New Imac need to install 10.4 server

[jsnider]

From what I'm reading I'm screwed but figured I'd try asking experts

New Imac to replace old Imac due to Spontaneous reboots
Old machine running OS X Server 10.4 Retail box

New machine wont accept DVD or CD says can't install on this mac
nor can I get it to even boot from CD with this retail install disks.

Is there a work around? Or am I FORCED to buy Retail 10.6 Server?

How can I flub the build info?

 

[Makosuke]

Flubbing the build info won't help; 10.4 doesn't have drivers for any hardware released after it--meaning your iMac--and even if it would install some things (quite possibly major things) wouldn't work.

If you can get a copy of 10.5 server that would of course also work--I'm pretty sure that they haven't revised the iMac hardware since 10.6 at this point, so the drivers are there and it will install even if it didn't ship with 10.5. 10.4, though, no such luck.

 

[lewis82]

If you really want to try it:

-Get another mac (of the 10.4 era)
-Boot the new one in target mode (T at startup)
-Connect it to the old one
-Run the install DVD, choose the HD of the new mac
-Enjoy

But I am not responsible for any damages (altough I used it once to install an older version on a newer MacBook, ad it worked. But they were almost the same models, except for the CPU/HD).

 

[jsnider]

PS they are both Imacs intel duo core 1.8 old and 2.66 new if that makes a difference...

 

[jsnider]

doh !

Was going to try installing as target... the new one has newer firewire
mumble mumble mumble......

 

[PurrBall]

You could try a hard drive transplant or modify the Distribution file inside of OSInstall.mpkg to remove machine checks (use Google to learn more about this)

 

[Darth.Titan]

As a general rule you can't install an OS version older than the one the machine shipped with.

 

[jsnider]

Uncle !

l'm going today to buy 6.5 server just a pain to throw away software you invested in.

Apple 1 customer 0

Thanks all

 

[maflynn]

I suspect the reason is why you cannot install the older version of server is the same reason why you cannot install 10.4 on a current iMac. Apple doesn't let you install older OSs on newer hardware to the lack of hardware drivers in the legacy OS. Server is probably the same.

 

[lewis82]

Well if it was just for the firewire cable then buy one on ebay... 9-pin to 6-pin cables are like 8$...

Cheaper than the 30$ USB cable I saw at Staples...