G4 Mini going to OSX after linux

[netfreak]

So I'm wanting to go back to OSX from linux on my G4 Mini but it refuses to accept boot media. I'm attempting to use a 10.4 CD (verified, should work) but despite using the "C" key, it still goes to my linux bootloader. I also cannot get into open firmware or zap the PRAM... I'm using the same keyboard that worked getting the thing to boot from my debian CD when I originally wiped OSX for linux, so I know it should work. Any ideas?

 

[netfreak]

Some progress.... Booted back into linux and ran my favorite command "shred /dev/hda" so now the hard drive is completely blank. Boots to a grey screen with a blinking question mark now. Still won't boot off all these OSX cds though.

 

[~tl]

Does holding down option/alt at boot give you the Apple boot disk selector screen? If so, does the OS X CD show up there?

 

[netfreak]

I'll try that when I get home. Getting to the grey screen with the blinking "?" though should get me going but maybe my install media is actually messed... I'll be trying a DVD version tonight. It sat there trying to read the CD for 5 minutes before I turned it off.

 

[netfreak]

I've concluded the cd drive is broken. Gonna see if I can format a usb drive to boot the osx installer.

 

[Christopher]

PowerPC doesn't boot from USB. Firewire only son.

 

[netfreak]

Yep I see that now. Sweet. I've always wanted a paperweight.

 

[Christopher]

You have no other firewire mac's to boot from?

I once restored an OS X disk to another mac's drive and told the target mac to boot from that. Can you say über fast install?

 

[netfreak]

I've got firewire in my B&W G3 but it doesn't run OSX.

 

[Christopher]

Well the mini takes a laptop optical drive so in theory you could use some random ibook/powerbook drive if you want.

 

[~Coxy]

Plenty of G4s will boot from USB, although none of the Power Macs will IIRC. It's worth a shot on the mini.

 

[netfreak]

Everything I've read says they wont. Only the intel ones. I'll just snag a firewire cable this weekend and try disk mode on my G3 if I can get THAT to boot OSX......

 

[~Coxy]

I got one of my friends to tell me how he did it with his G4 iBook. He had to boot into Open Firmware and run a command to do it, but it (USB DVD-ROM) worked.

 

[netfreak]

I'll have to try getting into OF.. didn't seem to work when I tried.

 

[zerotypeq]

I know this is a little old and disregard if you already have it working, but I did this to load leopard onto my emac

take the hdd out and put it in another apple (or external whatever)

then make an image of your dvd with disk utility

Then using disk utility (iirc you have to do this from the boot cd) erase that hdd and make two partitions, make the first one the one you want your install directory to be and the next the one your dvd (atleast big enough for the install disc)

Then back to the diskutility on your computer restore the dvd to the partition you made for it after waiting a bit you should have it on their now throw it back in the mini and install from that to the first partition. I spose some things at the top could be done in a different order, but you get the idea.

 

[MultiFinder]

As to G4s and USB booting, my G4/500DP happily boots from a USB drive. I've booted Leopard and OS 9 off various USB drives.

 

[II2II]

I was under the impression that Intel Macs could not boot from USB, but PPC Macs could (at least of the proper vintage). I have booted G3 iMacs from Zip drives (with an ISO filesystem of all things) to install NetBSD.

And another quibble: never wipe a hard drive until you know you have bootable media.

 

[paws]

I was once able to use my Sawtooth as a glorified external Firewire CD drive by shuffling the IDE cables about so the CD was on the first bus. Then connect by Firewire to other Mac with no optical drive, and start Sawtooth while holding T.

 

[coius]

/me wonders if you were booting with media that had an earlier release than the mini accepts

Did you try doing it with the mini's original install? or if the mini came with 10.3, have you tried a 10.4 disc?

I am figuring it loaded from Leopard because it was later than the install that originally came with the disc.

What system is the mini (specs) and what OS X Version did you try to load that you were having issues with?