The Blog-Files

Attack of the Panther...

So here's the deal. I get my shiny new copy of Mac OS X "Panther" delivered to my door today. I sit down at my Ruby iMac DV+, slide the install disc into the slot loading CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive and "BAM!!". The CD gets ejected. I try again. It spits it out again. I don't panic. I know it has happened before, maybe just be patient. After trying about 5 times, it accepts the disc, spins it, whirs it, but eventually mounts it. Whew! I read the standard "read me first" file and then proceed to click on the "Install OS X" icon. The computer asks for authentication and then mentions that it has to restart the system to begin with the install. Oops, of course after the restart it tries to mount the CD again and as you have probably already guessed, it fails, and just boots to the hard drive again. I try the procedure one more time thinking I might get lucky. No dice. Crap!!!!

I phone one of the local Mac stores and talk to one of them about my problem. They recommend trying a firmware update, phoning Apple, but they know as well as I do, the CD-ROM/DVD-ROM drive on iMac is on its last legs. A repair of the drive would be a significant cost, one I'm not likely to wish to incur. So I search for a work-around. While I'm searching, however, I decide to install it on Rosie's iBook. This takes a long, long, long time, but it installs. I encounter an error whilst trying to update the additional applications on disc two but I can install them manually later. After getting some conflicting reports from the web, I decide on a tactic and give it a try. Here is the procedure I used, and to my surprise, with success:

- Boot my iMac in "Target Disk Mode" by holding down the "T" key during start-up.
- Using the iPod firewire cable, attach the iBook to the iMac, so now the iMac is a mounted hard drive of the iBook.
- Run the install program on the iBook.
- Specify the iMac as the install location.
- Mistakenly allow the installer to install every little language localization and printer drivers possible.
- Wait for what seems to be an eternity for the install to finish.

I must say, however, that annoying as the install procedure for me had to be, I quite like "Panther". Exposé alone is worth the trouble. It's also nice to know that when I go to upgrade I won't have to go through this procedure again. Plus, there is always the nice feeling of satisfaction when you manage to work your way through a problem. Now I've got to go play with all the new features.