Leopard Install on iBook G4

[ad931]

I attempted to install Leopard (build 9A581)on my 800MHz iBook G4 1.12GB RAM using Leopard Installer to give a default 933MHz speed but without success.

I don't actually have a physical DVD, Leopard is in my Downloads folder and on my desktop. The installer starts without problems, I prompted to restart in order to start the installation but when the ibook restarts its with Panther.

I have also tried setting Leopard as the start up disk in system preferences but on the restart prompt, it wont restart.

I also tried to boot Leopard from an external hard drive again without success.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Zotaccian]

I think you cannot install OS that way, because the image is "inside" your current OS. I once bought a Mac which had the hard disk partitioned in two, first partition was the OS but the second was the Mac OS X install disk restored to it and it at least seemed that the installation was done from that second partition. During boot up you just selected that partition and during install told it to install on partition one.

So that might be possible but I don't think it can be done the way you have tried, during installation you are asking the installer to overwrite itself!

It would be interesting if someone could confirm if that partition install thing possible.

 

[AmestrisXServe]

I attempted to install Leopard (build 9A581)on my 800MHz iBook G4 1.12GB RAM using Leopard Installer to give a default 933MHz speed but without success.

I don't actually have a physical DVD, Leopard is in my Downloads folder and on my desktop. The installer starts without problems, I prompted to restart in order to start the installation but when the ibook restarts its with Panther.

I have also tried setting Leopard as the start up disk in system preferences but on the restart prompt, it wont restart.

I also tried to boot Leopard from an external hard drive again without success.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

Try burning the disc image to a physical DVD. You will need that, unless you have another system to use for a Netboot server.

The Leopard installer will not run from within OSX, and when it restarts (by selecting 'Restart' after running the installer, from within OSX), it expects to be a disc in a drive.

The disc image isn't retained as a mounted volume after rebooting: You can't boot from a disk image, unless you are Netbooting, and to do that, you need a valid Netboot image, on a Netboot server. That is why you are cycling back to your normal OS.

If you have another Mac, you can network the two, and convert your leopard disc image into a Netinstall image, and use that to boot the iBook. Otherwise, you will need a physical disc, or an external HDD with the DVD copied onto it (by using the Restore option in 'Disk Utility').

 

[ad931]

Thank you both for the replies, it has clarified what i suspected that I was NOT doing, i.e. having a physical dvd to install from.

i will burn the disc image to a DVD and report back as to how I got on.

thanks again

 

[AmestrisXServe]

You may need a dual-layer disc for Leopard: I am certain that Leopard Server needs a dual-layer DVD, but I don't know off-hand if the DT release requires that capacity.

I hope that you have a burner capable of burning DL media, and proper blanks. You may want to keep the other two options I described in mind, if you've any problems.

I would be most interested in your opinion regarding the performance of Leopard on your system, given the specifications that you posted.

 

[ad931]

No, blank Dvd's at home... Grrrr have to wait till the shops open tomorrow...

AmestrisXServe- are my specs good then or average? It also has an 80GB hard drive.

I've had it since new, very attached to it, still on original battery which lasts just fine. It positively flies along, and I use it to complement my 2012 Mac mini, it's just obvious that Panther is "holding it up" in so many ways and is restrictive to what I can and cannot do on it.

As I haven't been able to get a copy of Tiger, I thought I'd go all the way & max it out,

 

[AmestrisXServe]

You have a mid-range CPU clock, for the iBook series. The 1Ghz to 1.25Ghz models are more typical, but the iBook started as a G3, so you are right about in the middle of what Apple offered.

For RAM, you are more than adequate for 10.3 and 10.4; I'm not certain on Leopard, and this was a point of debate from me in other threads, which is why I am curious for you to describe the outcome. I don't recall offhand, but I suspect you are maxed out on RAM, using a 1GB or two 512MB SO-DIMMs, plus mainboard RAM.

HDD size: This all depends on what you plan to do. The iBook uses a PATA 2.5" drive, and 80GB is more than enough for the OS and basic programmes, but if you want a great deal of media, it will fill quickly. The largest 2.5" PATA drive to my knowledge is 320GB, which is what I had in my Titanium 1GHz, and was constantly needing to clear space.

To be honest, I don't tend to run Leopard on G4 systems, and I wanted feedback from someone using Panther or Tiger, and making the switch, on something along these lines for hardware, to see if they share my opinion, or if I am merely casting an illusion that Leopard is far more resource-hungry, than what is fact.

Your system is more than adequate for general use, and basic graphics work, but if you want to do anything really complex (large-scale print design), you will quickly want a larger HDD, and will be wishing for more memory, as I always was with my Titanium, which was very similar in many respects; yet, it was still my most precious Mac laptop, and I still use Titanium G4 systems to this day, due to their amazing resilience and high reliability rate.

I burnt through four iBooks, but my Titanium systems still work. (The iBook has a notorious heat displacement problem, that causes the GPU to rise from the mainboard.) I suggest one primary accessory: A laptop cooler/fan base.

 

[eyoungren]

Using LeopardAssist you can install Leopard on this Mac. As AmestrisXServe mentioned, you have enough ram. I've run Leopard on both a TiBook 400 and a G4/450 AGP at work.

Leopard is resource hungry, more so than Tiger. I won't deny that. But setting it up to use less resources can be done. 1GB of ram or more, which you have, really benefits Leopard.

As to getting it installed. If you do not have a DL Superdrive you won't be able to burn a DL disk, which is necessary for the Leopard installer on disk. Non dual-layer drives can read DL disks, they just cannot burn them.

An alternative is to put the Leopard installer on a USB flash drive and boot from that. The problem with that is that some Macs won't boot from USB. But there's a trick to do that from Open Firmware.

Lastly, as Zotaccian mentioned about partitioned drives, you can partition a drive and put the installer on the second partition and boot from that. The second partition would have to be apx. 8GB in size. Unfortunately, Panther does not allow non-destructive disk-partitioning. That only became available with Tiger 10.4.3 I believe (Intell knows specifics). So, this is not going to be an option for you.

 

[mccjim12]

Non dual-layer drives can read DL disks, they just cannot burn them.

I personally could not read a burned DL disk in my PowerBook G4's optical drive. I was trying to do precisely what the OP is wanting to do and running into the same problems. I don't know the image I was trying to burn was bad or if I burned the DVD wrong. I finally had to break down and just buy a Leopard DVD.

 

[eyoungren]

I personally could not read a burned DL disk in my PowerBook G4's optical drive. I was trying to do precisely what the OP is wanting to do and running into the same problems. I don't know the image I was trying to burn was bad or if I burned the DVD wrong. I finally had to break down and just buy a Leopard DVD.

Well, it could be down to the type of drive I guess. My DL burned Leopard disk read just fine in all my other non-DL drive Macs.

 

[jrsx]

You may need a dual-layer disc for Leopard: I am certain that Leopard Server needs a dual-layer DVD, but I don't know off-hand if the DT release requires that capacity.

I hope that you have a burner capable of burning DL media, and proper blanks. You may want to keep the other two options I described in mind, if you've any problems.

I would be most interested in your opinion regarding the performance of Leopard on your system, given the specifications that you posted.

Leopard does not require a DL DVD to my knowledge. I just install Leopard (without iLife included on the DVD) from a standard DVD.

 

[Intell]

All DVD drives execpt for some very early mid/late-1990's models can read dual layer discs. If a G4 cannot read a dual layer disc, then the laser is either becoming weak or is dusty. Leopard DVDs are larger than 4.2 GB, at about 7.6GB. You cannot simply copy one onto a single layer disc without first removing extra languages and printer drivers.

 

[jrsx]

All DVD drives execpt for some very early mid/late-1990's models can read dual layer discs. If a G4 cannot read a dual layer disc, then the laser is either becoming weak or is dusty. Leopard DVDs are larger than 4.2 GB, at about 7.6GB. You cannot simply copy one onto a single layer disc without first removing extra languages and printer drivers.

Mine was a restore disk - I'm guessing that has a lot to do with it. I forgot to mention that
When I created a disk image of it, it proved to be only 4 GBs.

 

[Intell]

Mine was a restore disk - I'm guessing that has a lot to do with it. I forgot to mention that
When I created a disk image of it, it proved to be only 4 GBs.

Because Leopard restore discs are the same as a Leopard retail disc with the inclusion of a model limiter, its size is still about 7.2GB and requires a dual layer disc. Tiger restore and retail discs are smaller and are single layer.

 

[Zotaccian]

Second disk is dual layer at least with my PowerBook G4 from 2005, but I guess it only contains iLife etc. ?

I have never used these which came with machine but I created backup dmg and noticed disc 2 being quite large, I once had Tiger as 4 CD version, retail, and 4 CDs' can indeed hold less than one single layer CD.

 

[jrsx]

Because Leopard restore discs are the same as a Leopard retail disc with the inclusion of a model limiter, its size is still about 7.2GB and requires a dual layer disc. Tiger restore and retail discs are smaller and are single layer.

Perhaps I'm getting confused with my Tiger disks? Maybe my Leopard disk was a dual layer.

 

[AmestrisXServe]

Tiger fits on about 60% of a standard DVD, at 2.6GB, whereas Leopard is in the 7GB range (6.24Gb for Leopard Server).

Your Powerbook-specific DVD is larger due to additional modules and software.

I don;t think that USB boot is a very valid option for an early iBook G4, but you could try it with the hacks. I would advise making a DVD master, or using NetInstall.

(You can make a NetInstall image of 10.5 using Tiger: Tiger can make a Netboot or NetInstall image of many versions of OSX, whereas Leopard can only image Leopard.)

Do you have a second Mac?

 

[Intell]

I don;t think that USB boot is a very valid option for an early iBook G4, but you could try it with the hacks. I would advise making a DVD master, or using NetInstall.

All USB equipped Macs can boot from a USB drive expect for the B&W G3, PCI G4, and tray loading G3 iMac. Because of the model of the OP's iBook, OpenFirmware modifications are not necessary as the drive will show up in OpenFirmware's boot menu and the Startup Disk pref pane.

 

[AmestrisXServe]

All USB equipped Macs can boot from a USB drive expect for the B&W G3, PCI G4, and tray loading G3 iMac. Because of the model of the OP's iBook, OpenFirmware modifications are not necessary as the drive will show up in OpenFirmware's boot menu and the Startup Disk pref pane.

Isn't USB booting somewhat broken, based on the device? I have had a plethora of CD and DVD USB drives that aren't recognised by NWR firmware.

 

[Intell]

Isn't USB booting somewhat broken, based on the device? I have had a plethora of CD and DVD USB drives that aren't recognised by NWR firmware.

Not really. The only thing I've encountered that I couldn't use to boot a PPC Mac with via USB was some strange external WD hard drive. It had (still has?) some kind of a bootloader/firmware type thing on it that took up the first few sectors of the drive, even when repartitioned. Because of the OpenFirmware wouldn't boot from it.

 

[AmestrisXServe]

I expect that USB thumbdrives and most enclosures should work. The optical drives may be more problematic, due to whatever firmware they are using.

I normally use NetInstall, or Netboot to solve these types of problems, and resort to FW for attached media.

Repartitioning from MBR to GUID should have fixed a drive like that. The bootloader may be on the bridge controller, to behave like this. Removing it from the enclosure, and formatting it, should cure the problem; although it sounds as if it is a problem ling since of importance.

I have NetInstall images of most OSX versions, in the event that anyone hasn't the ability to make their own.

 

[Intell]

The drive was formatted from MBR to APM. The blocks at the start of the drive reappeared. My guess is it had something to do with the drive's "Intelligent" capabilities and it was restored by the controller.

 

[AmestrisXServe]

I should also note that I have a special, PPC-only 10.5.8 disc image, stripped of the Intel code, that can fit on a standard DVD, if you can't manage dual-layer.

 

[ad931]

I personally could not read a burned DL disk in my PowerBook G4's optical drive. I was trying to do precisely what the OP is wanting to do and running into the same problems. I don't know the image I was trying to burn was bad or if I burned the DVD wrong. I finally had to break down and just buy a Leopard DVD.

as above, i burned the Leopard.dmg to a DL DVD using my Mac mini, the process finished successfully, I inserted the DVD in the ibook and.... zilch!!! it keeps popping the DVD out!!!! I don't think i'm doing anything wrong, if anyone has any other pointers i appreciate it as i'm ready to give up...!!!

Thanks again

 

[jrsx]

It sounds like you just have a bad DVD drive to me, but I could be wrong.