OS X Install using firewire

[AStar617]

OK I have a Pismo with no internal optical drive, but I'd like to install Panther on its blank disk. I have access to a Powerbook G4 today. Prior attempts have not allowed the Pismo to recognize the G4's optical drive as bootable even with the G4 booted in target mode.

Here's what I'd like to have happen.

- boot G4

- boot Pismo in target mode

- connect pismo "disk" to G4

- insert Panther disc 1

- start installation, which reboots G4

- go thru installation on G4, but point installation to Pismo "disk"

- upon being asked for reboot, reboot the Pismo and continue install process.


Will this work without dev tree issues due to the hardware differences? Or is there something I'm missing that's preventing me from using the G4's drive as a firewire cdrom in the first place?

Thanks.

 

[Ecgtheow]

That should work fine.

 

[AStar617]

Thanks. So to reiterate, no dev tree issues on the Pismo if the install is performed using a G4 powerbook?

EDIT: Ahh screw it. Taking the plunge.

 

[AStar617]

The G4 hung (responsively) at 100% check of the FW Pismo disk. I pulled the FW cable and reconnected, and it seems to be going ok. Although I don't know what this Pismo disk sounds like while writing so I'm not sure if I'm hearing disk activity or not.

If pulling the cable made the install default back to the internal G4 disk without asking me, and I've successfully wiped my colleague's G4 as a result, I will have to fly to Cupertino and smack Steve Jobs in the mouth...

 

[chcarnage]

According to a German forum you absolutely need the newest firmware. That's Boot ROM version 4.1.8 or 4.1.8f5 for a Pismo 400 Mhz. You can check this in the System Profiler application. Further information and the firmware update are here and here. The firmware update requires Mac OS 9.1 or higher. You can download the patches for 9.0 here.

Also, I've found contradictionary information about the necessity to create a <8 GB partition for the OS X install. Apple's file about this is here. According to one pismo user there were problems even without the target volume being greyed out, while another pismo owner claims to have installed without partitioning nor problems. Partitioning should work fine after booting from the CD that came with the pismo (hold down the key "C" while booting to start from the CD).

Edit: The system partition should be 8 GB at most.

 

[AStar617]

Well, the good news is I'm typing this from my freshly installed Pismo. :beer::thumbsup: The bad news is (well, was) it took a whole hell of a lot of babysitting to make it happen. :thumbsdown:

Basically the Pismo in target mode kept timing out somehow, and that would cause the responsive hangs on the G4 running the installer. If I happened to notice when the progress stopped, I could quickly powercycle the Pismo, boot back into target mode, and the G4 installer would automagically continue. If I let it go too long, though, the responsive hang would soon be uninterruptibe even by the Pismo reboot trick, forcing me to powercycle both systems and start over from the beginning of the current install disc. All in all, it was probably about 10-12 Pismo reboots for the entire installation (not counting all the do-overs before I figured out the trick). :roll:

Regarding the <8gb partition, I used an unpartitoned 20gb disk--but I have a Pismo (G3 Powerbook w/Bronze Keyboard + FireWire) which is exempt from that requirement according to the Apple doc. Curious as to what troubles those other Pismo owners may have encountered... I'd say my experience definitely qualifies as "trouble", thankfully not insurmountable though. My firmware is definitely under-rev (3.27f2) so maybe that played a part.