Migration Assistant not recognizing other Mac via FireWire

Question

I am trying to transfer files from my G4 Mirror Doors Power Mac to my new Intel iMac via the instructions that come up on the new iMac. I am running the latest version of 10.4 on the G4.
I have the two machines connected via FireWire. I restarted the G4 holding the "T" key down and sure enough, the floating "FireWire" icon comes up but shortly after that, the new iMac says, "There are no versions of OS X on the older machine" which is obviously not true.
I tried the Ethernet route and loaded the Install Disk from the iMac into the G4 as instructed but that disk did not recognize either of my 2 internal drives as valid for installation.
Any suggestions?

Answer 1

FWIW, I have had no problems using Migration Assistant or understanding its prompts, at least when using the version included in the recent Migration and DVD and CD Sharing Update. In this version or later, every option has both a title & descriptive info below it & there are no places I can see in which everything is called a document. You may want to check your MA version number & make sure it is version 1.2.3 or later, as described in About the Migration and DVD/CD Sharing Update. This may help avoid any confusion you have had.
However, keep in mind that MA is designed to migrate files from one backup or startup disk at a time. It will transfer items from one home folder on a connected drive to the corresponding one on the new drive but these items must be enclosed in a home folder (in /Users/) on that drive. If you have elected to store these items on a non-startup drive lacking that hierarchy, you must import them using some other method & decide where to put them on the new drive. MA cannot make that decision for you.
Moreover, if you tell MA to import only your "Documents" folder, it will not import such items as your Movies, Music, Pictures, or other home folders, so for example your ~/Pictures/iPhoto Library file will not be imported, nor will be your ~/Music/iTunes folder (which contains your iTunes database files, even if the iTunes Music folder containing all your music files is stored elsewhere).
Without knowing exactly how you have 'piecemealed' other files & folders into your new drive, I do not know what to tell you to do to best complete the migration process. If you can supply more info about that, & about where exactly the original files & folders are stored on the older Mac, perhaps I or someone else can give you more useful info about doing that.