Troubleshooting iLife '04: Problems installing on Mac OS X Server, workaround

There is an apparent glitch in the iLife '04 installation mechanism that prevents one or all of the iApps from installing under Mac OS X 10.3.x Server. Users attempting to install the iLife package on a Mac OS X Server system are greeted with the error message:

"iLife cannot be installed on this computer. This software does not work with Mac OS X Server"

That error statement is not quite correct, however, as several readers have noticed that you can install the iLife '04 apps on a machine running the standard version of Mac OS X 10.3.x, then copy the apps to a machine running Mac OS X Server with successful launching and running.

MacFixIt reader Michael Wise contacted Apple technical support, which offered the following workaround:

1. Insert the iLife '04 install DVD
2. Using either the Go menu or CLI, go to /Volumes/Install DVD/Packages and then run the package installer for the specific iLife component(s) you wish to install one at a time.

After performing this procedure, you will be able to launch and run the iApps under Mac OS X Server, though it is not yet clear whether any compatibility problems exist.

Feedback? Late-breakers@macfixit.com

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