apbp
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Q: Upgrade OS X Client 10.5.8 to OS X Server 10.5 without formatting

Hi all,

 

I would like to "upgrade" the OS X Client 10.5.8 installed on my PowerMac G5 (M9592LL/A) to the server version. The main hard drive is 1TB and has lots of free space on it. The machine has 5.5GB of RAM for the moment.

 

However, because the server DVD is probably 10.5(.0), I get a yellow question mark on my hard drive in the installer, and the option to upgrade the system without reformatting is greyed out with the message "you cannot upgrade this version of mac os x because a newer version is installed".

 

I tried the method shown in Mac OS X Server v10.5: Installing on a computer that won't start up from the installation disc - Apple Support (I made sure I downloaded the OS X server 10.5.8 combo update 1.1, so it could be applied after installing OS X server...) but it did not work.

 

I also attempted to modify the /System/Library/CoreServices/SystemVersion.plist file to read 10.5 instead of 10.5.8. Although this allowed the hard drive to show "10.5" in the disk utility, it did not change anything about the installer not allowing an in-place upgrade (I even tried with 10.4.9, to no avail).

 

Is there a proven method that works to fool this OS X server installer do this kind of OS in-place upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance for all the tips!

 

PS:

- I know OS X Leopard is getting really old, and more and more unsafe with time

- No, I do not want to get an Intel Mac and upgrade to something more modern (my scanner software is for ppc only.. and no I do not want a new scanner either..)

PowerMac, Mac OS 9.2.x

Posted on Jan 14, 2015 8:36 AM

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apbp

Q: Upgrade OS X Client 10.5.8 to OS X Server 10.5 without formatting

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  • Helpful answers

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 14, 2015 10:40 AM in response to apbp
    Level 10 (123,633 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 10:40 AM in response to apbp

    Hello, interesting find on that link!

     

    I think the answer is to Install Server to a different bootable drive, boot from that drive, update all that is needed on that drive, then use Migration Assistant to pull everything over to the Server Disk.

     

    I know the pain of upgrading to Intel, but if Scanner is the Major problem, might see this if Vuescan supports your scanner...

     

    http://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/supported-scanners.html

  • by apbp,

    apbp apbp Jan 14, 2015 11:46 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 11:46 AM in response to BDAqua

    I have another drive in my G5 (my backup drive used for time machine...) but even that one is shown with a red mark, meaning the system cannot be installed to that drive either (I have no idea why it is not bootable)...

     

    As for VueScan, Mr. Hamrick confirmed me some time ago he had no intention of ever adding compatibility to my scanner (scanner is too rare for the coding time to be profitable, and Mr. Hamrick would not be able to have a test machine anyway). Silverfast also does not support it. And unfortunately, the advent of digital photography has not only seriously wounded film-manufacturing companies, but it also caused high-end scanners to become things of the past, which means that one needs to keep computer systems of the past to run these relics (on another hand, it may be the only reason why these very high quality scanners can now be found for a fraction of their original price)...

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 14, 2015 1:18 PM in response to apbp
    Level 10 (123,633 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 1:18 PM in response to apbp

    Ah, I understand on the scanner.

     

    The TM drive likely can't take an install because it's in use by TM or Spotlight, not that it's recommended to partition the TM drive, but do you have a spare drive you can use temporarily to install to?

     

    Since this is so important I'd invest in a bootable 2 TB Firewire drive to insure everything.

  • by apbp,

    apbp apbp Jan 14, 2015 2:33 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 2:33 PM in response to BDAqua

    I'll try that solution if there is really no hope of an in-place upgrade. Hard drives are not that expensive butI would have wanted to avoid spending additional money to run my G5 (another conversation topic mentioned that Leopard may be able to use SSD hard drives as long as they were 1.5Gb/s compatible, but finding which current models are is another story...).

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 14, 2015 3:49 PM in response to apbp
    Level 10 (123,633 points)
    Jan 14, 2015 3:49 PM in response to apbp

    Some SATA 1.5 Gb/s compatible SSDs...

     

    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal_storage/SSD/Mercury_Electra_3G_Solid_Sta te