Mac OS X forum: Leopard and Tiger

However, despite what you say, it is easy to install Tiger onto an external drive, then install OS 9, and have the use of Classic.

Just boot from the Tiger OS disks, choose the external as the destination, and go from there.

What error messages are you getting when you try to install to an external?

Of course, it could be that it is getting close to the time when you need to update your very old programs.
OS X has been in use for the last 8 years and Classic was only ever meant to be a stop gap measure.

P

Try that configuration again after you have booted the computer from the installation disk.

When booted in that way, the host computer is running Tiger and is not concerned what is actually on its hard drive.
Is it possible that the error said that you could not install without changing some settings? This would happen if you tried to install a lower OS onto a disk that held a higher OS.
If that is the case, choose Customize and see what your options are.

The second part of your question is kinda Yes and No. Joining the two together with a firewire cable and starting the G4 up with the "T" key held down will result in the G4 appearing on the desktop of the new machine.
The problem with that is that the host machine is still running Tiger and will not allow the use of Classic.

Still, it's worth a try just to say that you have tried and crossed it off the list

P

Firewire or USB?

Non-Intel Mac's cannot boot from a USB external drive


P

You can do that.

I see you having the same problem with installation though.

There has to be some other reason as to why you cannot install on that drive.

Question: When you purchased the external drive, did you format the drive to be HFS+ and use the GUID partition table?

OR

Did you just plug it in, discover that it mounted on the desktop and just started to use it?

I suspect the latter, here's why.

The Intel Macs require that the drive that it boots from be formatted as HFS+(Journaled) and use the GUID Partition table.
If you were using the external with a PPC Mac, the drive would have been formatted, assuming that you formatted it prior to use, as HFS+(Journaled) using the Apple Partition table.
If you did not format the drive at all, there is a distinct possibility that the drive was formatted at the factory as FAT16. THis is done so that the drive will work on most platforms, Windows/Mac/etc., straight out of the box.

While this is very convenient, the drive mounts on your Mac as soon as you plug it in, the format of the drive is not suitable for the creation of a Boot disk for the Mac.

How do you find out how your external is formatted?
Glad you asked. Go to the Apple menu > About this Mac > More. After the System Profiler is up, click Firewire in the left hand pane and you will see all the connected Firewire devices in the top right hand Pane. Click on your external and all the available information will be displayed in the bottom pane. You are looking for Partition Map Type and, further down, File System. The good answers are: GPT (GUID Partition Table) and Journaled HFS+. Nothing else is suitable

Solution?
Format the external as HFS+(Journaled) with the GUID partition table, using Disk Utility, and you should be able to install OSX onto that drive.
You will find the GPT option when you click the Partition tab, it's under Options as the bottom of the window.

Good Luck

P

can still be used as a Time Machine backup device.

I would create a home network and have both those machines on it so that the passing of information between the two is seamless.
They would also share your internet connection.

I'm glad we got to the bottom of that little mystery though.

Glad you were interested enough to persevere .

P

you will find a home network a cheap and easy way to go

P

a point that was missed in the struggle to get the external drive to accept any OS.

I concentrated on the installation and completely forgot about the System 9/Intel situation.

P