Installing OSX on PowerMac G5?

I got a PowerMac G5 about a year ago, grabbed it to use as a secondary computer or to sell. It didn't come with a hard drive, but I finally grabbed a 250GB drive and threw it in there (after formatting to exFAT and making it a GPT). I've got OSX Yosemite installer from Transmac onto my USB drive. (PNY USB 3.0 64GB) I hold down ALT/Option and I get a screen that only shows a refresh icon and an arrow facing right. Does the hard drive need to be reformatted somehow? Can the G5 for some reason not install from a 3.0 Drive? Should I try loading the .dmg onto a DVD and installing that way?

A PowerMac G5 will not run anything past Mac OS X Leopard (10.5). Can not start up from USB, only FireWire.

FYI, using Windows to create Mac bootable USB is a waste of time, won't work.

ferrarr said:

A PowerMac G5 will not run anything past Mac OS X Leopard (10.5). Can not start up from USB, only FireWire.

FYI, using Windows to create Mac bootable USB is a waste of time, won't work.

Click to expand...

This thread says that it can boot from USB.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4670074?tstart=0

But if TransMac isn't going to work, as you say, should I just burn the .dmg to a DVD and boot up that way?

There were some Power PC Macs that can boot from USB but it is a very slow process. Not all models support it. They will boot off of Firewire drives with no problems. I thought I had a list somewhere of which models support USB booting but can't seem to find it.

Booting from a DVD is pretty easy assuming that the .dmg has been made correctly.

Well keep trying for seven days and come back eh?

Only .dmg are pirates. Go on to eBay and be prepared tp pay about $80.00 for a full retail version on a DVD. This is what it looks like and do not buy any silver grey system discs which are model specific only:-


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mac-OSX-Leo...823330?hash=item4b1597e522:g:c0YAAOSwWWxY8r2P

harryb2448 said:

WQell keep trying for seven days and come back eh?

Only .dmg are pirates. Gom on to eBay and be prepared tp pay about $80.00 for a full retail version on a DVD. This is what it looks like and do not buy any silver grey system discs which are model specific only:-


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mac-OSX-Leo...823330?hash=item4b1597e522:g:c0YAAOSwWWxY8r2P

Click to expand...

Good catch on both counts harry. I wasn't thinking about the .dmg files being pirated.
@Mimalmo I'd follow Harry's advice and avoid the .dmg files like the plague.

It didn't come with a hard drive, but I finally grabbed a 250GB drive and threw it in there (after formatting to exFAT and making it a GPT).

Click to expand...

Besides downloading illegal software, there is no way you can install OS X on to a drive formatted to exFAT. That would be like trying to install Windows on to a drive formatted to HFS+. Ain't gonna happen!

Mimalmo said:

This thread says that it can boot from USB.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4670074?tstart=0

But if TransMac isn't going to work, as you say, should I just burn the .dmg to a DVD and boot up that way?

Click to expand...

Please don't lose sight of the fact that your original post asked how to install Yosemite...and the correct answer provided was...can't install anything past OS 10.5.8 (Yosemite is 5 OS versions newer).

As far as installing a compatible OS onto this computer. The ONLY acceptable method is via an original Apple OS install disk (eBay). Any other method is not acceptable...and will not be discussed or assisted at Mac-Forums.

Thanks,

- Nick