Steps to Upgrade to Leopard from 10.39 ~please~

Question

Hello all, thanks in anticipation that someone will help me upgrade or know what are the cheapest steps to take to do so and enable me to use the "MacFamily Tree 5" please. I wanted to buy a version of it for my OS X 10.3.9 but cannot find it at the Apple site now. I would like to upgrade this computer to the latest version and to have 'Windows' would be cool. How do I check if I have enough space in the Hard Drive for upgrades though? I only use my puter for online stuff mainly. Thank you for any help you can offer me

Answer 1

freedone,
Your Non-Intel PPC iMac can only be upgraded to Tiger 10.4.x, as it does not meet the Leopard System Requirements.
-Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster processor) Yours is 600MHZ, which cannot be upgraded.
-512MB of memory You have 256MB, which you can add to, and should, if you install Tiger 10.4.x.
-DVD drive for installation The 600MHZ iMac, shipped with a DC-RW drive, so unless you have replaced it, with a DVD drive, you do not have one. There are alternate methods of installing Tiger 10.4.x, without one though. More info posted below.
-9GB of available disk space You currently do not have sufficient available free space. More info posted below.
With some upgrading of the iMac's Hardware, to meet the Tiger System Requirements, you can upgrade to that version. More info posted below.
"...19.07 GB 837.7 MB free."
You are dangerously low on available Hard Drive free space!
Backup the system ASAP, and then create additional drive space!
Insufficient available space, can cause performance issues, system corruption, and possible loss of data.
Depending on Mac system usage habits, it is a general recommendation, to keep 10% to as much as 20%, of the Total capacity, available at all times.
Review the suggestions, in the documents that I have linked to below.
Authored by Dr Smoke:
Problems From Insufficient RAM And Free Hard Disk Space
Freeing Space On Your Mac OS X Startup Disk
Mac OS X 10.3/10.4: System Maintenance, authored by Gulliver
Maintaining Mac OS X, authored by Dr Smoke
Is the Mac shutdown overnight, or does it run 24/7?
Have you ever run any routine Maintenance procedures?
If you turn the PowerBook off nightly, the Background Maintenance Tasks, are never run.
These can also be run, using a Third-Party utility, or manually using Terminal, to run the CRON Commands.
I use MacJanitor, when necessary.
INSTRUCTIONS TO RUN CRON MANUAL COMMANDS
Quit all applications/programs.
Navigate to HD > Applications > Utilities.
Double click on Terminal, to open.
At the prompt, type:
sudo periodic daily
Press Return.
Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
This will execute the daily script that is sheduled to run every night.
When completed, repeat this procedure, but change the command to:
sudo periodic weekly
This one rebuilds a database or two, and usually takes somewhat longer to complete. It is scheduled to run once a week.
Repeat again, with command:
sudo periodic monthly
Or they can all be run in one pass, which is preferable, with this command:
sudo periodic daily weekly monthly
When the tasks complete, and return to the prompt, you may quit Terminal.
Restart the Mac, and run Repair Permissions.
TO REPAIR PERMISSIONS ON THE STARTUP DISK
1.Open Disk Utility, located in Applications/Utilities, and select the startup disk in the left column.
2.Click First Aid.
3.Click Verify Disk Permissions to test permissions or Repair Disk Permissions to test and repair permissions. (I never "Verify". Just run "Repair".)
Rerun RP, until the only messages reported, are listed here Spurious Permissions Errors Using: 10.3.x, authored by Michael Conniff.
When "Repair Permissions" is complete. Quit "Disk Utility".
Mac OS X Versions 10.1, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5, are complete system upgrades that must be purchased.
Once an OS has been installed, the point upgrades, such as 10.1.x to 10.1.5 (Final) 10.2.x to 10.2.8 (Final), 10.3.x to 10.3.9 (Final), 10.4.x to 10.4.11 (Pending), and 10.5.x to 10.5.1 (Pending), can be downloaded for free.
Tiger is available for purchase at The Apple Store (U.S.).
If you know what to look for, a Full Retail Version, of the Tiger Install DVD, can be purchased, sometimes less expensively, at some online Apple retailers, Amazon, eBay, FastMac, HardCore Mac, AllMac, etc.
Be sure not to purchase grey, upgrade or machine specific CDs or DVDs.
The disc should look exactly like the images in the above links, and not say Upgrade, CPU Drop-in DVD, or "This software is part of a hardware bundle purchase - not to be sold seperately." on it.
Additional info in these links.
Using OS X Install CDs/DVDs On Multiple Macs
What's A Computer Specific Mac OS X Release
Software Update, Upgrade: What's The Difference?
Caveat Emptor!
If any are presently available, examine these items very carefully, and if in doubt, ask questions of the seller before purchase!
Tiger On eBay
Once Tiger 10.4.x is installed, you can use the PPC 10.4.11 Combo Update, to upgrade to the current version.
Additionally, Tiger 10.4.x ships on a DVD, so if your Mac doesn’t have a built-in DVD-ROM player, you will have to use an alternative method of installation.
Info here Installing Tiger Using Firewire Target Disk Mode.
And here Installing Tiger Without A DVD Drive.
The Tiger Media Exchange Program, referred to, is no longer available.
Shop Carefully, Examine All Documentation, And I Wish You Success!
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