Hi there, I really hope you guys can help me with this, I am totally new to
machintosh computers.
The machine is a powerpc G3 350mhz iMac "Blue and White", the hard disk is
from a pentium pc and doesnt have macOS installed.
When I turn on the pc, I get the grey screen with the mac-logo icon flashing
and nothing happens.
I need the system to boot from a CD, so I can install the operating system
wich is not macOS but rather
some powerpc compatible unix-based system. I also have a bootable floppy
disk, but the external floppy drive doesnt seem to be responding (the led
never lights up).
Is there something like the pc's BIOS where I can tell the system to boot
from that cd?
I have tried holding down C during boot but it doesnt seem to change
anything. On the other hand, if I hold down the alt key while booting, I get
to some screen where I can use the mouse, and there are two arrow buttons
but it doesn't seem to go anywhere from there.
Thanks for ANY help

"Zink" <BillG@tes.biz> wrote in message news:<_QcBb.16743$5o6.14284@tornado.fastwebnet.it> ...
> Hi there, I really hope you guys can help me with this, I am totally new to
> machintosh computers.
> The machine is a powerpc G3 350mhz iMac "Blue and White", the hard disk is
> from a pentium pc and doesnt have macOS installed.
Does it have a big blue G3 on the side? This is a "Blue and White"
G3. The iMac is a different machine.

> When I turn on the pc, I get the grey screen with the mac-logo icon flashing
> and nothing happens.

The Mac cannot find a copy of MacOS. A flashing question mark
indicates the the Mac could not find an OS.

> I need the system to boot from a CD, so I can install the operating system
> wich is not macOS but rather
> some powerpc compatible unix-based system. I also have a bootable floppy
> disk, but the external floppy drive doesnt seem to be responding (the led
> never lights up).
> Is there something like the pc's BIOS where I can tell the system to boot
> from that cd?

Lookup open firmware.

> I have tried holding down C during boot but it doesnt seem to change
> anything.

This is the usual method of booting from the cd-rom drive.

Perhaps the cd is not bootable.

( Actually, the Mac searches for a bootable system image first on the
harddrive then on the cd-rom drive. )

> On the other hand, if I hold down the alt key while booting, I get
> to some screen where I can use the mouse, and there are two arrow buttons
> but it doesn't seem to go anywhere from there.
> Thanks for ANY help

Check if you cd is bootable.

Maybe the cd-rom drive is bad. Swap it.

If you buy a MacOS cd, make sure it is will boot on your system. See:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43123

Robert

If you have access to the net you should look up "Firmware/Mac" for more
answers. But I know that when you boot up and hold the Command(apple) +
option + O + F you Open Firmware. This is where you can open simple commands
like "eject cd" etc.

I think you may have a very hard time formatting the drive in your iMac
unless you can hook two up in there at once. You won't be able to boot up
with a drive that has no Mac system installed on it. As for the cd, make
sure it's the one that came with your iMac originally. Mac has started
making its system disks work only on the computers they were made for.

If you have a firewire hard drive that's loaded with a Mac Op System then
you can boot up with that. You can boot up using it as the start up drive by
first having them connected and the computer off. Keep the drive on. When
you start up the computer, press the "T" key till you see the fire wire
icon, and you should boot up with the external drive. Then you can go about
reformatting the hard drive.


Kind Regards,
Nathaniel
--
flikWORLD Design
reply to: nat at flikworld(dot)com


in article _QcBb.16743$5o6.14284@tornado.fastwebnet.it, Zink at
BillG@tes.biz wrote on 12/8/03 9:12 PM:

> Hi there, I really hope you guys can help me with this, I am totally new to
> machintosh computers.
> The machine is a powerpc G3 350mhz iMac "Blue and White", the hard disk is
> from a pentium pc and doesnt have macOS installed.
> When I turn on the pc, I get the grey screen with the mac-logo icon flashing
> and nothing happens.
> I need the system to boot from a CD, so I can install the operating system
> wich is not macOS but rather
> some powerpc compatible unix-based system. I also have a bootable floppy
> disk, but the external floppy drive doesnt seem to be responding (the led
> never lights up).
> Is there something like the pc's BIOS where I can tell the system to boot
> from that cd?
> I have tried holding down C during boot but it doesnt seem to change
> anything. On the other hand, if I hold down the alt key while booting, I get
> to some screen where I can use the mouse, and there are two arrow buttons
> but it doesn't seem to go anywhere from there.
> Thanks for ANY help
>
>