Power PC Leopard upgrade

[Possum]

I got a Leopard retail disc from eBay that has a scratch. (Already returned one like this, so I'm just gonna go with it.) Tried to make a .dmg file out of it on another computer, as mine won't read it. It won't make the .dmg because of one file, X-Code Tools, I believe. So I made an empty .dmg and put everything into it to restore onto my backup HD to install into my main HD. Think it will work, or should I go disc shopping again?

I've got everything backed up, but I'm scared to try it.

[Joe]

I don't think you can just copy the contents of the DVD to replace the files on your HD. You will need to run the installer. Once you create the .dmg burn it back to a good DVD and try re-installing the OS from it. The DVD needs to be bootable though so not sure if it will be after this procedure. Also, I don't think X-Code Tools are required.

[Possum]

Yeah, it wouldn't create the .dmg the usual way. It stopped after about twenty minutes with an error because it couldn't finish the last few files. That's why I created the empty .dmg and moved everything into it.

How about if I try creating a separate .dmg for the installer and each folder on the installation disc? I've read about restoring the installer from a USB drive to a backup drive and installing from there for people with a bum optical drive, so that was my thought. My optical drive won't ready dual-layer DVDs, although it's supposed to. It's a 2002 Quicksilver.

[almaink]

I'd be real careful putting Leopard on that Mac. I know it's supported but I put it on two similar quicksilvers a few years ago, and both blew the video cards within weeks of the install.
I don't know if it was just a coincidence but pretty strange it happening twice.

[Possum]

Thanks for that tip. I only wanted Leopard to get a better browser, as some sites are cranky with the Tiger version of Safari, and TenFourFox balks at some other sites. I'd also like Time Machine, but since my work at home dried up, I guess I don't need that so badly. I have a dual MDD as a backup, I guess when I feel adventurous, I'll try Leopard on there.

I had upgraded the processor in a Digital Audio (only up to 1 ghz) and it killed the hard drive. You never know.

[David]

unless you get the "over 5 gb" dvd, it won't fit anyway.
I have to use a  8gb flashdrive for the installer (and like Joe says, it has to be bootable).
I have several here that have 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 installers on them that I can boot off of and do the install.
You have to use Disk Utility to format the flashdrive as a single GUID partition. I then use CCC to copy the mounted DMG to the flashdrive to make it a bootable OS installer.

[Possum]

Yeah, I'm going the flashdrive route.

[David]

they are cheap and easy to get now-a-days.

[Joe]

Flash drives multiply faster than old floppies...and bunnies. :laugh:

[Possum]

I still keep an old hard case for floppies from Verbatim on my desk to hold paper clips.

The cardboard boxes were just the right size to catch spiders in.