Installing a new OS on my PowerMac G4

I recently bought an PowerMac G4 Quicksilver. It didn't have a hard drive built in. Does anyone know if I can install Ubuntu on it without having OSX on the machine? Or do I still need OSX installed? I say that because my PowerMac doesn't have a DVD drive, just CD.
I was also thinking about just transferring the OS from my MacBook Pro to the PowerMac with FireWire.

derekblock said:

I was also thinking about just transferring the OS from my MacBook Pro to the PowerMac with FireWire.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure about your other questions...but "transferring" your OS from your MacBook Pro via Firewire is not a legal way of installing the OS on your G4 Powermac.

Also consider (depending on the OS on your MacBook Pro & the processor speed of the Powermac G4)...that the OS version on your MacBook Pro may not be compatible with the Powermac G4.

If you have:

- OS 10.6 on your MacBook Pro...then it 100% will not work on your Powermac G4
- You need at least an 867mhz processor in your Powermac G4 to install OS 10.5.
- If the Powermac G4 has less than an 867mhz processor...then the max OS you can install is OS 10.4.11.

Hope this helps,

- Nick

p.s BTW...there were basically 4-5 Powermac G4 "Quicksilver" models...with processor speeds ranging from 733mhz to 933mhz. So unless you have the 876mhz model...you cannot install OS 10.5...and would be limited to 10.4. So in this case...the OS from your MacBook Pro definitely wouldn't work.

But you should be able to use a live Ubuntu disc to boot that PowerPC Mac, reformat the drive and get it running Linux just fine

Tiger install discs are going for silly money on the Internet - so that might not be economical

All these Linux installs are on DVD now. You would have to make a cd version from a download. Its not that hard to install a DVD drive....Or just hook one up to do the install. Thats a PPC Mac and you need the PPC version of the Linux flavor you want.

You can still download many Linux distros and burn the ISO to a CD. Here's the link for the latest Ubuntu CD download.

Regards.