OS9.0 on a G4 iBook

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Level 1

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OS9.0 on a G4 iBook

I bought a G4 iBook off eBay some time ago. It came with no software installed, no CD's and the seller didn't have any either. The seller believed the unit to be broken, but I just fiddled about in Open Firmware a bit and off it went again. I bought and installed MacOS 10.3 as the hard drive was unformatted.

I need MacOS9 or earlier to run some software so I can restore some ancient files I now need. But I can't install it.

I had a G3 iMac which came with MacOS 9.0 which I also upgraded to 10.3.9 but it has since died and I was wondering if there was some way I could use the MacOS 9 disks that it came with (two MacOS9 disks and developer tools disk) to install a bootable partition onto my iBook. I tried booting the iBook with the CD by holding down C on the keyboard while it booted but it didn't happen. If I can get it running then I can either boot directly to it and then upgrade it to 9.1 so it can run in classic mode that would be ideal. But it looks like I can't just drag a system onto a partition and boot to it - must be a version that is too old?

I don't know anyone with a mac in my town, and the apple shop here dried up and closed down years ago and hasn't been replaced, so I daresay that Mac's aren't a big thing here anymore.

Is there some way to get it going from the old OS9 cd I have or should I scour eBay trying to find someone willing to sell old MacOS9 cd's or something, as I take it from reading other posts that apple don't hand it out anymore.

P4, Windows Vista, 3GB Ram, iTunes 7.5.0.20, iPod Touch 1.1.2 (3B48b)

Posted on Jan 2, 2008 1:58 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 2, 2008 2:12 PM in response to Tim St.Clair

Hi, Tim -

No G4 iBook can boot to OS 9; this is a hardware limitation, and there is no workaround.

The iBook G4 models can use OS 9 as Classic under OSX (up through OSX 10.4.x; OSX 10.5 does not support Classic).

The only real way to install Classic on such a machine is to use the disk set that originally came with it - the combo installer on those can also install Classic.

There is a workaround - copy a working OS 9.1, 9.2.1, or 9.2.2 System Folder from another Mac. This can be done via a simple drag-and-drop copy process; a cloning utility is not needed in order to copy OS 9.

You can not use your OS 9 Install CDs for this purpose - a System Folder copied from one of those will be non-functional; such will work only when it is on the original media.

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Answer 2

Tim St.Clair Author

Level 1

90 points

Jan 2, 2008 7:36 PM in response to Don Archibald

Aah well that would explain it. As you pointed out and I found out, just dragging a folder onto the disk isn't enough to make it a booting system.

My problem is of course that I don't have another mac handy (that works) nor know anyone with a mac (at least, one with OS9 on it - I know some people with Intel-based ibooks but they run only 10.5). The only disks I have are OS9.0 so I'm not sure how I could get that to OS9.1 or 9.2 since I can't actually boot it to update...

Can I drag a 9.0 system to my partition from within 10.3.9 (current system) and then somehow apply the update (downloaded from http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75103) over that system (e.g. not having booted into it, because you can't), and then expect classic to be able to use it?

Message was edited by: Tim St.Clair - clarification of update?

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Answer 3

Jan 2, 2008 7:50 PM in response to Don Archibald

I've been fighting the same issue for a couple days now. G4 iMac 1.33. Can't find the original disks, can't find it on Tiger, Panther freezes on restart. Tried to install off a g3 iMac disk, no luck.

Does the hard drive need to be formatted to be able to use Classic? I can't find that option in Tiger.

Simple drag and drop eh?

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Answer 4

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Jan 2, 2008 9:09 PM in response to Tim St.Clair

Tim: The OS 9.1, 9.2.1 and 9.2.2 updaters only run when the computer is booted into OS 9, so you can't apply them on a computer that can't boot into OS 9. An OS 9.0 System folder installed on your hard drive will do you no good at all, because it can't be used as Classic or as a bootable OS, and you have no way to update it.

You'll have to find a Mac on which you can install OS 9.0 and then update it to 9.2.2, and then copy the resulting System Folder to your iBook's hard drive.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Jan 2, 2008 11:03 PM in response to Panama Red

No Classic, but not OS9 will be fine on OSX formatted HD, but you'll need the Original CDs for that machine.

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Answer 6

Tim St.Clair Author

Level 1

90 points

Jan 2, 2008 11:47 PM in response to eww

Hmm. So I'm basically screwed then.

I guess I'll have to put an ad in my local paper and see what happens....

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Answer 7

Jan 3, 2008 11:20 PM in response to Tim St.Clair

Hello Tim,

I'm not certain, but your 10.3 disk #1 might contain the classic package. Do a search for the invisible file "Classic.pkg" on your 10.3 disk. Double-clicking on the package will install classic on your machine.

If you can buy a IDE to USB adapter (around $25 or less), you can remove the HD from your G3 (a daunting task) and then drag and drop your OS 9 to your iBook (unless it was the G3's HD that went out).

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Answer 8

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Jan 4, 2008 5:22 AM in response to Gabino Ang

...your 10.3 disk #1 might contain the classic package.

Only if it's a model-specific disc. A retail Panther set contains no Classic/OS 9 installer package.

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Answer 9

Jan 4, 2008 9:06 PM in response to BDAqua

I found the originals. Totally reformatted with them.

I then load the restore disk, click the install applications and Mac OS 9, next screen you go down the list, intro, license, select destination, click upgrade, give admin pass, a quick install and optimize (20 seconds flat), software successfully installed, hit close button.

Next window comes up, welcome to mac os x, follow these instructions to restore software on your computer, click continue, enter admin pass, next window "welcome to mac os x" insert the disc with this illistration, one circle with dot and a small circle. Well, this is the disk that is in the drive! I can eject that disk and reinsert the disk and it opens like back at the very beginning but that one screen does not recognize it and only one button on there is the quit button.
Clicking that just ends that paticular install.

Only thing installed that I've notices is in the app folder>utitlites, a installer program and a software restore. If I eject the disk and click on the software restore now in the utities folder, it just wants that same disk but does not recognize it if I reinsert the disk it requests.

Sooo close, yet no luck yet.

Any clues my Macintosh friends! Excuse my spelling, it's late, I'm tired and just off my other job ...

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Answer 10

Tim St.Clair Author

Level 1

90 points

Jan 7, 2008 2:57 AM in response to Gabino Ang

and

voila!

G3 iMac's are a peice of cake to get apart. I wonder why I didn't think of this before. The adaptor you spoke of is certainly much easier to come by than someone with an older mac in my neck of the woods, and now I have a seriously small external drive to play with! Yay - classic is now happily up and running and I'm now investing pain in getting the old software started again. But: problem 1 solved! Woo!

(p.s, I peeked about on all my disks as per other suggestions in this thread but never did find any hidden system folders; must be a myth).

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