Doug,
You don't say what Mac you are using, Ram, disk space etc, nor from which version of Leopard you are starting.
You could glean some clues from Console logs (if you are patient). Applications > Utilities > Console. Check the Diagnostic and CrashReporter logs, noting quoted dates and times so you can follow events.
The Onyx I used for a quick check on Daily, Weekly and Monthly scripts was 2.0.3. it told me my password was wrong, but opened anyway, and did the biz (## limited to the above scripts ##) fine. 2.0.5 doesn't work on SL.
Onyx for Snow Leopard will be version 2.1.x. They need to check the SL installer disc before releasing it, which with a fair wind should be soon. Cocktail likewise. (31st Aug @ 12.00 noon.)
Older PPc software requires Rosetta (see above), but some of the other problems you have had (may, might) be down to due diligence (housework) issues before installation; I assume your Mac is reasonably provided with Ram, drive space etc.
If Rosetta wasn't installed first time round, you can simply install it on its own from the SL DVD > options.
In System update matters "quick 'n dirty" short cuts and "can't be bothered, should be fine..." all come back to nip your ankles, sometimes fiercely, before long -- and the cure may take a VERY long time. Let's hope it doesn't...
These are just suggestions (light to ultra-heavy):
Light
Use the new Disk Utility to check your Data structures, and repair permissions, restart.
Heavy
If you made a bootable CLONE of your 10.5.8 drive or partition (always a wise thing for major System upgrades)
1. backup any new data
2. wipe the Snow Leopard drive or partition
3. RE-CLONE 10.5. back to it (try donationware CarbonCopyCloner which explains what is going on and is very flexible)
4. do the housekeeping thoroughly with Disk Utility and the appropriate version of Onyx,
pay special attention to daily weekly and monthly scripts, also to cleaning caches
5. restart
6. Install Snow Leopard with Rosetta
If you use TIME MACHiNE:
1. wipe the Snow Leopard drive or partition
2. do a full Time Machine restore with fresh 10.5 install
3. do your due diligence housekeeping (use Onyx as above)
4. use the combo updater to 10.5.8 (useful precaution)
5. preferably do a second bootable CLONE to an erased partition since this is now your Gold Standard Leopard installation.
6. Install Snow Leopard from DVD -- with Rosetta
Ultra-Heavy !!
1. Collect all your installers "known good" and installer CDs, backups etc.
2. wipe the SL drive or partition.
3. Install fresh 10.5.0
4. using the COMBO updater update 10.5.0 to 10.5.8 (useful precaution)
5. Install 10.6 Snow Leopard from DVD with any options including Rosetta
6. restore other software with new installs
7. restore your own data backups.
8. use Disk Utility to check out your efforts.
Starting with your "freshly cleansed and fragrant" Leopard 10.5.8, install Snow Leopard from your DVD, and make sure you use such optional installs as seem sensible, including Rosetta.
Out on the far side you too can reach Mac-heaven. It's worth it, and a Magnum ice cream (or even two) as well.
Good luck, and enjoy!
Euan
I have just installed Snow Leopard, and it wasn't exactly hiccup-free, although everything seems OK now. The usual culprits as mentioned above (Growl, Onyx) won't work (yet - I await updates) are the same as everyone else's experiences, but the glitch I had actually flummoxed a level 2 Apple engineer for about half an hour!
When I ran the installer from the disk, at the point where it asks which disk you want to install it on, NOTHING showed up. No disks. At all. Hmm.
After all the usual checks to make sure I wasn't having a bad brain day, I rang Apple. The original tech guy rapidly went running to his supervisor when I explained my RAID setup.
It took them a while, and an uploading of the output of my system profile, but eventually a nice guy called Gustav found a work around.
SO - IF YOU ARE RUNNING A STRIPED RAID SET, instead of a normal hard disk, you will need to boot up from the DVD installer disk itself. (Insert disk, then wait till it turns up on your desktop, then restart your computer while holding down the 'C' key). All works fine on the normal upgrade install thereafter.
But the Installer can't see the RAID set, for reasons that we couldn't fathom. So this is a workaround, rather than a fix, but everything seems to work very well now.
Thanks, Tony.
Some would-be upgraders have reported the "Yellow Triangle" problem when Snow Leopard reports that it can't install the upgrade on the partition.
A discussion, with fixes, is here:
> http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20090901115158237 <
Some have had installation problems involving Time Machine-related issues,
Discussion, with fixes at:
> http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2986 <
Euan, I have a MacPro 15.4" laptop which is 2 months old 350 Gb HD and 2 Gb of ram. I started from 10.5.8 and had no trouble loading Snow Leopard. Was just Office and OnyX that wouldn't work, so I am using Open Office if I need to and Main Menu for those things that need it
Mine has just arrived in the post today and I will be upgrading tonight ...thanks for all the posts I'll no doubt be reading them later as I use office for mac 2004 !
Tom
I believe you'll need to install Rosetta for Office 2004 (or of course X)
Thomas - if your screen goes dark half way through - don't panic! For some reason the installer turns down the brightness (on some machines?) but you can turn it up again when the install finishes.
Some SL upgraders have seen a "missing disc" problem:
(from > http://www.macworld.co.uk/mac/news/index.cfm?newsid=27097 < comments):
QUOTE
sip said on Fri, 04 Sep 2009
@Mark -- maybe you should re-visit that page:
forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=774367
BECAUSE, two days before your post, the last post on Sep 2, 2009, 04:35 PM says this:
A fix that worked for me, Snow Leopard Install, Disk not found
Originally Posted by vmardian
Try resetting your PRAM:
1. Turn off your computer.
2. Unplug your computer for 30 seconds.
3. Plug back in.
4. Turn on your computer while pressing the following 4 keys: Command-Option-P-R.
5. Keep holding until you here three chimes.
6. Allow to boot.
7. Reboot while holding key "c" while the DVD is in your drive.
Read it elsewhere and worked for me.
Thanks so much for this hint, this worked first time for me!!
UQUOTE
Hope this doesn't upset anyone but to avoid this thread getting confusing dealing with different issues and replies coming to a message posted three or four further up the list, I suggest we leave this thread to deal with installation issues as highlighted by Euan and so I'm starting new threads for information regarding Office & Onyx.
Mac OS X is "just" (sorry Apple - not meant to dismiss it that glibly!) a nice, pretty front end to a system called Unix. This was designed to run computers like main frames and more importantly to run 24hrs per day, every day. It has some built in housekeeping routines which will run automatically in the early hours of the morning if your machine is switched on and awake. Onyx and other little utiliies like Mac Janitor, Cocktail etc. are designed to let you run these housekeeping tasks manually. They also provide other little niceties too. They are in turn a nice, pretty front end for us mere mortals - they actually run the built in routines that the more technical among us would use the command line and Terminal for.
I believe - feel free to disagree anyone - that as OS X has progressed, each version has needed this housekeeping less and less, so much so that on my current Leopard system (which is still working just fine) I can't remember the last time I used one.