Nemo’s Bizarro Leopard Installation

Nemo’s Bizarro Leopard Installation

I read all the helpful advice concerning how to install OS X 10.5 Leopard on an existing computer. I created multiple bootable backups on different internal and external drives. I received my early bird opening night customer Leopard t-shirt at the local Apple retail store. I cleared my calendar this afternoon, and prepared for an effortless, bug-free OS Archive/Install upgrade.

But first, after lunch, I wanted to duplicate the 10.5 double layer Apple installer DVD. No dice. Twice I tried, and failed, due to arcane errors in Roxio Toast Titanium on my G5 dual 1.8GHz tower. Okay. I’ll copy that DVD another time. Let’s get rolling on the software installation.

Whoa! I clicked Restart, like a good boy, but the Leopard installer never opened on the G5. Instead, the computer’s fan ran forever, very L-O-U-D, and scary, until I did a hard shutdown. Twice. Okay. I’ll get some expert help and start fresh tomorrow.

But first, I wondered if I could mount the DVD installer on my G4 PowerBook, then use the PowerBook to install Leopard on an external FireWire ToughTech 800 WiebeTech drive. I wasn’t ready to run Leopard on the PowerBook. This FW800 external unit would be a compromise, since I had backed up the entire G5 to it a few months ago, using SuperDuper from Shirt Pocket Software.

Leopard 10.5 DVD opened fine on the PowerBook, and eventually located my 75GB bootable partition on the ToughTech. The afternoon was nearly over by then, so I took a deep breath, ran the Upgrade installer after deselecting unneeded language translators and printer drivers, and went for a swim. How did I miss “Archive and Install”?

Out of the pool, the PowerBook’s display looked different, and !! Leo Pard was installed, without a burp, onto the WiebeTech external drive. I’m running OS X from it now, and all appears to be well.

There will be more to the story when I figure out how to complete my two initial unsuccessful tasks, but so far so good, Leo.

[Nemo]