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iMac G3 NetInstall


zandaa
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Hey people!

 

I just got an old iMac G3 yesterday, together with a 10.4 Install DVD. The previous owner had a corrupted OSX install which keeps telling me "Could not make a connection to the default WindowServer", so I want to re-install OSX. However, the G3 refuses to read the disc because the drive seems to be busted.. my idea was to netboot the installation DVD through my linux computer, how plausible is it to imagine this possibility and how would I manage to pull it off if it would work?

 

/Zandaa

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I'm taking a chance and saying that your iMac is one of the majority of iMac G3's that just didn't have a DVD drive (only two iMac G3 models had DVD drives and even then it will vary by system if you have one or not). It has either a CD drive or a CDRW drive. That being said, all is not lost.

 

The easiest thing to do is to get a Firewire (or USB) combo or superdrive that will read the DVD. It's a simple hook up, start up with option pressed and install. If this is a bad thing for you, an even cheaper solution is to get a 10.3 or 10.4 install disc in CD form--they are everywhere and cheap cheap cheap--and do an install via the CD's.

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I'm taking a chance and saying that your iMac is one of the majority of iMac G3's that just didn't have a DVD drive (only two iMac G3 models had DVD drives and even then it will vary by system if you have one or not). It has either a CD drive or a CDRW drive. That being said, all is not lost.

 

The easiest thing to do is to get a Firewire (or USB) combo or superdrive that will read the DVD. It's a simple hook up, start up with option pressed and install. If this is a bad thing for you, an even cheaper solution is to get a 10.3 or 10.4 install disc in CD form--they are everywhere and cheap cheap cheap--and do an install via the CD's.

 

I just found a OSX 10.3 install set online from someone. The only thing that bothers me is that I don't know if I need OS9 to install it or that it just boots the installer, which is it? The OSX installation documents state that you need to upgrade to OS9.1 through the 'included' CD, but isn't this for the firmware upgrades etc? I don't want to be paying money for a set of CDs that won't function because I have no working OS installation on the iMac

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You don't NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED to install OS 9 unless you aren't sure the firmware is up to date.

 

That being said there are tons of places to get an OS 9 disc image, I mean, actual CD. Yeah, actual CD...

 

my open firmware version read 4.1.9f I believe it said... it was already running 10.4 I reckon, so all I need now is the installation media to run :(. I'm trying to push the installation DVD onto a seperate partition on the harddrive by running ubuntu PPC edition. Here's to hoping, if it doesn't work, I'll still buy those 10.3 discs.

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