Upgrading Xserve G5 using USB Optical Drive/ Target Disk Mode

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Upgrading Xserve G5 using USB Optical Drive/ Target Disk Mode

Hello Everyone!

I am trying to update my Xserve G5 that is currently running 10.3 (Panther) to 10.5 (Leopard). I have tried multiple methods and cannot seem to get it to work.

I have tried to:

Use a USB Optical Drive - I tried using a USB optical drive because the Xserve G5 has a CD drive not a superdrive. It recognizes the Leopard Installation DVD as it pops up on the desktop. I open the installation and click the restart button, but it restarts again and goes to my desktop as if I just turned on the Mac. I have tried doing this in Safe Mode (Holding down Shift on Start Up) and trying to select it from volumes (Holding down Option on Start Up). These two do not work. I believe it is because I am using a USB optical drive and that it wont recognize the drive unless you are logged on in the OS. Could this be it?
Use FireWire Target Disk Mode - I also tried to use target disk mode by hooking up my Xserve to my MacBook Pro 2009. Everything work fine. I put the Xserve into target disk mode by holding down T on start up and it goes into target disk mode. It pops up on my MacBook Pro desktop as a FireWire external device (I can access all of my files on the Xserve hard drive). My only problem is that I do not know how to run the installation disk of Leopard off of my MacBook Pro so it installs it on my Xserve.

Any Suggestions or Ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

- Ryan

Posted on Oct 25, 2012 7:53 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Oct 25, 2012 8:31 PM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

Hi Ryan,

You were so close on #2, but put the Install Disc in the MBP, boot the MBP in t mode, boot the xServe using the option or alt key, see if the Install Disc in the MBP shows as a boot choice. 🙂

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Answer 2

Oct 26, 2012 5:07 AM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

This should be on a different forum.

I have used a later Xserve and I would not do it this way as it will not be flexible for future use.

Your original problem was probably because the installer is double layer and your drive may only read single layer.

I would investigate a new internal (NOT external) multi-function DVD drive - the last one I bought (SONY DVD RW DRU-190A) was about £20.

Alternatively a clone of the install disk on another internal drive or volume would be good - not sure if Carbon Copy Cloner will do this but it may be worth a try.

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Answer 3

Oct 26, 2012 5:21 AM in response to BDAqua

An interesting use of Target Disk Mode. Does it normally work?

It is not necessary to boot an installer as long as it can be mounted. I have in the past used the following:

sudo /Volumes/Leopard/System/Installation/CDIS/Mac\ OS\ X\ Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/Mac\ OS\ X\ Installer /Volumes/Leopard/System/Installation/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg

Not sure how to use this here especially as it appears one Mac may be PPC and the other Intel.

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Answer 4

Oct 26, 2012 5:27 AM in response to Neville Hillyer

In my first post I assumed you were trying to install Leopard Server but if this is not the case Carbon Copy Cloner will definitely do this. I have used it for this several times.

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Answer 5

Oct 26, 2012 8:05 AM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

So if i were to use Carbon Copy Cloner to install Leopard on the Xserve, how would i do it?

I have never used CCC before and i am not sure how to. Is there a tutorial on how to install an OS using it?

Thanks

-Ryan

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Answer 6

Oct 26, 2012 8:21 AM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

The simplest way is to use an empty internal disk or volume on the Xserve.

Download Carbon Copy Cloner to the Xserve.

Mount the Leopard installer on the booted Xserve via MacBook optical drive and file sharing or Target Disk Mode.

Clone the install disk to the empty volume with Carbon Copy Cloner - probably default settings throughout.

Boot into volume with Leopard Installer.

A better way is to backup the whole Xserve boot volume first to another disk with Carbon Copy Cloner - this will give you extra insurance in case anything goes wrong.

Large CCC backups can take a long time.

Good luck.

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Answer 7

Oct 26, 2012 4:03 PM in response to BDAqua

I used Aqua's method and it worked! (After 3 installation failures and repartions though) 🙂

This is my problem now. My Xserve will not recognize or boot up from the hard drive.

BUT... If i put the Xserve in Target Disk Mode, I can boot the hard drive in the Xserve from my MacBook Pro and it works just fine. I can access it with my MacBook Pro and do updates and all the other good stuff .... but when I try to access it through the Xserve through the standard bootup, I get the finder icon with the questions mark.

I am not sure why it is doing this. I even tried selecting the Xserve's hard drive by holding down the option key on the Xserve, but it does not show up.

Any ideas?

Thanks

- Ryan

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Answer 8

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Oct 26, 2012 4:18 PM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

Is the Drive APM partition scheme? Did you format it on yhe xServe?

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Answer 9

Oct 26, 2012 4:28 PM in response to BDAqua

Im not sure. When i was trying to restall it, It would not let me install unless I made partioned as GUID Partition Table.

I did that and it let me continue the installation. I partionted it using my MacBookPro. I had the Xserve in Target Disk Mode. I used my MacBook Pro to installl the OS. Popped in the DVD to my Macbook Pro and selected it to install on the Xserve's hard drive.

- Ryan

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Answer 10

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Oct 26, 2012 4:47 PM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

When i was trying to restall it, It would not let me install unless I made partioned as GUID Partition Table.

Only running the Installer ON an IntelMac will require that.

You must be running the G5 xServe off the Install Disc in the MBP, with he MBP in t mode.

Try that but reformat/Partition the drive using the xServe.

This isn't a Gray Intel only Install Disc is it?

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Answer 11

Oct 26, 2012 4:54 PM in response to BDAqua

It is not a gray instal disk. It is an offical leopard disk.

So what should i do?

When I installed the OS, I had the Xserve in target disk mode and put the disk in my Macbook Pro. I continued with the installation and let my Macbook Pro restart (Xserve still in target disk mode). Then when it asked me to select what drive to install Leopard on, I clicked install on the Xserve hard drive, which it did.

So now I can only access that hard drive by putting the Xserve in Target Disk Mode and holding down the option Key on my mac book pro and selecting the Xserve's hard drive. The Xserve will not even recognize the HDD by regular boot up, but it allows target disk mode.

So what should I do since reformatting the HDD through disk utlity on the Xserve is not an option?

- Ryan

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Answer 12

BDAqua

Level 10

239,219 points

Oct 26, 2012 6:19 PM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

So what should I do since reformatting the HDD through disk utlity on the Xserve is not an option

Why not???

Boot th xSeve using alt key from Install Disc in MBP, then...

2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

3. Click the Erase tab.

4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.

5. Select your Mac OS X volume.

6. Highlight the drive, select Partition Tab, then Format type... MacOS Extended Journalled, APM Partition.

Quit DU which puts you back to the Installer... Install. 🙂

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Answer 13

Oct 27, 2012 1:13 AM in response to Ryan The Apple Guy

It is probably not be too late to try my last instructions. Whatever you do make sure you have a backup of anything critical before you go any further.

Good luck.

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