Obtaining
an Installer
DVD Copies and CD Only Macs
Written
By: Adam Rosen
10 June 2009
As Apple refines Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" and moves closer
to the release of 10.6 “Snow Leopard”, the 10.4 “Tiger”
version of Mac OS X seems destined to fade into computing history. However
there are many compelling and unique features in Tiger that make it
an ideal or necessary OS on some Macs.
On PowerPC machines Tiger is the last version of OS X that supports
Classic mode, the built-in virtualizer for Mac OS 9 applications. Using
Classic mode on a PowerMac G3 or better, it is still possible to run
many applications compiled for the original 68k-based Macs as far back
as the 1980s. Some older software or peripherals will only
run under OS 9, and Classic mode extends their lifetime. Often a Tiger-based
Mac will be a secondary machine repurposed just for this task.
On Intel based Macs there are people who stick with Tiger for several
reasons. This may be a budgetary decision, since upgrading requires
obtaining an installer, possibly some application updates, and often
more RAM. Leopard’s minimum RAM footprint is about twice what
Tiger requires. I recommend 1GB minimum for Leopard on PowerPC Macs
and 2GB minimum on Intel systems - these are twice Apple’s minimum
recommendations. Also (not infrequently), some people just dislike the
newer OS in favor of the older version
On an original Intel-based Mac with a 2GB RAM limit, or a PowerPC G4-based
Mac with a limit below 2GB, the system will perform better under Tiger
than with Leopard if you're running RAM-hungry apps like Final Cut Pro
or the Adobe CS suite; 10.4 leaves more RAM available to applications.
Obtaining an Installer
So
the ability to reinstall or upgrade to Tiger remains important, but
increasingly difficult. Mac OS X Tiger installers have been discontinued
by Apple and are no longer sold at retail. Finding an installer requires
buying a new or used copy from a reseller, or borrowing a copy* from
a friend, consultant or other Mac user.
*Make sure if you are borrowing a disc that you are legally entitled
to have Mac OS X 10.4 on your hardware; Oakbog does not condone software
piracy.
To
increase the challenge, there are different versions of the Tiger installer
for PowerPC and Intel Macs. Apple never released a Universal Binary
of the full installer, instead releasing separate PowerPC and Intel
versions. Later some updates were made available as Universal Binaries,
but not the base installers.
Every Mac sold during the Tiger era came bundled with a grey colored
Mac OS X installer. These discs will reinstall the OS on that
model of Macintosh, but may not work with other Macs using the same
processor. There is (I'm sure) an underlying consistency to what discs
will work with what models based on system architecture, but these relations
are often not user discernable. On practical level it’s usually
a trial-and-error process if you don’t have the right disc.
On the PowerPC side the situation is easier. Apple sold several versions
of Tiger at retail, culminating with a 10.4.6 Full Install DVD. These
discs will work on all supported models of PowerPC Macs, and are the
best ones to have or try to find via resellers. The bundled install
discs which came with G4 and G5 Macs do not work across the board on
all models, again trial-and-error.
Some PowerPC
systems sold during the Panther (10.3) to Tiger transition included
a Tiger Upgrade Installer with Panther installed on the hard drive.
These upgrade discs work with a wider range of PowerMacs, but require
an existing Panther install to be present on the system before use.
They also usually don't offer the Full Install or Archive & Install
options, just the Upgrade option. In many cases upgrading (versus replacing)
isn't the ideal method to use, particularly if the older system is cranky
and not performing correctly. For more info on this process, see Maintaining
Your Macintosh - Software Updates.
All
Intel Macs came with their own (grey colored) Tiger install DVDs. Apple
never sold at retail a Full Installer for Tiger that was Intel compatible.
No need – if you were buying an Intel Mac you automatically got
Tiger, and if you had a PowerPC Mac you wouldn't need an Intel-compatible
installer.
Makes sense. Until you need to reinstall Tiger on an Intel-based Mac.
The original Intel iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro and Mac mini
models (which came with Tiger from the factory) all use different custom
install DVDs. Most systems require their own disks, again hit-or-miss
will apply.
I have had luck using the 10.4.10 Installer which came with my Mac Pro
to reinstall Tiger onto an early Intel MacBook, but a MacBook Pro installer
from the same era didn't work.
So you do need the original discs - just at the moment (of course) when
you can’t find those little envelopes that came bundled with the
snazzy Apple cleaning cloth and window stickers you safely saved for
future use.
Yes, you know they're around somewhere...
DVD Copies and CD Only Macs
Once
you find the right DVD, it's a good idea to make a safety copy for future
needs. Note that Apple does not use single-layer DVDs for these discs
but rather dual-layer replicated discs, which require a dual-layer DVD-R
or DVD+R recorder. Fortunately these drives and media are now commonplace
(not true in Tiger's early days). I’ve had good luck duplicating
Tiger install DVDs using Apple dual-layer-compatible SuperDrives onto
DVD+R DL media, via the Copy mode in Roxio
Toast software.
Another challenge: many older G4 and G3 systems are Tiger compatible
but only have internal CD-ROM or CD-RW drives. Apple did make CD copies
of the Tiger installer available on a trade-in basis for a short time,
but these are now very hard to find. The easiest method of (re)installing
Tiger on a DVD-less Mac is to boot a DVD-equipped Mac into FireWire
Target Disk Mode, connect the two systems via a FireWire cable, then
insert the DVD into the newer Mac. The DVD will show up on the older
Mac's desktop and you can proceed with the install.
As a consultant I’ve used my laptop in the field many times in
this fashion to help upgrade older systems. It's a fantastically useful
feature.
Update
Oct 2009: a reader suggested an alternate solution to the DVD-less
Mac install dilemma: using Disk Utility on a DVD equipped Mac he created
a .dmg file of the Tiger install disk. He then restored this image across
the network onto a small hard disk partition on the target Mac, selected
the "Installer Partition" as the startup disk, and rebooted.
In his own words:
Boom!
It worked, and I had a functioning emergency boot partition acting
as an OS X Tiger Install DVD. The speed differences were so noticeable,
it was astounding!
This
is a clever solution. Restoring to an external FireWire drive would
also work, from which you could boot up and install.
Once
you have acquired the correct install disc for your model of Macintosh,
go ahead and do a Full Install or (if you want to keep your old data)
an Archive & Install. Once Tiger is installed onto the Mac, boot
off the hard drive and then use Software Update under the Apple Menu
or the Apple
Software Downloads page to grab the remaining updates to
get your system as current as possible. The last release is 10.4.11,
you will want this update along with any QuickTime and Security updates
and all or most Java and Application updates. Typically I just get everything
available. Several passes and interim reboots will be required to get
all patches - keep checking Software Update until there's nothing left
to grab.
Eventually you will arrive at your Big Cat Destination. At the end of
the process (and during), a glass or two of beer or wine may be helpful!
This article was also published in the Adam's
Apple column on Low End
Mac
