Mac OSX Panther install problem.

[xplan303ex]

I have an iMac G3, 333Mhz, 320MB ram, 6GB HD, Rev A. (Lime if you care to know ) I am trying to install Panther on it, since I am running 10.1.5 and I can't use a lot of the new programs. I put the Panther CD1, double click the icon and it asks me to reboot the computer. After rebooting from the CD, the screen shows and apple logo and I can hear the CD spinning, after some seconds I get a screen that starts with this:

panic (cpu 0): Unable to find driver for this plattform: "iMac"

This is followed by a bunch of numbers and letters that don't make sense to me, it just states that there's no debugger for this error and that it is dumping the debbuging data. The last line of the screen says "panic: We're hanging there".

I checked the apple website for system requirements to run panther, I seem to meet all of them, I checked my firmware to see if it was updated, it is.

What is wrong with this? How can it be solved? Can I run Panther at all?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[DeltaMac]

The 333 iMac is actually rev D.
Later versions of OS X have become more sensitive to marginal RAM, so it's a possibility that your RAM just will not work with Panther.
Make sure that you have nothing external attached to your Mac, except a keyboard, and a mouse (plugged into the keyboard). Make sure that you have downloaded and actually tried the firmware updater for this iMac ( on THIS PAGE. There are also CD and modem firmware listed for your system.
Try to reset PRAM (hold opt-apple-p-r at boot until you hear the startup bong repeat at least twice), then, with OS X install CD in the drive, restart, and hold the 'C' key down. If you get to the first installer screen (to choose the language) click on the installer menu, choose Disk Utility, wait for that to load, then click on your volume, and click on the 'repair disk' button that will appear.
Some of these iMacs get very stubborn, and if you still have the kernel panic, try cleaning the laser lens on the CD drive tray (gently with a damp cotton swab), and try booting again. If nogo, then try reseating the memory (and the processor board), test the PRAM battery... This is getting real internal now, but not much left to try. Hopefully, you've booted and installed by this point....

 

[xplan303ex]

The 333 iMac is actually rev D.
Later versions of OS X have become more sensitive to marginal RAM, so it's a possibility that your RAM just will not work with Panther.

I just upgraded the RAM because I tried installing Panther before with the same unsuccessful result, I thought it was a RAM problem and bought more ram (I have 320mb now), same result.

Make sure that you have nothing external attached to your Mac, except a keyboard, and a mouse (plugged into the keyboard). Make sure that you have downloaded and actually tried the firmware updater for this iMac ( on THIS PAGE. There are also CD and modem firmware listed for your system.

Firmware I had updated already, updated CD, modem link doesn't lead to any downloads.

Try to reset PRAM (hold opt-apple-p-r at boot until you hear the startup bong repeat at least twice), then, with OS X install CD in the drive, restart, and hold the 'C' key down.

Tried this, no bong sound though, the computer would just go on and off, I let it do it 4 times, then I let go, I got a silver screen but not with the apple logo on it, nothing happened. Rebooted pressing C, same kernel panic.

Some of these iMacs get very stubborn, and if you still have the kernel panic, try cleaning the laser lens on the CD drive tray (gently with a damp cotton swab), and try booting again.

Tried this, got some UNIX screen for once, only choices were to type mac-boot or shut-down, I typed mac-boot, took me to my old 10.1.5, rebooted and tried again, got the original kernel panic again.

If nogo, then try reseating the memory (and the processor board), test the PRAM battery... This is getting real internal now, but not much left to try. Hopefully, you've booted and installed by this point....

I've given up on this... thanks anyway (and I thought windows was a pain...)
Anyone wants to buy a 333 iMac?