Remote Install Intel to PPC?

[ZeTwinkie]

I have an older PowerMac G5 that I wish to set up as a media server for all the macs on my network. I pulled it out today and found out I could not boot from any Mac OS X cds that I have (10.4.0 - 10.5) I tried 4 in total. It won't boot from CDs or DVDs; it just spits them out. I was able to target disk mode into the machine and erase the hard drives from my MacBook Pro. I know if I target disk and try to install leopard from my MacBook Pro, it will try to install the Intel version of OS X on the hard drives. I was wondering if it was possible to remote install a PPC version onto the PowerMac or if it would just be better to install a new DVD drive to try to boot the media. If anyone has any other ideas of how to get this machine up and running please let me know.

 

[Darth.Titan]

Try reversing the procedure. Insert the install disc into the MacBook Pro and boot it into Target Disk mode. The Disc should be visible when Option-booting from the G5. See if that will work.

You said you've tried booting several install discs with the G5, but are these retail install discs you're trying? If they're the grey pack-in discs that come with a Mac they'll only work if they're the ones that came with that particular Mac.

Good luck.

 

[dwdillard]

Try reversing the procedure. Insert the install disc into the MacBook Pro and boot it into Target Disk mode. The Disc should be visible when Option-booting from the G5. See if that will work.

You said you've tried booting several install discs with the G5, but are these retail install discs you're trying? If they're the grey pack-in discs that come with a Mac they'll only work if they're the ones that came with that particular Mac.

Good luck.

I also want to do this-
but...

How do I do this? which computer do I press the "t" button on, which one do I boot first?

thanks!

 

[spinnerlys]

I also want to do this-
but...

How do I do this? which computer do I press the "t" button on, which one do I boot first?

thanks!

The one in Target Disk Mode* has to be started via pressing T.
The one you want to use, you just press the power button on it.

* the one with the internal HDD or optical drive you want to take use of

 

[dwdillard]

The one in Target Disk Mode* has to be started via pressing T.
The one you want to use, you just press the power button on it.

* the one with the internal HDD or optical drive you want to take use of

Thanks!

 

[tiiv]

Well as far as I understand it, installing Leopard won't work for two reasons:

1) if you say it's the leopard cd from your macbook pro, then it is most likely the one that shipped with it, which won't install on any other computer

2) even if it would, this one is intel and you need ppc.

It doesn't matter what computer you run the setup from, it's the fact that the G5 is a PowerPC.

Which leaves Tiger. If it's a retail dvd (otherwise same problem like (1)), then the G5 should be able to boot from it without problems. Otherwise there might be something broken :\

Btw. the original OEM DVD of the G5 (probably Tiger?) should be your choice, as it works perfectly fine within any osx environment as a home server.

EDIT: Ok as someone else pointed out Leopard Retail Discs are Universal, sry about that. I didn't know that.

 

[dwdillard]

If you don't still have the install disks that came with it? If not, I've heard that you can call apple and give them the serial number and they will mail you the disks and just charge shipping. I have not tested this though.