I thought with this iMac G5, the least I could do is make a quick video of how to do it.
I’ve done the hard work of converting the eMac 9.2 install CD to read-writeable, updating the system folder, then converting that back to a read-only image so the MacOS install can happen.
I’ve uploaded the file over on archive.org: ro-macos9updated.dmg.
The steps are somewhat simple basically download & mount the disk image.
Open up the prefrences, go into classic and select the
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-1.png)
Then hit start to boot the image.
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-2.png)
Then go and run the installer
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-3.png)
Uncheck everything from the options
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-4.png)
Customize the install and ONLY select Mac OS 9.2.2 & Internet Access.
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-5.png)
The install took less than a minute on my G5
Go back to preferences, and stop Classic
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-6.png)
Unmount the disk image, and open classic again & select the System Folder on the Hard Disk.
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-7.png)
Start up Classic from the hard disk, and OS X will want to update the System folder
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-8.png)
MacOS will want to run the setup wizard but since the ‘Bluebox’ isn’t a real Mac, I just cancel it
![](https://virtuallyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/classic-install-9.png)
And then you are good to go!
The restore discs for these post-OS9 bootable machines came with a “Classic Installer” CD that did all this for you.
Too bad that many seem to be missing. People either part them out separately or threw them out. I know I had them back in the 10.0/10.1 days but in my attempt to get retail sets of everything before leopard none were there. And I didn’t want to spend more than £10 including shipping. I only have 10.3/10.4/10.5 & 10.6
So I feel vindicated by recreating some media to install 9 on X.
But I remember the bundled 9, as I was there. Just as OS X 1.0 had the special 8.6