Project: Ultimate PowerPC Leopard DVD

[Orizence]

I am in the process of creating a DVD for us PowerPC users who need to reinstall Leopard on our trusty old workhorses. It will include many of the applications that we use and you can choose to install them or just keep it a stock installation. The installer will look different and include some pretty nice goodies (*cough* macOS Theme Pack *cough*

What I have included and done so far:
Modified Read Me with instructions (Kinda Borring)
Added metaZ install package
Added the following apps from the PowerPC Archive (thanks Gavin, youll be included in the credits): BitTorrent, coconutBattery,, FileZilla, Spotify, UnRarX, Monolingual, TextWrangler, viJournal Lite.
Added 10.5.8 Combo Update

Whats left to do:
Add macOS theme pack (Hasnt been released yet, but everything else will take me a while anyways.)
Customize the actual installer (Gotta make it look prettier)
Boot screen anyone?

So in a way this DVD will be like one of those old OSX86 Distros back in the day

There will also be no links to this DVD on here, that will all be figured out later.

If there are any apps you want to see included make a suggestion (no MS Office, iWorks, iLife, or Tenfourfox)

 

[Orizence]

Okay so I added all the necessary modifications to the Distribution file, but when I load try to install using my custom installer it says it "Cant instantiate package" with another error with the packages saying "No software to install"?
Any ideas anyone?

 

[gavinstubbs09]

This will be sweet! Work on this and I'll work on the pack

 

[ifrit05]

If you need any help in any area of this project shoot me a PM and I'll try to find an item to work on (hmm, I'd like to look at customizing the installer GUI).

 

[Orizence]

This will be sweet! Work on this and I'll work on the pack

That's the plan
[doublepost=1468904374][/doublepost]

If you need any help in any area of this project shoot me a PM and I'll try to find an item to work on (hmm, I'd like to look at customizing the installer GUI).

Actually customizing the installer GUI is pretty easy as most of the nibs files are editable with xcode. But ill let you know if I need help with that
Just I can't figure out how to get it to install any of my added packages without giving me that error I kind of described above....

 

[ifrit05]

That's the plan
[doublepost=1468904374][/doublepost]
Actually customizing the installer GUI is pretty easy as most of the nibs files are editable with xcode. But ill let you know if I need help with that
Just I can't figure out how to get it to install any of my added packages without giving me that error I kind of described above....

OK, cool, hopefully you can edit it to look more like later OS install dialogs.

Also, let me look around and figure out how to properly link more packages in the installer app for ya.

 

[Orizence]

OK, cool, hopefully you can edit it to look more like later OS install dialogs.

Also, let me look around and figure out how to properly link more packages in the installer app for ya.

I added all the needed details to the Distribution file in OSInstall.mpkg. But I think it might be a problem with the PKG file itself? It did say something like "no software to install" which is odd.

 

[ifrit05]

You got any pictures? Can I look at your Distribution file and what it is packed into?
I'm looking at MacOSXInstall.mpkg's Distribution file (10.5) and see lines like:

<pkg-ref id="com.apple.pkg.Applications" auth='root'>file:./Applications.pkg</pkg-ref>

which references the Applications.pkg inside MacOSXInstall.mpkg.

EDIT: Looks like it's the same with OSInstall.pkg. Gwhaa! I wish I remember how I did this back in the day!

What I thinking is you add a working package into the Mac OS X Install Disc/System/Installation/Packages directory and add the necessary links into OSInstall.pkg. (which I'm sure you're already doing)

EDIT2: I remember now. I'm going to add the 10.5.8 Combo update to an image and test on my PowerBook G4 tomorrow to see if it works. If it does I'll message you back.

 

[gavinstubbs09]

One request if possible, please ditch the printer drivers and languages so we can have an image that fits on a 4.7GB DVD!

 

[ifrit05]

One request if possible, please ditch the printer drivers and languages so we can have an image that fits on a 4.7GB DVD!

I don't know how ethical it would be link a PPC Installer DVD here. ONe Idea that would work is to either have a patch file that you supply your own dmg file with or maybe we can create an all-in-one tool to do it for you. I have some idea's but this is Orizence's baby, not mine. I don't want to walk all over it.

 

[sawpits]

I don't know how ethical it would be link a PPC Installer DVD here. ONe Idea that would work is to either have a patch file that you supply your own dmg file with or maybe we can create an all-in-one tool to do it for you. I have some idea's but this is Orizence's baby, not mine. I don't want to walk all over it.

Not putting words in Gavin's mouth, but I think he meant when we burn our own to disc, not having a disc provided.

 

[gavinstubbs09]

Correct. To cross the bridge with a full fledged disc image, we have several options. Google Drive, Dropbox, Mega, and I'm sure I'm missing a few.

The image will contain a full operating system installer (similar to a retail Leopard disc) but includes the new Sierra theme, 10.5.8 update, some programs, and a few other things. The file will be a .img we all download and burn using disc utility to our own discs.

 

[Orizence]

The link to the disk will be put up on a blog of somebodies that im not really going to mention on here publicly (but you could take a guess)

I slimmed down the disk the best I could but once you start adding the combo update and other applications it adds back up... But let me get this working first and then Ill try to fit it on a single layer DVD

 

[ifrit05]

The link to the disk will be put up on a blog of somebodies that im not really going to mention on here publicly (but you could take a guess)

I slimmed down the disk the best I could but once you start adding the combo update and other applications it adds back up... But let me get this working first and then Ill try to fit it on a single layer DVD

Yeah I slimmed mine down to about 3.5GB with a bunch of apps still added

 

[0248294]

Alright, I've gotten it to take my package, and install a custom DefaultDesktop.jpg as well as @SourceSunTom's About This Mac. Could I be given the sArtfile.bin, Artfile.bin, Extra.rsrc, and Extra2.rsrc, @gavinstubbs09? I just want to check whether that will work, if so, I'll do a nice write-up on how I managed to do it.

 

[bunnspecial]

Maybe this is asking way too much and side-tracking, but is there any chance of adding in the platform support/kexts for G4-upgraded pre-AGP Macs?

I have the image of an install(not an installer) that @LightBulbFun gave me, but it would be nice to have a "plug and play" option for these Macs. Unfortunately, I don't have the know-how to make it happen.

 

[0248294]

I removed the bad systems from the Distribution file, as well as ticking down the required CPU clockspeed to 300MHz, so it will install on a lower spec G4 without the need to edit OF stuff or get LeopardAssist to do that. Show me what kexts are required and I'll see if it will install them.

 

[Altemose]

Why would you create an installer disk, when one could theoretically create a compact OS image with all improvements and the theme. Force the Mac to go back to the setup screen and then image it to a DMG for sharing?

 

[Orizence]

Why would you create an installer disk, when one could theoretically create a compact OS image with all improvements and the theme. Force the Mac to go back to the setup screen and then image it to a DMG for sharing?

Not going to lie... I never thought about that. But I like the idea of being able to choose what they want and don't want. But its just a little idea of mine.

 

[Altemose]

Not going to lie... I never thought about that. But I like the idea of being able to choose what they want and don't want. But its just a little idea of mine.

That is a very good point, but if you plan on adding all of these special packages then most likely all of the options afforded to the user will go out the window anyway.

 

[Orizence]

That is a very good point, but if you plan on adding all of these special packages then most likely all of the options afforded to the user will go out the window anyway.

Ive been really picky of what I'm adding, Im only really adding the essentials like VLC and BitTorrent. But nobody is obligated to use my disk, its just a little fun project to keep me busy when its raining

 

[Altemose]

Ive been really picky of what I'm adding, Im only really adding the essentials like VLC and BitTorrent. But nobody is obligated to use my disk, its just a little fun project to keep me busy when its raining

What about creating the disk with the formal El Capitan theme and select programs like the "App Store" which is the PowerPC Archive and nothing else. Also, you could create a pack of your "essentials" for the user to download.

 

[Orizence]

What about creating the disk with the formal El Capitan theme and select programs like the "App Store" which is the PowerPC Archive and nothing else. Also, you could create a pack of your "essentials" for the user to download.

Yeah I could try that. Im pretty busy right now and I have barely even been able to touch the trusty old G5 lately

 

[Altemose]

Yeah I could try that. Im pretty busy right now and I have barely even been able to touch the trusty old G5 lately

I will help any way I can.

 

[Orizence]

I will help any way I can.

It would be great if you could make the theme into a PKG after its released. I saw daniel figured out how to solve the issue we have been having; Im sure it just something small, but like I said i haven't really been able to find time to play with stuff like that. I gotta keep making money