Can I Install to a Target Disk?

If the PowerPC iMac is in Target Disk mode, no, unless it's the Mac OS X Server Universal Binary; other Mac OS X 10.4 DVDs won't recognize the Intel Mac unless it's designed for the Intel Mac, and if it is, the system won't work on the PowerPC Mac.

If the Intel Mac is in Target Disk mode, yes, assuming the DVD is at least as new as the PowerPC iMac and noting the point about Intel Mac original DVDs above.

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Insert the install DVD into the Intel Mac and start it up in Target Disk mode.

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The icon means NO!

Start up the intel mac as before. On the PPC, try booting up the startup manager.

Try holding down the option key then power on. This brings up the startup manager. Click on your DVD. Click on right arrow key. ( Not sure what the target disk firewire DVD will look like. )

I have not tried this, but read about how this is possible.

Robert

The Install DVD in the intel iMac shows up as a hard drive in the PPC iMac starup manager.

This is good. Did you click once on the dvd icon? Did you click on the arrow key? What happens next?

You should get a window asking you what language you want to use. next you get the installation panel.

Tried the reboot on the PPC iMac and got the same symbol. It sems the PPC refuses to boot

from thre OS 10.4 DVD no matter where it is. Can you tell me where you have read about this?

Why are you using target disc mode? If your dvd reader works, there is no need for target disk mode.

Here is what OS came with your machine according to mac tracker.

What the original line means you is that you need the orginal grey disc or 10.4.3 or greater to install on this machine? A lot of time machines are shipped with extra drivers which will not be in the standard version of 10.4.2. You have to wait for a later version of 10.4 to get these drivers.

Where did you get the disc? You need the black full install dvd's. Grey dvd are machine specific & are unlikely to work on your machine.

Could it have anything to do with Open Firmware Password protection?

I do not think so. The startup mamager would not appear if you had a firmware password.

What is the OS version on the Tiger DVD? It will be printed on the label near the "install disc" title.

Your Mac shipped with 10.4.2, so any version earlier than that won't boot, and can't be installed.

Even a 10.4.2 DVD may not work if it's an earlier build than the one shipped.

So your retail Tiger disc needs to be the 10.4.6 one (I don't think there ever was a 10.4.3, .4 or .5 retail)

Alas, only Amazon MP, eBay, and such like now. And the prices are steep (£150 to £250 quoted on UK Amazon - that's around $235 to $400).

One thing you can try (but I can't guarantee they can help) is to call Apple Phone Sales on 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753) and see if they can get you a set of the original grey discs for the Mac. You'll need the serial no. and they do charge for burning the discs, postage and packing, but not a great deal - usually around $16 a disc.

That pre-supposes that the master for that model is still available of course, but worth a go if you don't have the originals.

I thought that you got the startup manager to work?

The Install DVD in the intel iMac shows up as a hard drive in the PPC iMac starup manager.

You might take the iMac to an apple store. Try a very off hour. They can be rather helpful. Take you Tiger DVD with you so they know you have a copy of Tiger.

I think you are going to find it troublesome to install classic on this machine too. The only way will be to find someother machine with classic on it & copy the correct folder over. There may be copyright issues with this approach.

Mac Tracker doesn't list 9.x as being bootable on your machine.

http://mactracker.ca/

I've never messed with the firmware password stuff, but I think you get a key icon & you have to enter your firmware password everytime you poweron. ((( There are ways to reset it. )))

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352

I think if you can find someother iMac PPC machine that will accept your Tiger DVD then upgrade to 10.4.11, then if you move the harddrive to your iMac, the harddrive will boot your machine.

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"SheepShaver is an Open Source PowerPC MacOS run-time environment. That is, it enables you to run PowerPC Classic MacOS software on your computer, even if you are using a different operating system. However, you still need a copy of MacOS and a PowerMacintosh ROM image to use this program. SheepShaver is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). "

http://gwenole.beauchesne.info/en/projects/sheepshaver

Installing Mac OS Classic on SheepShaver is a struggle. There is some instability once you have completed the installation.

More Info:

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9305653#9305653

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9305965#9305965

Robert