Leopard Assist...Arrgg!(And DA Leopard Issues)

[bunnspecial]

I'm trying to wind down a little bit from the UK Basketball game, so thought that I'd try installing Leopard on my new DA G4.

Although I give a huge amount of credit to the developer for writing this, and I've used it successfully a number of times, I find other times where it just won't work.

Tonight was one of those occasions. I ran Leopard Assist, then rebooted with my burned backup. The installer kernel panicked a few seconds into loading. I tried a couple more times, and then pulled out my original(which I try to avoid using as much as possible, since these are expensive to replace). It still wouldn't boot off the DVD. I checked the firmware, and it is the most current version(4.2.8).

I'm doing a TDM install now from my A1139-a pretty safe method that I've also used plenty of times.

Even so, it's a program that seems to cause trouble for me about half the times I use it. I think I've even used it on a different Digital Audio, but it's just not working here.

Hopefully, the TDM install will work. Fortunately, the computer was used as a server, and as such has two identical 80gb drives with the second being a clone of the main drive. So, if for some reason the install fails, I can just clone the backup drive back over and go from there.

Has anyone else had trouble of this sort with Leopard Assist? I know the computer will run it well once it's installed, but getting it on can sometimes be a pain. Having to do the TDM install also ties up two computers for 1 hour+ and not just one, although admittedly I don't exactly have a shortage of useable computers around.

 

[MysticCow]

I didn't use Leopard Assist. I went in and worked out the install file to recognize any processor over 1 MHz as a legit processor for Leopard.

Those DA's, though, make OS 9 scream for joy, especially the 733 MHz model.

 

[G4fanboy]

Contact with iMic from ThinkClassic forum. He is the author of Leopard Assist.

 

[bunnspecial]

Okay, so as the thread title indicates, I installed Leopard on the DA via TDM, as I've done dozens of times on many computers, including other DAs.

Unfortunately, it still KPs on booting. I don't get a "text dump" either like I often get when it boots-the screen just grays out and I get the multi-language "you need to restart your computer" message.

I'll boot in verbose mode after I get back from church and see if I get any insight.

 

[bunnspecial]

Does anyone "speak Unix" well enough to know what's going on here? I didn't even get the typical "we are hanging here" message that I'm used to getting. I do see a line that says "Panic..."Uncorrectable Machine Check" with some other text that I assume gives details.

BTW, the computer did boot okay into Single User Mode.

 

[eyoungren]

Do you have a SCSI card plugged in?

What happens if you try to boot with the SCSI card removed if you do have one?

 

[Intell]

It appears to not like your Ethernet.

 

[bunnspecial]

Do you have a SCSI card plugged in?

What happens if you try to boot with the SCSI card removed if you do have one?

Yes, there is a SCSI card at the moment, although I was getting KPs with Leopard Assist even without it installed. Even so, it wouldn't hurt to remove it.

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It appears to not like your Ethernet.

There is a Gigabit card installed. Tiger seemed to have no problem with it.

Could this be the problem? Of course, I can always pull it also.

 

[redheeler]

Pull the cards and try again.

 

[weckart]

It seems to be a problem with a network card causing Leopard to KP. Try blocking that and see if it boots all the way.

 

[Intell]

I do suggest removing the third party card. Always best to make the machine as stock as possible when installing a new OS.

 

[bunnspecial]

The machine is loaded with cards-GigE, USB 2.0, a combo USB 2.0/FW 400 card, and a SCSI card that I added.

I'll start with the GigE card since you all seem to think it's an ethernet problem. I'll take them out one by one and hopefully get it to boot.

I should add that this is not-in and of itself-a stock G4. The logic board, PSU, etc are all pretty much stock but it's in a rackmount case. I wouldn't think that would affect anything-it looks to me like all the original DA parts were used, including the front panel.

 

[bunnspecial]

I pulled the GigE card and all is well. After Intell's suggestion of an ethernet problem and looking back over everything, I noticed that it mentioned a "Intel network", and I know that the chipset on the card is Intel.

I just find it funny that the card worked great under Tiger but caused problems under Leopard. When I say that it worked, I don't just mean that the computer booted off it, but that I actually used the card for a network connection.

BTW, I've heard that the onboard "gigabit ethernet" in most G4 towers will actually benchmark to less than gigabit speeds. Does anyone know if there's any merit to this statement? I'd think that a PCI GigE ethernet card would be bottlenecked by the PCI bus.

The one in this computer was full 64-bit length and PCI-X compliant, so I would think it would work well under those conditions(provided that one didn't have a PCI card in the PCI-X bus). The G4, however, just has standard PCI slots.

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[bunnspecial]

iMac,

Thank you for checking in here, and I hope that you don't think I was in any way putting down your program. As I've repeatedly said, I greatly appreciate your effort in writing it and even continuing to update it.

And, as this case shows, often the problem is not in fact Leopard Assist in any way, but rather just a simple case of hardware incompatibility(I'd still like to know why that incompatibility exists, but that's a topic for another day).

 

[iMacC2D]

Removed.

 

[Graham Bell]

HI there - HELP! I've have a G4 Cube with a 450mhz and 1.5Gb RAM. was running 10.3, so i loaded Leopard Assist onto it and ran it. restarted ready for Leopard install and.... nothing. blank screen. it's running, but by the sound of it doesn't get very far in to the boot up. I have Done the PRAMS, unplugged and held down the power key, tried booting with shift key down - all the usual stuff. I would boot from a disc but it's only got the CD/R drive and i don't have a firewire DVD drive to plug in. should I take it apart and reset the SMU? looks tricky. Have I ruined it? HELP PLEASE?!!!