when I tried to install Boing Bag 1, I got an 'unspecified function in line 5' error
You replaced the original "Installer" program with something else. Copy the original back to SYS:Utilities and delete it from SYS:C if it's there.
The original Installer can be found in OS-Version3.9/C or in Emergency-Boot/Utilities on the OS 3.9 CD.
Bye,
Thomas