I "cloned" OSX 10.4 to a 8GB USB Stick and use boot /pci@f2000000/usb1b,1/disk@1:,\\:tbxi via Open Firmware. Its a A1054, 1.2 GHz. Apple Logo shows up, then the forbidden symbol appears. Meaning either wrong OS verison or it cant find the BootX. Pointing towards the BootX, I completely fail at : boot /pci@f2000000/usb1b,1/disk@1:,/System\Library\CoreServices\Bootx:,\\:tbxi What am I missing or what am I doing wrong here ? Is that command line even 100% correct ? Maybe I will need to clone OS 9.x to the stick and boot from it, because OSX 10.4 is "too new" to boot with it ? Or shall I try to "Fire Wire with Target Disk Mode" between a A1007 and the A1054, trying OSX and/or OS 9.x ? Quite confused I am, by all the googling.
Running 10.4, you probably are on a PPC machine? An iBook from the look of those models? I don't think OF supported USB booting *normally* on early models, which is why it's this weird stuff instead of like how it is to boot from a CD/DVD. Ultimately, the USB boot process is the difficult thing - doing this process with a DVD (which may require DL support for OS X which likely wouldn't be doable unless you have an external drive on those guys). OS 9 is easier to install on a CD/DVD, but from a USB source I believe it would still be a potential issue. Anyway, first thing is first: Even though USB booting wasn't officially supported back then, try to see if the external device shows when you boot up holding the OPTION key (which is how it's done these days and shows any bootable devices connected). If it pops up, select it and boot and wait for a while and you should be golden. Some later PPC models should have supported it normally. Next step would be to see if the process you followed is able to boot the *same iBook* you made it from? It could be that the install for that machine doesn't have the required drivers/isn't compatible with the other iBook you are trying to boot. Usually that's not an issue unless the other device shipped with a newer version or the source has it's pre-installed OS and has never been upgraded. If you can't boot the same iBook that was cloned, then a command is wrong somewhere in the process as it shouldn't have any incompatibilities there. Also, from looking online it seems that the USB location may be different on different models. If it can't boot even the same iBook, then some users have reported that they had to use slightly different commands/disk locations for the process as in: boot /pci@f2000000/usb1b,1/disk@1:3,\\:tbxi or /pci@f2000000/usb@15,1/disk@1 [looks like a command before you get to the boot attempt] During different parts of the process, I didn't go through it all but you can see that the disk numbers differ slightly from yours. Anyway, the fact that you got the prohibitive sign hopefully means that it's trying to boot and just failing, but it may simply not be trying to boot from the correct location. I found these two sites that hopefully help. Make sure to go through the comments too as the command doesn't seem to be universal for all devices back then. (I can't officially post links) ben-collins.blogspot.com/2010/08/booting-your-ibook-g4-from-usb-stick.html hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20101011105729488
Hi, I came from that ben-collins blogspot site and I read about all the different "disk@n" commands. boot /pci@f2000000/usb1b,1/disk@1:,\\:tbxi Is the only command that works. Adding numbers to "disk@1" like "disk@1,3" (which refers to partitions as I understood, results into an error. (cant find) I tried it all. These short versions also work : boot usb0/disk@1:,\\:tbxi boot usb1/disk@1:,\\:tbxi Its indeed a PPC (ibook G4 1,2GHz 12") Pressing the "Alt" button does not show the USB Stick in the selection, because, as you said, natively it does not support USB Booting. The compatibility between this A1054 (iBook G4 1,2Ghz) and the A1007 (iBook G3, 900 MHz) should be no problem regarding the "Target Disk Mode". Said the apple site. But I got no FireWire cable at the moment. p.s. I can use the DIR command in "Open Firmware" when I have a ppc-xubuntu cd in it...no other cds can be read... p.s. p.s. I can now use the DIR command on the OSX DVD in "open Firmware"....but it wont boot...and wont show up via "Alt". "LOAD-SIZE is too small" when I use "boot cd:" White screen with ".printf, unknown word" when using "boot cdrom:\" If I type "dir cd:\System\Library\CoreServices" I can indeed see the BootX with the tbxi set..... hmmm hmmmm If I type "boot cd:\System\Library[SIZE=2]\CoreServices[SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2]\Bootx[SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2][SIZE=4][SIZE=2][SIZE=2]\[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]" I get the apple logo and then the forbidden symbol again.[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]
Only Panther Installation Disc(s) 10.3.3 Build 7G51 (or 10.3.4 (7L46) will boot on this G4...I just learned that and...that it is impossible to find it and would involve asking dozens of ebay Sellers to look for Build Numbers on their disks. Apple Support no longer offers them and I wouldnt want to pay 100$ for it. What to do ?
I don't know what the official policy here is for recommending *other* downloading methods, but to be honest, there's really no other way. Apple doesn't print or sell the disks anymore, and the only legal way to resell it is if you don't have the license installed on a current device (despite Apple not really having serial codes or anything physically preventing that, it's still legally a software license). On that note, someone reselling the disk doesn't likely still use it. And to be honest again, likely anything you buy online used will simply be a burned copy at this point because of how long the software has been out of print for. No one will come knocking on your door because of software that doesn't really "exist". As there are no serial keys, and no easy way to "slipstream" Mac OS as with old versions of Windows, as long as the copy works you'll be safe in that regard. Also, you should be able to get 10.3 and then (if the servers are still up) auto update or manually find the updates to get it to 10.3.3. However, I'm not sure how picky that machine will be or if it actually requires 10.3.3, but that would be an easier method to attempt first as 10.3.3 is probably just the maximum supported OS. Apple usually releases multiple retail versions throughout the year (back then), so the first will be the .0 release, then maybe 6 months later they'll be .4, etc. They still do that, but obviously just no more printing and they can update the online versions with ease. everymac.com usually has the max OS info such as that and may note anything special that's required.
i believe he needs a firmware hack to be able to load 10.5.0 license ? thats part of the hardware purchase.. nowadays mac os is free.. to apple hardware. but retail disks till about 10.5.6 had license that said ok to install on any apple branded.