# "Mac OS X can not be installed on this computer"



## tionik06 (Jul 21, 2005)

I got this error message when double clicking the "Install Mac OS X" icon in the root of the cd. I just upgraded so i can run OS X. My face looks exactly like the emoticon for this thread.

I have an imac 233mhz rev.A Tray loading with 512mb RAM and 13gb HDD (4.6gb partition for OS, 8gb partition for data). I dont see why i cant install mac os x. I am trying to install from the Mac OS X Tiger cd version within Mac OS 9.2.2 because i cannot boot the OS X cd. What is wrong?


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## silentwulf4 (Jul 21, 2005)

My guesses are Yyour imac is too slow or too old or you need a bigger partition for OS. Judging by your CPU speed you have a rather old imac. So I think OS 9 is as high as you're gonna get.


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## leydog (Jul 22, 2005)

You might try XPostFacto. They have a beta for 4, which, I believe, supports Tiger on an early iMac.
http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/XPostFacto/


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## pds (Jul 22, 2005)

OS X will install on that computer - at least Jaguar and Panther will, though I don't know about Tiger (it is not officially supported, but neither is my iBook 800 and it runs fine). It won't be a speed demon, but it'll run.

One thing that comes to mind is that Tiger comes on a DVD - not on CD. But you say 


> when double clicking the "Install Mac OS X" icon in the root of the cd.


Is it an original Apple CD or a Pacifist-type extract? If the original DVD was packaged with a new machine, it could well be that it will only install on that model. 

You may have to buy a shrinkwrapped copy and then send to Apple for the CDs. 

When you do get them - make sure you update the firmware before installing or you may loose video.


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## Decado (Jul 22, 2005)

i have read that tiger is the first OSX that is NOT installable on the oldest iMacs. it simply won't work.


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## fryke (Jul 22, 2005)

*cough* - iBook 800's are officially supported for Tiger. The early iMacs are not. People: _Read_ the system requirements before making such a face and blaming Apple...

But yes: Xpostfacto could help, and I'd try that before giving up.


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## ApeintheShell (Jul 22, 2005)

http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/requirements.html


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## tionik06 (Jul 24, 2005)

Wow, Thanks for the wealth of information guys! 

Yea i saw on the tiger website that old imacs arent shown as supported, i thought this was because they all shipped with small amounts of ram and HDD and apple was trying to make it easy for the non technical user. I suppose that tiger's install code now detects the old imacs and blocks them from going any further, even if the system has enough horse power. I really must say, ever since i got that 512mb of ram in my imac rev.A it has been a different machine. I used to only be able to run one application at a time and web browsing was painful even with my 8mbps internet connection.

But now we get to this issue and i hit a dead end. Perhaps tiger really cannot run on this system. I tried to get gentoo and debian linux on it and the kernel keeps getting segment faults on every ppc install kernel. Gentoo argues about journaling and debian, i can only guess its the same issue. Perhaps if i disable hdparm dma. However i doubt apple would use the standard ppc or mklinux kernel. Yea it's UNIX based (what isnt? haha) but im sure they coded their own kernels.

This imac is my first mac, i got it for $70 shipping included, must have been one of those wasting away in a school storage room. I bought another mac after it. A powerbook 5300cs for $40 that came with OS software, zip drive and disks, and ac adapter. I just love pushing these systems to the limit.

aaaaaanyway,  i plan to give the beta4 of xpostfacto a wirl. We will see how that goes.


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## nixgeek (Jul 24, 2005)

Mac OS X uses the Mach kernel, basically the same used in FreeBSD.

As for distros, I recommend Debian or Ubuntu/Kubuntu.  You could also try Fedora Core 4 or Yellow Dog, but I try and stay away from RPM distros.... 

Just remember that with PPC Linux you'll be missing stuff like Shockwave Flash and Java....unless you really don't care about them....


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## tionik06 (Jul 25, 2005)

if i cant get os x on here im thinking about using netbsd. I hope it doesnt crash like gentoo and debian did. Macs.. I sure can pickem.


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## pds (Jul 25, 2005)

Panther will work and it's a very good OS. Amnesty will give you some of the functionality of dashboard and Quicksilver is a sweet search utility that works kind of like Spotlight.


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## nixgeek (Jul 25, 2005)

Unless you are very well-versed in installing other *nix operating systems that aren't Mac OS or Linux, I wouldn't attempt a NetBSD install.  I did it once, and to make matters even more difficult it was on a Quadra 650 (pre-PPC Macintosh).  All of it was text based and I had to use a how-to page to get everything somewhat installed (http://netbsd.org/Ports/mac68k/theobald/).  And even then things didn't work for me.

I would say either stick with Mac OS X or use a Linux distro geared more towards the end user if this is what you are looking for.


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## nixgeek (Jul 25, 2005)

BTW, I have Debian installed on an older Power Macintosh clone.  It wasn't that bad to get going, especially since it is a little harder on Old World Macs like this one (Old World meaning it doesn't have OpenFirmware like most current Macs, or New World Macs, do).

Just make sure that you have a bootstrap partition in HFS to place the kernel and supporting files in so the Mac can boot into Linux.


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## tionik06 (Jul 25, 2005)

NetBSD could be tough yea, but im an IT major and i look at this sort of stuff as an oppurtunity to learn. Gentoo is all command line installation and takes about 5 days to install. I figure if i could do that, i can do anything. Just gotta use my resources available to me.


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## jmags (Jul 30, 2005)

But on a 1GHz G4 12" Powerbook, with 512 meg ram.  Any suggestions as to what the problem would be in this case?


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## tionik06 (Jul 31, 2005)

i think it may be because i have to install from an os x environment?


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## Giaguara (Jul 31, 2005)

1 GHz 12" Powerbook? Should install without problems. Maybe the only way it would not install is having your stystem in 10.2.x and having now an Upgrade type of OS X DVD -- but that is highly unlikely ...
Can you not select ANY of the installation types for your Powerbook, jmags?


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## jmags (Jul 31, 2005)

No, there's a warning box over the installer window that says "OSX cannot be installed on this computer" and buttons to restart of open the startup disk utility.


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