Install Mac OS X on a iMac os 9.2.2

ajax, welcome to Apple Discussions & the Mac community.

Need to know what model iMac you have. If you can boot to OS 9.2.2, under the Apple menu, open Apple System Profiler. Tell us what MHz, how much RAM, what size hard drive. Does it have a CD disc drive or a CD/DVD disc drive?

Look at the specs on this page to see if you can determine which iMac you have.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/index-imac.html

Here's the Panther & Tiger requirements.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger system requirements @ http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301341

OS 10.3 Panther requirements
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106163

Panther install CDs and Tiger DVDs (some on CDs) are no longer available in brick & mortar stores, but are available at web stores & eBay.

You need to check if your Mac requires a firmware (Boot ROM version in System Profiler) update. Mac OS X: Available firmware updates
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117 If an update is required, the update must be installed (using OS 9) BEFORE you install OS X.

 Cheers, Tom 😉

That is the original (model A or B) iMac, in Bondi Blue. It has a tray-load CD-ROM. It has USB and Ethernet and 56K modem. No Airport Wireless options are available, but there are some third-party external solutions if you need them.

If you choose the top item on the Apple Menu, it should tell you about RAM size. To run Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar or 10.3 Panther, you really should have 256 MB or more of RAM. The upgrades on those Macs a little complex, because they use laptop memory in slots on the Processor card, and getting to it requires a bit of disassembly. A 256 MB SO-DIMM can be put in the top, so-called "user accessible" slot.

To install Mac OS X 10.2 or 10.3, you will need 6 GB available Hard Drive Space. To go beyond 10.3 you will need more memory, more RAM, and more Hard drive Space.

These Macs also have an odd Hard Drive limitation -- Mac OS X must be installed on a Partition that is completely contained inside the first 8 GB of the Hard drive. There can be other partitions, but Mac OS X must live on a 7.99 GB or smaller fist partition.

Use the built-in figure.

(34315)

Great, you have enough built-in memory.

Now look at the desktop, In the upper right you should see the Icon of the Hard Drive. Click once to select it, and choose Get_Info from the File menu. The box that opens should tell you the drive capacity and how much is already used.

Just three notes:

OS9.2.2 is just about right for that speed and power processor. It can easily run OSX, but OS9 is a dream on it.

I think this model of iMac requires a firmware upgrade (to be done in OS9) before you ever put an OSX CD (10.2 or later) anywhere near the iMac. Failure to do so will usually blow the video circuitry.

It sounds like you have the original 32MB stick in the lower memory slot. Despite the warnings, if you are at all technically minded, you can upgrade this, another 256MB would be good. Like said, it does require some amount of disassembly, but there was an exceptional MacWorld web page, with easy-to-follow pictures showing you how to upgrade the RAM, change the disk, etc. We may be able to find the link for that page if you wish to upgrade the memory.

Just one question, what do you wish to use the iMac for ? Is it to be your main computer ? Or is it to be a games machine ? Again, for the technically-minded, it would make an awesome Linux box, I put an old version of OpenBSD on mine, it was fast and slick. Did you get any CDs with the iMac, particularly OS install cds? or restore cds ?