Mac Installation Errors: One Solution Which Actually Works

I'm running 10.2.8, I think the installer was designed for 10.3 and later and there were some changes in the way some user details were stored. Try to enter the following into the Terminal:

sudo bash

This will then ask you for your password...the command "sudo" gives you SUperuser capabilities to DO some freaky stuff for just a few minutes allowing you to easily type, or copy and paste, these exact three lines into the Terminal:

echo 'echo $USER' > /usr/bin/logname
chmod a+x /usr/bin/logname
exit

And for me the Elements installer ran very nicely thereafter. Make sure you use SINGLE QUOTES exactly as typed above.

For the record, my error log read:

Adobe® Photoshop® Elements Installation Log
Target Selection
_volumeAppeared: Adding volume Macintosh HD
deactivate: removing all cells from _volumeMatrix
Selected volume "Boot Partition"
Mounted at: /
OpenFirmware: ide1/@0:9
Partition type: HFS+
Partition map: disk0s9
Partition: 9
Protocol: ATA
Media Type: Generic
Volume Size: 8578486272
/Volumes/Photoshop Elements 3.0/Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements/Adobe Photoshop Elements.pkg/Contents/Resources/preflight: logname: command not found
capturing ownership and permissions from /Applications so we can restore them later root has permissions: read write
admin has permissions: read write
Everyone has permissions: read only
setting install language
/usr/bin/sudo: no passwd entry for /Volumes/Photoshop Elements 3.0/Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements/Adobe Photoshop Elements.pkg/Contents/SetLanguage.app/Contents/MacOS/SetLang uage!
setLanguage failed
/usr/bin/sudo: Illegal option -e
usage: sudo -V | -h | -L | -l | -v | -k | -K | [-H] [-P] [-S] [-b] [-p prompt]
[-u username/#uid] -s | <command>
Nuking the receipts in //Library/Receipts/Adobe Photoshop Elements.pkg... Nuking the temporary language choice file
Nuking the temporary ami plist file
The preflight script in Adobe Photoshop Elements failed. Install Failed
Error detected
Name: NSGenericException
Reason: The preflight script in Adobe Photoshop Elements failed. (code 99)

Installation of Elements 3 stopped with message - Installation error, Try again. I’m running OS 10.2.8 on a G3 Powerbook, 266Mhz. (Wallstreet) (Yes, 6 years old and still going!), with 384 Mb RAM and 8 Gb. OSX partition on 40 Gb. Hard Drive.
The solution shown by Thadobe Endersadobe worked for me, with the following clarifications for other non-techies reluctant to use the Terminal Utility:
1. Open Terminal application, found in Utility folder within Applications folder.
2. After typing sudo bash, hit Return key. This is the standard “Enter”.
3. When asked for password, type it in and again hit Return/Enter.
4. I used copy and paste to enter the three line Unix lingo.
5. Again hit Return/Enter to apply text.
6. Quit Terminal and proceed to standard installation. Good luck. Before doing this I restarted from the OSX 2 installation disk and used the Disk Utility to repair permissions.

Thadobe Endersadobe - 09:50pm May 15, 2005 Pacific
I'm running 10.2.8, I think the installer was designed for 10.3 and later and there were some changes in the way some user details were stored. Try to enter the following into the Terminal:
sudo bash
This will then ask you for your password...the command "sudo" gives you SUperuser capabilities to DO some freaky stuff for just a few minutes allowing you to easily type, or copy and paste, these exact three lines into the Terminal:
echo 'echo $USER' > /usr/bin/logname
chmod a+x /usr/bin/logname
exit
And for me the Elements installer ran very nicely thereafter. Make sure you use SINGLE QUOTES exactly as typed above.