Trouble Installing Leopard (10.5) via USB

[Pizza Ninja]

Hardware/Software:
- 12" PowerBook G4 1GHz PPC /1.25GHz DDR SDRAM; currently running OSX 10.5 Developer (9A466)
- SanDisk Cruzer 32GB USB Drive / Apple Partition Map w/ Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Install DVD (dmg) on external USB drive

What I am trying to do is update my machine to 10.5.8. I cannot do this since I currently only have a Developer OS I am working from.

I have gotten my hands on a 10.5 installer iso which I have copied to my external USB thumb drive (which I did via my current version of Disk Utility in High Sierra automatically). Unfortunately, I cannot create and install the disk by way of the optical drive, since it doesn't read any discs.

Whenever I try to choose startup disk (option @ reboot), inevitably my current external drive crashes.
Also, I cannot start in Safe Mode, nor can I start up in Single User Mode, which has me concerned there’s something wrong with the motherboard.

Therefore, I have not been able to succeed in install a clean, FINAL version of OS X 10.5 Leopard from USB. Any advice anyone can share on how to correctly format (I’ve read conflicting disk formatting recommendations [partition/GUID vs Apple Partition] and I’m at a loss and could use someone’s superior experience in this realm, given, my two other Macs I’m working with, a 2010 MacMini and a mid-2013 MacBook Air are both running High Sierra.

I'd be happy to know if it's possible to pull the drive and install via USB on one of ny newer Macs, but not sure how to designate a destination drive running AFPS to a HFS+ drive.

Thanks in Advance -
Chad

 

[AphoticD]

I don't think the 12" PowerBook had the ability to boot from a USB drive at the multi-boot screen. You could try dropping into Open Firmware by holding command-option-O-F at boot then;

dev / ls - to show a list of devices

You should see one of your usb devices (probably on the second page after hitting space) stating /disk@1.

For example; I just plugged in a Mac OS X 10.4 Install USB (4GB) thumb drive into my PB12" in the port closest to the Firewire port, then booted into Open Firmware and dev / ls lists;

ff90a89d8:   /usb@1b
ffa037fc8:    /disk@1

I can then find the device's alias with: devalias

In my case usb1 is the alias for /pci@f20000000/usb@1b

To boot from this device I then enter:

boot usb1/disk@1:3,\\:tbxi

This breaks down into [device alias] / [disk] @ [volume] : [partition number] , \\:tbxi [shortcut for "
\System\Library\CoreServices\BootX"]

If that doesn't work, I have found the ports on the PowerBooks don't like to boot from certain USB thumb drives. I would try to find an older 8GB drive, USB2 spec (not USB3.x).

EDIT: Also, Apple Partition Map is the correct format, GUID won't boot a PowerPC Mac.

 

[FirDerrig]

Hardware/Software:
- 12" PowerBook G4 1GHz PPC /1.25GHz DDR SDRAM; currently running OSX 10.5 Developer (9A466)
- SanDisk Cruzer 32GB USB Drive / Apple Partition Map w/ Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Install DVD (dmg) on external USB drive

What I am trying to do is update my machine to 10.5.8. I cannot do this since I currently only have a Developer OS I am working from.

I have gotten my hands on a 10.5 installer iso which I have copied to my external USB thumb drive (which I did via my current version of Disk Utility in High Sierra automatically). Unfortunately, I cannot create and install the disk by way of the optical drive, since it doesn't read any discs.

Whenever I try to choose startup disk (option @ reboot), inevitably my current external drive crashes.
Also, I cannot start in Safe Mode, nor can I start up in Single User Mode, which has me concerned there’s something wrong with the motherboard.

Therefore, I have not been able to succeed in install a clean, FINAL version of OS X 10.5 Leopard from USB. Any advice anyone can share on how to correctly format (I’ve read conflicting disk formatting recommendations [partition/GUID vs Apple Partition] and I’m at a loss and could use someone’s superior experience in this realm, given, my two other Macs I’m working with, a 2010 MacMini and a mid-2013 MacBook Air are both running High Sierra.

I'd be happy to know if it's possible to pull the drive and install via USB on one of ny newer Macs, but not sure how to designate a destination drive running AFPS to a HFS+ drive.

Thanks in Advance -
Chad

With the way that PB seems to be working(or not working) the only option I see is finding someone in your area with a PowerPC Mac and using target disk mode to install the OS.

 

[CooperBox]

Some excellent advice given here. I'd try the target disk mode first.
Unfortunately you have one of the most user-unfriendly PowerBooks in terms of repairability. A nightmare of a disassembly to gain access to the optical drive which necessitates removal of the logic board - some 50+ steps using iFixit guide! I love working on TiBooks and 15" & 17" Powerbooks, but I hate most tasks below the keyboard of the 12". In fact I have one which requires a change of 'subwoofer', a task I've been puting off for several months - the worst task of all on the 12" as it comes out after removal of the optical drive. What were Apple thinking when they dreamt that design up?
Having said that, when up and running correctly it`s a pleasant laptop - albeit on the lap a real chestnut-roaster.

 

[AphoticD]

Reason I mention the USB booting via Open Firmware is that my PB 12” has a failed Firewire port, so I had few options available to me when I first set it up. The USB install works fine once you figure out the correct boot command,

I’ve also used this technique to install the Tiger Retail DVD (iso) on my clamshell iBook which only has a CD drive and no FireWire.

If the OP’s Mac chimes and POSTs Ok and then starts to load but gets stuck at the gray Apple logo then I would suspect the hard drive is failing. So a teardown may be inevitable. The PB12” is a bit of work to get into, but the HDD is accessible once you’ve got the top case up.

HDD failure hit both my 2005 PB 12” and PB 17” (SLSD) last year so they received upgrades in the form of 64GB mSATA KingSpec SSDs in Lindy IDE adapters.

 

[Pizza Ninja]

With the way that PB seems to be working(or not working) the only option I see is finding someone in your area with a PowerPC Mac and using target disk mode to install the OS.

Thanks, turns out the USB drive, SanDisk Cruzer worked for the install. For whatever reason, the 10.5 ISO I had didn't work. I got another copy of a dmg from a friend who keeps all his install disks and was able to get that to mount. Currently 33 mins remaining on my clean install. Then I will move onto updating to 10.5.8 & get the rest of my "antique" software loaded. CS3, get ready.
[doublepost=1515263238][/doublepost]

Reason I mention the USB booting via Open Firmware is that my PB 12” has a failed Firewire port, so I had few options available to me when I first set it up. The USB install works fine once you figure out the correct boot command,

I’ve also used this technique to install the Tiger Retail DVD (iso) on my clamshell iBook which only has a CD drive and no FireWire.

If the OP’s Mac chimes and POSTs Ok and then starts to load but gets stuck at the gray Apple logo then I would suspect the hard drive is failing. So a teardown may be inevitable. The PB12” is a bit of work to get into, but the HDD is accessible once you’ve got the top case up.

HDD failure hit both my 2005 PB 12” and PB 17” (SLSD) last year so they received upgrades in the form of 64GB mSATA KingSpec SSDs in Lindy IDE adapters.

Honestly not sure how much life is left in this machine - it's pretty beat up, externally and internally. At this point, I'm hoping to update to 10.5.8 (currently overcoming the install issue I had - was a bad ISO), so once I get the OS updated & software loaded up, my hope is to find a body in much better shape and swap the HD to a new machine. Thanks for all your help.
[doublepost=1515263367][/doublepost]

Some excellent advice given here. I'd try the target disk mode first.
Unfortunately you have one of the most user-unfriendly PowerBooks in terms of repairability. A nightmare of a disassembly to gain access to the optical drive which necessitates removal of the logic board - some 50+ steps using iFixit guide! I love working on TiBooks and 15" & 17" Powerbooks, but I hate most tasks below the keyboard of the 12". In fact I have one which requires a change of 'subwoofer', a task I've been puting off for several months - the worst task of all on the 12" as it comes out after removal of the optical drive. What were Apple thinking when they dreamt that design up?
Having said that, when up and running correctly it`s a pleasant laptop - albeit on the lap a real chestnut-roaster.

Whoever the internal design team was had to make Steve an awesome machine. The fact we're still working with them today is a testament to that dreamer's insanity! Love it!

 

[CooperBox]

[QUOTE Whoever the internal design team was had to make Steve an awesome machine. The fact we're still working with them today is a testament to that dreamer's insanity! Love it![/QUOTE]

Please let us know if it's still true love when the honeymoon is over, i.e. when you've been inside the beast.

 

[Pizza Ninja]

[QUOTE Whoever the internal design team was had to make Steve an awesome machine. The fact we're still working with them today is a testament to that dreamer's insanity! Love it!

Please let us know if it's still true love when the honeymoon is over, i.e. when you've been inside the beast.[/QUOTE]
HA! I don't plan on going inside to make repairs on anything older than my 2010 Mac Mini. I take that back, I did dig around plenty inside my dual G5 tower, but honestly, I don't need anything more than what's in a MacBook Pro for what I'm doing these days. Everything pre-2010 is more for sport. But, trust me Cooper, I'll be hitting you up as soon as I DO decide to push up the sleeves and dig into this hardware mess!

 

[CooperBox]

Please let us know if it's still true love when the honeymoon is over, i.e. when you've been inside the beast.

HA! I don't plan on going inside to make repairs on anything older than my 2010 Mac Mini. I take that back, I did dig around plenty inside my dual G5 tower, but honestly, I don't need anything more than what's in a MacBook Pro for what I'm doing these days. Everything pre-2010 is more for sport. But, trust me Cooper, I'll be hitting you up as soon as I DO decide to push up the sleeves and dig into this hardware mess![/QUOTE]

And I'll be pleased to provide any advise, and i'm sure those far more knowledgeable than myself will too.