everything's been running just fine... with the exception that the Yikes mobo won't recognize more than 256MB per DIMM...

 

[jvaska]

how do i tell if i have yikes or sawtooth? i've never understood what these terms meant...although i see you guys discussing it much...

i'm already on 9.2.2...that's good news...

thanks for that info about the ram...now i can look into...if i recall properly...all my ram was purchased from apple directly...

jv

 

[sparkleytone]

yikes is the PCI-video version of the g4 tower. its basically a modified g3 board.

the sawtooth is the agp-video g4.