iBook G4 Stuck on blue screen

[Chakravartin]

Surfrider wrote:
When I try and start from an install disc, I get a "you need to re-start your computer" screen, overlaid over that is a whole bunch of code type messages....

Kernel panic.

Might be bad or mis-seated RAM.

Might be that you have the wrong installer disc. What color is the label on the DVD? ... Is there a brief code printed on the front of the DVD -- a part number -- and if so then what does it say?

Have you confirmed the minimum OS required for that G4?

...

As others have suggested, Target Mode should at least allow you to check the drive for directory damage with the Disk Utility ("Repair Disk") while the iBook is tethered via FireWire cable.

Unfortunately, this will not permit you to check the drive's self-reporting mechanism (SMART) to see whether it has had a mechanical failure, but checking it with the Disk Utility might still be useful.