Move iDVD to new iMac

I've not tried using those older disks that require you to eject one and insert the next disk with Pacifist. Did you try ejecting it? Did you get a "disk is busy" type of warning when you did?

These are the disks that came with my Macs :

Is one of your 08 disks named Mac OS X Install Disk 1? If so it should look like #1 above. If it does do the following:

1 - Command+click on the Install Bundled Software Only alias and select "Show Original" from the contextual Menu.

2 - open the real Bundled Softrware package with Pacifist.

You'll get the same message:

The disk will automatically eject so you can insert #2.

3 - Then you'll be asked to insert #1 again.

and again it will automatically eject.

4 - you'll see this in Pacifist:

and you'll be able to install either iDVD and the Themes or just the Themes.

These screenshots were taken from the disks that came with my G5 Mac from way back so I know it's possible.

Hooray! With your last piece of guidance I've done it properly this time.

It worked in the same way, with Pacifist, when I attempted it before - except the part I didn't know about was the all important Contextual Menu operations. It's strange that Disk 2 has to be involved just to allow a complete loading but I presume it's just part of the overall extraction process.

As a point of interest, when I do get the latest iMac, would it be best to just add the Old Themes or the total iDVD package?

You can try with just the themes and link to them as I showed in my second post. I'd also run Disk Utility to repair disk permissions after using Pacifrist.

With Mt. Lion users haver had trouble adding the themes after the fact and getting them to link. With my Lion iMac I used Migration Assistant to restore and that brought iDVD and themes over without an issue.

It appears now that the only sure fire way to get all themes with Mt. Lion is to start with the iLife 09 disc:

This shows the iDVD contents in the iLife 09 disc via Pacifist:

You then can upgrade from iDVD 7.0.3 to iDVD 7.1.2 via the updaters at the Apple Downloads webpage.

You say that iLife 09 is the surest way to properly install all the iDVD stuff on to a new iMac with Mt. Lion. I have a Snow Leopard install disk (would it be iLife 09?) which I used to upgrade my existing 2008 iMac. All the iDVD items (originally created 15 June 2009) are there on the iMac. Here are some screen shots from the System Profiler, which I hope will show you if I will be able to proceed using the Snow Leopard disk:-

I think the last 3 'Getting Started' shots are probably not relevant as they seem to be only documentation.

Is the SL install disk one that was purchased separately or one that came with the older Mac? If it was purchased separately it would not include the iLife applications.

I now realise that the S. Leopard disk will be no good as it was purchased separately, as an upgrade from Leopard. The install disks 1 & 2 that came with my 2008 (Leopard) Mac were not not purchased separately.

My concern (re: your comment 'the only sure fire way to get all themes with Mt. Lion is to start with the iLife 09 disc') is whether my 2008 Leopard disk/s will install iDVD + all it's themes properly with Mt. Lion.

You can run Pacifist on those disks and see if all the themes are included. Open the first disk and look for an installer package. Drop it in the open Pacifist window. Then look for the iDVD installer. You may be asked to insert Disk 2. Disk 1 will be automatically ejected so you can insert 2. Then you'll be asked to insert 1 again (that's what happened with my G5 disks).

I've done everything you say above, with the install disks that came with my '08 iMac, and it all worked. It seems that, because I can use them to install the iDVD stuff on the new iMac, I never needed to buy iLife '11!