Installing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Server on a Mid 2007 iMac 7,1
(with working Airport)

The reason for this tutorial is because when I installed Mac OS X Tiger Server Universal directly on a Mid-2007 iMac with a clean install, the Airport card would not activate. The icon was blanked out in the menu bar and I could not even configure it as a new port in Network Configuration. It works fine in client Tiger, so here's my work-around.

TL;DR: You install Tiger client version from the restore discs that came with your iMac to get the drivers installed properly, then you manually install Server from packages on the Mac OS X Server 10.4.7 Universal Disc to upgrade the installation to Server, then update Server to 10.4.11.

Requirements:

The grey restore disc that came with your 2007 iMac

Download directly from archive.org: MacOSX10.4.10-iMac-2Z691-6104-A_2Z691-6113-A

Mac OS X Tiger Server 10.4.7 Universal

You will need to provide your own serial number! Mac OS X Server will not go past the setup without a valid serial number.

Download directly from Macintosh Garden: www ftp mirror MD5

Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Combo Update (Universal)

Download directly from Apple: Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Combo Update (Universal)

Disk Utility on a Mac running Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later

Not required if you have discs.

If you are installing from a USB, format the installer USB as Apple Partition Map. Formatting the installer USB as GUID will make the iMac kernel panic.
If you are installing to a USB, the USB you want Mac OS X Server installed on must be formatted as GUID.

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Step 1:

Install Mac OS X Tiger 10.4.10 from the grey restore disc that came with your 2007 iMac.

If you don't have your original disc, you can download an image from archive.org linked above and burn it to a disc or USB formatted as Apple Partition Map.

Step 2:

Insert your Mac OS X Server 10.4.7 Universal Install Disc.

The original 10.4 PowerPC version from 2005 will not work on an Intel machine.

If your install DVD is damaged, but you have a valid serial number, you can download an image from Macintosh Garden linked above.

Step 3:

Mount the Mac OS X Tiger Server 10.4.7 Universal Install Disc in Finder. Navigate to System > Installation > Packages.

You may have to stretch the Finder window size to see the System folder. It's below the normally visible icons.

Step 4:

Again, do not install these packages unless you have a valid serial number for Mac OS X 10.4 Server or you will have to reinstall a client version of Mac OS X again.

Install these packages:

ApplicationsServer.pkg
PPCSupportExtensions.pkg
QuickTimeStreamingServer.pkg
ServerAdministrationSoftware.mpkg
ServerAdminTools.pkg
ServerEssentials.pkg
ServerSetup.pkg

If you use About My Mac, you should see you are running Mac OS X Server 10.4.7 now, even if you were just on 10.4.10 before you installed the packages.

Step 5:

Restart your iMac!

Step 6:

Install Mac OS X Server 10.4.11 Combo Update (Universal)
THEN RESTART IMMEDIATELY.

Mac OS X doesn't like being in this in-between state where it's on 10.4.7 Server on an iMac that originally shipped with 10.4.10, so don't do anything before updating and restarting again. System apps will be unstable.

Step 7:

Update your software using Apple Software Update.

About This Mac will say "Mac OS X Server Version 10.4.11" and your Airport should also work now. You should be able to update over Wifi.

Post Date: July 4, 2020

Installing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Server on a Mid 2007 iMac 7,1(with working Airport)