Won't let me install

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Level 1

6 points

Won't let me install

I have a G5 Xserve with three 250Gb hard drives that has been running 10.3.9 and I am trying to do a new install of 10.4.7 from DVD. Since I don't have a DVD player in the Xserve, I'm using Target Disk Mode from an Intel iMac. I have erased one of the hard drives and partitioned it to have 30Gb for the system.
But when I try to install on this partition, I get the message "You cannot install Mac OS X Server on this volume. Mac OS X Server cannot start up from this volume."
I have my data stored and mirrored on the other two hard drives, and am allowed to install on them.
Any ideas?

G5 PowerMac, Mac OS X (10.3.9), Actually, no system at present

Posted on Dec 26, 2006 1:46 PM

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Answer 1

rhwalker

Level 3

589 points

Dec 26, 2006 3:14 PM in response to Stacy Wynn

Yea, you are doing it backwards. The Intel iMac needs to be the one that is in TDM, with its DVD being presented to the Xserve G5 (or else you need an external DVD on the Xserve so you can install from that).

Here's what is happening: The Xserve needs an APM format disk for booting, which is what it has. The Intel iMac needs a GPT format disk for booting, which is what it has. Unclear from your post, but it appears that you are placing the Xserve into TDM so that the Xserve's disk is appearing to the Intel.

The Intel iMac will format disks as GPT. Mac OS 10.4.7 was not a Universal binary (that first happened as 10.4.8), so you don't have a universal binary installer DVD. Mac OS Server 10.4.8 Universal Binary is a very different animal from Mac OS Server 10.4.7 PPC (and Mac OS Server 10.4.8 PPC).

So, get the Intel iMac into TDM, run the installer from the Xserve G5 using the DVD on the iMac (and reformat the drive on the Xserve to APM format), or attach an external DVD drive to the Xserve and you should be good to go. Bottom line, the Mac OS Server 10.4.7 DVD needs to be run from a PPC, preferably the Xserve so that hwmond, etc., gets turned on.

Russ

Xserve G5 2.0 GHz 2 GB RAM Mac OS X (10.4.8) Apple Hardware RAID, ATTO UL4D, Exabyte VXA-2 1x10 1u

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Answer 2

Stacy Wynn Author

Level 1

6 points

Dec 27, 2006 6:13 AM in response to rhwalker

Thanks for your help. I'm sure this will work, if I could boot from the install DVD, but I keep getting a kernel panic trying to startup from the disk.
Any ideas?

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Answer 3

rhwalker

Level 3

589 points

Dec 27, 2006 9:16 AM in response to Stacy Wynn

You don't say whether you have the 10.4.7 Server Universal Binary DVD or the PPC version (I see that I made an error above when I said that 10.4.8 was the first Universal Binary). 10.4.7 Server Universal Binary DVD has a bug in that it will kernel panic if your computer has a Sonnet SD or VillageTronic MPDD Pro video card (they are the same video card, both no longer sold).

Also, you don't say whether your Xserve has an Adaptec SCSI card. Adaptec doesn't support their SCSI card past 10.3.9, you will have to get an ATTO UL4D or ATTO UL4S to replace.

Some hardware details would be useful if you want help.

Russ

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