[G4] firmware: update needed?

[Eric Smith]

Karen H wrote:
>> SYSTEM RESTORE discs need a particular  
>> machine. Most install OS discs are generic (There are exceptions )
>> However I don't think you can do the firewire target disc clone  
>> routine from an intel to a PPC. Not a good Idea.
>>   But you could use the Intel machines OS install disc.( a single  
>> disc)  Not  the system restore discs. They are two different items.
> 
> Hi James -- thanks for the reply. 
> 
> There's an intel imac at my place, running 10.4 (with the disks that shipped with it). There are two disks, labelled "install disk 1" and "install disk 2." I'm assured these are the only disks it came with. (so no restore disks).
> 
> I just tried using these disks (even though there are 2 of them, not 1) to install on my G4 GigE computer (which is running 10.3.9). I inserted disk 1 into my g4, restarted holding the "C" key, and got the grey screen w/ a bunch of things about kernels and debuggers that I don't understand, and the start button icon in the middle.
> 
> (1) was I supposed to do this via the target disk method, not directly on the G4 for it to work?, or
> (2) am is my situation one of the "exception" zones?, or
> (3) something else entirely?
> 
> I thought I'd try to upgrad to Tiger first, since it's been stated to run faster than Panther.
> 
> Thanks kindly!
> 
> -Karen

Karen,

I don't think that Tiger installation disks are universal.
That's probably why the 10.4 Intel disk won't work on the
PPC machine. (There never were any retail Tiger disks that
supported Intel machines, so Apple probably never felt a
need to create a universal install before Leopard.)

Eric