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Trying to install Tiger on 2005 Mac Mini ppc

T

Trekker2014

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2014
22
0
I just bought an old, late 2005 Mac Mini off ebay and having a helluva time trying to install Tiger on it. It did not come with any software. From my MacBook Pro, I put the mini in target mode and re-partitioned and formatted the hd with the option for PPC, so it would be sure to boot. I've tried booting from an .ISO cd with the "c" key held down to boot from the optical drive but so far all I get is the standard folder and ? staring me in the face. The model # is A1103.

I'd also like to know, with all the install disc versions of Tiger out there, which is the correct one for this particular mini?

Thanks.
 
It originally came with 10.4.2. My bet is that without some firmware trickery, you have to find a System Restore Disc for that mini.
 
MysticCow said:
It originally came with 10.4.2. My bet is that without some firmware trickery, you have to find a System Restore Disc for that mini.
Click to expand...

I've been looking all over ebay for one...so far have only found other versions.

What kind of firmware trickery would you suggest?
 
What kinds? NONE, unless you absolutely 10,000% know what you're doing. Search Macintosh Garden and maybe someone has uploaded it there. I've seen a few restore discs uploaded there before.

That being said, it's likely illegal and I'm not providing any links even to the site. Or, to put it in other words, we can't help you.
 
MysticCow said:
What kinds? NONE, unless you absolutely 10,000% know what you're doing. Search Macintosh Garden and maybe someone has uploaded it there. I've seen a few restore discs uploaded there before.

That being said, it's likely illegal and I'm not providing any links even to the site. Or, to put it in other words, we can't help you.
Click to expand...

I'm not asking for any illegal sites. I'm just trying to figure out how to get Tiger installed on this Mac Mini.
 
Trekker2014 said:
I'm not asking for any illegal sites. I'm just trying to figure out how to get Tiger installed on this Mac Mini.
Click to expand...

Retail Tiger was released in 10.4.0, 10.4.3 and 10.4.6 flavours. Just search the bay for the latter. That will install on any PPC Mac capable of running Tiger.
 
He would need to get hold of a G4 based PPC Mac to do so. His MBP will not install the correct code nor boot from a retail 10.4.0 disc.
 
weckart said:
He would need to get hold of a G4 based PPC Mac to do so. His MBP will not install the correct code nor boot from a retail 10.4.0 disc.
Click to expand...

The combo update is PowerPC specific but updates the whole install. I am not sure if the MBP could install the file from here to the target drive.
 
Depending on what Mini you have it would of been shipped with 10.3.7 or 10.4.2, so it does depend on what version disc (as previously said 10.4, 10.4.3, 10.4.8) and you have and what mini you have (early, mid or late 2005).

Also you cant boot off a CD holding 'C' you would have hold option and wait to see if the CD over firewire is recognized.
 
I'm going to take what may be a controversial stance upon this issue. Apple gives away OS X for free nowadays. So just pirate OS X Tiger, I doubt anyone will care and Apple isn't losing a thing from it.
 
roadbloc said:
I'm going to take what may be a controversial stance upon this issue. Apple gives away OS X for free nowadays. So just pirate OS X Tiger, I doubt anyone will care and Apple isn't losing a thing from it.
Click to expand...

Interesting point. However, while Apple does give away OS X 9 and 10, they do not give away older versions of OS X. One must still buy other OS X versions from them if one needs them. Further, it has been known that on occasion one can still buy 10.5 from Apple via telephone if one asks kindly and gets a helpful rep.

That said, it could be reasoned that the machine would have come with restore disks, so finding a version of 10.4 that would have come with the machine would be OK.

But I would still personally use and recommend the most clean way of going about this.
 
tampasteve said:
Interesting point. However, while Apple does give away OS X 9 and 10, they do not give away older versions of OS X. One must still buy other OS X versions from them if one needs them.
Click to expand...

Apple don't even sell Tiger anymore. Or at least, not as far as I'm aware. The machine came with Tiger restore discs so it is already licensed to run a copy of Tiger. Buying Tiger again as far as I'm concerned is not a must.
 
roadbloc said:
Apple don't even sell Tiger anymore. Or at least, not as far as I'm aware. The machine came with Tiger restore discs so it is already licensed to run a copy of Tiger. Buying Tiger again as far as I'm concerned is not a must.
Click to expand...

Right, all I am saying is that the reasoning that Apple gives away 10.9 and 10.10 for free so it is OK to pirate 10.4 is flawed as they do not give away other versions of OS X, just the most recent two.

But I agree, since it would have come with 10.4 installed and the restore disks it would probably be OK to find the same version it would have come with.
 
While Apple may give away current versions of OS X without charging, third party licenses in older versions do not allow it with their licenses. A transactional fee must still be tendered to satisfy the third party licenses.
 
Interesting point. Question is, what constitutes a licence in the case of Apple hardware? Does it reside with said hardware and is transferable with same or is it contained in the accompanying paperwork that nobody reads? Lose that and you are unlicensed?

Microsoft makes it easier. Licences are evident with a valid COA sticker on the hardware. Sometimes OEM vendors (Dell, Lenovo) even store the licence keys in the SLIC tables in the bios. If you lose your installation media you can purchase replacements for a nominal fee from several OEM vendors or alternatively download a digital copy from one of Microsoft's servers.
 
weckart said:
Interesting point. Question is, what constitutes a licence in the case of Apple hardware? Does it reside with said hardware and is transferable with same or is it contained in the accompanying paperwork that nobody reads? Lose that and you are unlicensed?
Click to expand...

From the OS X License:
2. Permitted License Uses and Restrictions.
A. This License allows you to install and use one copy of the Apple Software on a single Apple-labeled computer at a time. This License does not allow the Apple Software to exist on more than one computer at a time,and you may not make the Apple Software available over a network where it could be used by multiple computers at the same time
Click to expand...

So, as I read it, the license resides with the single computer it is installed with at any given time. In this case the issue would not be downloading a copy, as the computer in question would be the only one using it, but the issue would rather be that there is a copy of the OS available on a network where multiple computers are using the same license.

----------

It really may be worth calling Apple support and just seeing if they have any restore media available....probably not, but you never know. Just explain to them you need to reinstall the OS on your Mac Mini and don't have the disks. It is worth a try, IMO.
 
Worth asking as if you don't ask, you don't get. I do remember a post or two here in the past to the effect that after a certain time (7 years?) Apple not only refuses to sell or provide machine disks but destroys all remaining copies.

Bummer if true.
 
weckart said:
Worth asking as if you don't ask, you don't get. I do remember a post or two here in the past to the effect that after a certain time (7 years?) Apple not only refuses to sell or provide machine disks but destroys all remaining copies.

Bummer if true.
Click to expand...

It had to be longer than that as when I called in 2013 for my 2004 PowerMac G5 they had disks but I didn't have the need then to get one. When I called back this year they did not have any (or the person who was not to bright did not know where to look).
 
Altemose said:
It had to be longer than that as when I called in 2013 for my 2004 PowerMac G5 they had disks but I didn't have the need then to get one. When I called back this year they did not have any (or the person who was not to bright did not know where to look).
Click to expand...

Interesting. How much were they asking for them if they said?
 
OK, I take from this that only retail copies rather than grey machine specific copies are available from Support?
 
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