Guys, I havent read through the whole thread but I think when you trim down the image you also need to deselect the options on install. So also deselect printers, languages, etc on the actual install.
My apologies if this was a noob suggestion though.

I followed the instructions of the first post and received the error saying that certain files could not be found.

I deleted X11, printer drivers, and all unneeded languages. I also unchecked those same things in the customized installer. However, the problem stems from an inability to uncheck some languages. In my install those were: Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Korean, and Swedish.

The languages I WAS able to uncheck were: Norwegian, Russian, Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and Polish.

Strange.

You need to uninstall all the language(s) files and try again.
Don't forget to remove the languages under System Tools -> International. Clean up the list
Search on google how to do that.

Hey, followed all your instructions and I've burned the single layer DVD. However, when I boot up the DVD to install, it's just stuck on the screen with the apple logo, and the spinning loading dot-circle beneath and I can hear the drive obviously trying to load.

Only reason I can think of is because the DVD is a DVD-RW? I remember trying to install XP with a DVD-RW and it didn't work, is this the same case?

Thanks

When I copy the slimmed DMG onto the blank DVD sized one, it errors.

KEE just plug in your power adapter and wait for about 10 minutes, i'm serious. I waited for a while and it actually got to the load screen, i thought something was wrong also. but i was wrong. well after i tried to install it, a box comes up and says that it couldnt install because there was some files missing or something, a box with a big yellow caution sign with an exclamation point. oh well, good luck to you sir.

That's great f1n3st! It actually worked! Well, I haven't tried installing it yet, as I forgot to free up HD Space and I was already late for work so I've had to leave it til later.
But at least I know it's booting up now!

I'll let you know later if it works, fingers crossed.

Thanks, this worked a treat. cut Leopard 9A581 down to 4.1GB, burned on a disk.
removed all printer drivers.
removed xcode. presumably you could remove iTunes also, as it's available as a free download.
removed all languages keeping English and Japanese.
used monolingual to delete all languages keeping English and Japanese in Tiger. Installed sweetly as an Archive and Install on two boxes, will wait a day or two before hitting the primary iPhoto box with 7 years worth of pics.

installed the HP printer drivers after Leopard install by running the HP package from the original unmodified mounted dmg.
could do similiar to install iTunes, Mail and Safari after the event, if you wanted a slimmer Leopard disk ??

Got it working using CCC, create new sparseimage based on the dump one.

Attempting restore to iPod

Edit: BOOTED, but removed too much, downloading again X(

Thanks...

Looks like I'm having the same missing files error, with the yellow exclamation mark.

I made sure I followed the instructions properly though :/

Can anyone tell me the exact files they deleted and what they unchecked on the Customize Install screen?

I have the Leopard Gold Master dmg.

I tried all the methods described here (Disk Utility and CCC, DVD-R and RW), none of them worked for me.

The problem is that the installation stops before the introduction screen: I can only see the cursor over the 'Sky' image background.

Any suggestions?

i created a 8GB DL sparseimage from the original image (by restoring to it). deleted xcode, and unwanted langugages from the newly created 8GB sparseimage. now i restore the reduced image onto a 4,3GB sparseimage in order to burn it. only problem left is: it doesnt boot! i cant install leopard from a non-bootable dvd. what did i do wrong on the way?

anybody getting error messages while buring?

One thing about it is that:

DO NOT BURN THE DISC IMAGE IN LEOPARD!!!!! USE TIGER TO BURN!!!!!!

hope that brings the message across clearly enough...

i am doing exactly that. i use my hackintosh to burn the dvd and i want to make it boot on my ibook g4. at first i figured out it could be the name of the dvd, but that didnt seem to be the case.

Ugh, I don't know what to try now.

I just cannot get it working

Ooooh, thaaat exlpains why it took so long to reach the installer! Anyways, just wanted to say that I successfully created a trimmed .dmg with this method, then I used "Converso!" to convert it to an ISO so I could burn it using Nero on my PC (because my iBook doesn't have a DVD Burner). The disc did indeed boot (after a long while but it did), but I didn't proceed with the install yet to see if any errors come up.Would Archive & Install work just fine with the trimmed SL DVD? I kinda want to avoid transferring those 13Gb of info on the laptop wirelessly... just transferring the Leopard DMG and the burn.sparseimage.iso back and forth was a pain in the ass...If it's stuck on the Apple screen with the circle thingy below, and you hear the drive working, you are fine: thing is it takes about 15 minutes to get past this stage, it has been posted before on this very thread. However, I can only speak of my iBook G4, so I don't know how it would/should behave on an Intel-based system. Of course, this won't work on OSX86/Hackintosh, so if that's what you are trying you should stop.

How come there is no english.pkg in the /Volumes/dump/System ? There are lots of other languages, but not english. is this normal?
Also, in the burning process, i should be burning the burn.sparceimage right? My main concern is the english.pkg, I think that's the problem but correct me if i'm wrong.

Cause in the installation, I get:

Install Failed
Mac OSX could not be installed on your computer.
The Installer could not locate the data it needed to install the software. Check your install media or internet connection and try again or contact the software manufacturer for assistance.

Click Restart to restart your computer and try installing again.

I think I've found the solution to the problem!
When you see the error, go to the Window menu, then click Installation Log. It will tell you the missing packages needed. Mine was Asian Text Support.

I think my problem is that I'm missing the english.pkg file
Does anyone have it? Can someone upload it? I need it to continue the install without an error I think.

Thanks!

Mine doesn't have an english.pkg file.

Can Asianlanguagesupport be removed like the other languages? I ask only because it's not listed as simply a language as the others are.

You would have to modify your OSInstall.mpkg file. I deleted mine and it wouldnt install.

THANK YOU Meowy for the quick reply. Even if I only use English, I should keep it in, correct?

I had a bad feeling about taking it out, woops back to the bottom of the ladder I go.

Yes, keep it in. I removed it and it wouldn't install.

To everyone having problems with the missing file error during installation, make sure you've followed these guidelines:

- ONLY remove the printer drivers and languages you don't need. With no printers and only Japanese and Korean left, I was able to get the image size down to 4.2GB
- During setup, after you select which hard drive/partition, click "Customize" and uncheck everything you removed from the original DMG.

I don't think the guide on the first page covers the second point and I found that to be my problem my first time around. I also removed a few other pkgs that caused errors during installation.

X11User and AdditionalFonts are safe to remove.

Are the manuals safe to remove? I've gone through 5 DVD's so far. Using the installation log, I found out I need to keep Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Duthc, Danish, Finish, Korean, Norweigan, Sweedish, Simple Chinese, and Traditional Chinese, otherwise I'll get a missing file error

Customize install doesn't let me uncheck those files, so it's going to be hard to condense it.
6 try is a charm?

I'm not going to delete any languages this time. Can I get rid of the 120mb manual?

You need to click the Customize button before installing and uncheck all of the boxxes you can when installing.
--
You can remove the manual.

AdditionalSpeechVoices is removable if you edit the installer script. I was able to fit it on my 4gb iPod mini without any Languages, Printers, X11, Xcode, Manuals, AdditionalFonts and AdditionalSpeechVoices.

^I did that, but it only actually let's me uncheck 4 of the boxes

Try Archive and Install instead of Upgrade.

Yes, I think it is normal. English is built in in OSX, you have to install it.
It's not an external package, tha's why you cannot see an 'english.pkg'

@rathalos: when you say 'burn it in Tiger', do you mean on a Mac-version of Tiger, or a Hackintosh version is good as well?

Hack Tiger should be fine. Tiger is needed because in Pre-release versions of Leo, burning was broke.

Sorry if this has been asked before - but this guide can be followed in order to cut down a patched Leopard version made to run on PC's, right?

In fact, I don't have problems in the burning process, I cannot get the introduction installer message...
I don't know what else I can try. Tomorrow, I will buy a DL ;-)

This is for Macs, but if you have a hacked version for PCs, you should be able to cut out the same stuff.

can you use a PC to do this also... I got some screwy 'base system' could not be validated error. I don't know if it's because my G5 won't recognize a dual layer CD, or if it's because I burnt leopard on a pc using PowerISO.... I just need some help

Thank you!!!
I think you can't remove that file ...
I'm burning a new DVD with that file and I'll try again ...

I deleted Xcode, all languages except english and german and I deleted all printer drivers.

Then I tried to uncheck X11 in the setup but it doesn't work - I can't uncheck it.
I deleted all languages with Monolingual in tiger before I tried to install leopard. The languages are unchecked - no problem here.

But what about X11? I deleted it in tiger (by drag&drop into trash) but I'm not able to uncheck it in the setup. I only get the "missing files"-message instead of an running setup...

After trashing all my DVD-R discs, i decided to bite the bullet and buy a DL DVD.......burned the DMG file to it with disc utility, and the resulting DVD worked first time....

Now running Leopard.......

Hmm, i burned the burn.sparseimage.dmg but OS X cannot recognice the DVD afterwards

You don't need to uncheck X11 if you didn't delete X11User.pkg.

You need to have the languages if you are upgrading from Tiger. I was able to do an Archive & Install without needing any of the languages.

The solution for my problem: A quick view in the installation log told me that I need to restore the asianlanguage-package in my leopard-disc cause it's needed (no idea why, but ok). Further I had to delete X11 completely in tiger (drag&drop the app into trash wasn't enough), so I was able to uncheck X11, too.

 

I've burned a DVD DL on my MBP but my G5 Dual1.8 can not read it... does the Pioneer 107D read Dual layer DVDs?.

hey, after you complete up to burnging the first image, can you just burn that to a DL DVD? whats the benefit of a SL dvd?

DL = Dual Layer <----- can hold twice the amount of data of SL
SL = Single Layer

If you have DL DVDs and a DL burner then don't slim it down, you can just burn and install normally.

Stupid question, if I install Leo downloaded upgrading from Tiger, would I be able to upgrade it (like 10.5.1) in the future?

Yes, if it's the GM 9a581 build.

is there a way to disable from the package the PRINTER and X11 by default?
so that everytime we install it, we dont have to uncheck those options mention above.

thanks