Can Mac OS 9 be installed from scratch on Mac mini G4

[aurora72]

Hello

For experimental purposes I'm considering acquiring a Mac OS 9 Install CD (not Mac OS 9.x Update CD) and install Mac OS 9 from scratch on my Mac mini G4 1.25GHz.

I'd like to know if Mac OS 9 can be installed on Mac mini G4 and if the video and other drivers would work in a compatible way.

[acme.mail.order]

My guess would be no - I think the Mini is too new to boot OS9. You certainly can run it under Classic with 10.3 or 10.4.

[DeltaMac]

Do you have Leopard installed on your mini?

If you want to experiment with Classic, you'll need to have the older Tiger or Panther installed.
You could install 10.4 (or even the original 10.3.7) for your mini on an external hard drive
That will then be useful to try out Classic. OS 9 is then just a simple "drag a System Folder to the hard drive."
But, to answer your question: OS 9 can be installed, in a variety of different methods, usually just by copying a working OS 9 System Folder - but your mini can't possibly boot to OS 9. Your only choice is Classic, and you will need an OS X version older than Leopard for that to work.

[aurora72]

Thank you for the comment. I guess PowerBook G4's can boot OS 9 . I might buy a PowerBook G4 for that purpose but I don't know if OS 9 Install CD comes with them.

Is there any option you might recommend where I can run OS 9 natively (i.e. not from inside OS X) because the kind of software I want to use (Drive Setup and Hard disk Speed Tools) seem to run only in native OS 9...

[DeltaMac]

You have to find a Mac that WILL boot natively.
Here's some general tips to help with that search.
PowerBook G4s with aluminum cases (ports on the side) WON'T boot to OS 9
The older PowerBook G4, known as "titanium" models (the ports are mostly on the back behind a hinged panel), all will boot to OS 9. Those were last sold as new in 2003. 2003 is the year that Apple, in general, dropped the hardware support.
I'm going to guess that you will be disappointed if you are hoping to get an OS 9 install CD included with a 10 year old used Mac. Might happen!, but you want to ask about that.
Other Macs:
iBook G4s do not support OS 9 booting. The older iBook G3 does.
iMac G4 dropped during the period that was offered for sale.

In general, OS 9 support was dropped when Macs updated the USB bus to 2.0
OS 9 never included support for USB 2.0
So, if a Mac has USB 2.0 ports, then NO OS 9 booting.

BTW, a good source to find out your info about booting to OS 9 is the Mactracker app.

[aurora72]

Thank you for the tips,

Upon these infos, I made a search in eBay for the models that support booting OS 9 and found just a few only. My target devices are PB Titaniums and iBook G3s, but there are almost none of them for sale in ebay.com.

However, to my surprise I've found quite plenty of them in a major 2nd hand sale site in my country (just in case you might wonder, it's: sahibinden.com I think it's got an English interface for international visitors, too) It looks like there are many people who want to get rid of those old Apple hardware but still couldnt manage to sell.

I didn't know the OS 9 didn't support USB 2.0, oh that makes the condition of CD drive more important cos it might mean that using USB to load disk images, software will be too impractical.

I haven't taken a look at Mactracker.app yet, I might examine it later, it might help on my works. Thanks.

[DeltaMac]

The Mactracker.app is just a database, full of information about most every peice
A Mac that will boot to OS 9, can also boot to USB to install OS 9. Of course, it will be really draggy slow, but it will work.
Your best bet, though is to use a Firewire drive - much faster.

If you decide to get one of the Titanium PowerBooks - especially if it has been in storage for a while, take some time to lubricate the hinges on the lid with some silicone based lubricant. They are are really fragile (I just broke mine), and a little stiffness will lead to a hinge snapping off quite easily.
My suggestion, if you want to get one of those, is to look for a 1GHz model, with a working battery (if you can find one).

[aurora72]

I've just downloaded and installed Mactracker.app. It's helpful, and gives extra insight among various models.

Oh my yes I have also forgotten the Firewire and that it was a satisfactory alternative to USB. I think I might find decent priced Firewire drives for sale in my country.

The 1GHz version of Titanium PowerBooks really looks quite satisfactory among the OS 9 capable notebooks.

Thank you for the tip on the hinges; it'll be helpful if I can ever find a decent PowerBook.

[aurora72]

I think I've found one here PowerBook Titanium 1GHz for $170

It seems to have survived the years quite successfully.

You might notice that some of the keys are labelled to fit the Turkish keyboard layout, a practice commonly applied to American keyboards.