[iBook] Upgrading G3 iBook without Firewire Port

[Larry Blodgett]

I am trying to update a iBook G3 to 10.4.  This is one of those G3  
iBooks that has a failed firewire port.  I do have two USB 1 ports  
and of course an ethernet connection.  The optical is CD only. So I  
can't simply pop in the 10.4 DVD.  Here is the procedure I have  
followed.

Made a clone of the entire harddisk using SilverKeeper to a USB  
external harddrive. (took forever but worked fine)

Connected the external harddrive to my G4 using Firewrire and updated  
the external drive.

After I did this everything looks fine and the upgrade looks fine on  
the G4. (boots and looks fine)

Now I need to copy the external partition back to the internal drive  
of the G3 iBook.

Can't boot off the 10.4 DVD on the G3 iBook.
Can't boot off the USB external drive on the G3 iBook.

Can boot off the 10.3 Install CD. (so I did that)

Ran the disk utility and I can erase the internal drive.

 From the CD 10.3 boot running disk utility I can see the external  
USB and internal drive.

Here is the big question................

If I select RESTORE and drag the external drive to restore from.
And I drag the internal drive to restore too.

Will I have an internal drive with 10.4 that is bootable????????

Surely someone has done this before.

Sorry the post was sooooo long.

Larry Blodgett (lblodgett at mac.com)