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Run OS X from a USB Drive

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Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#21

Post by krevis »

bane wrote: post #14
jacquesm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want to stay legal and use OS/X you'll have to forego that part. That's not how I would like to see things but that is how Apple wants you to use their software, and if you abide by their terms of service that is how you should use it. That you ought to be free from such restrictions is something that I agree with but if it were ok to run OS/X on 'foreign' (i.e. non apple) hardware then the apple clone factori…

Apple licensed OSX to clone makers in the past, but that was one of the first things Jobs put a stop to if I recall correctly. There's a strong thread in Apple's strategy to prevent computing from becoming a low margin commodity. This helps Apple with its image of high-end or well-crafted devices, increases profit etc. Which is a smart move if you don't own the entire market (but can differentiate yourself from your…

Apple never licensed OS X to clone makers. The clone era was very short (at most 1993-1997), and ended while the Classic MacOS was current. OS X didn't ship until 2001.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#22

Post by xentronium »

It's not that easy to launch a hackintosh. And to launch a snow leo hackintosh from a USB stick means to take your experience to a whole new level of pain.

I'm fairly certain you should not try this if you value your time and aren't going to use this with a mac. And if latter applies, you don't need that guide at all, effectively rendering whole article pointless.

YMMV.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#23

Post by Zev »

borism wrote: post #20
Zev wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

2) they're using CopyCatX, a drive duplicator, instead of the disk utility. Does this matter? It matters; Disk Utility doesn't create a bootable image.

it doesn't matter $ man bless

It matters because you need the extra step and the article didn't mention doing so. Not that there isn't a way around it.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#24

Post by cosmicray »

krevis wrote: post #21
bane wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple licensed OSX to clone makers in the past, but that was one of the first things Jobs put a stop to if I recall correctly. There's a strong thread in Apple's strategy to prevent computing from becoming a low margin commodity. This helps Apple with its image of high-end or well-crafted devices, increases profit etc. Which is a smart move if you don't own the entire market (but can differentiate yourself from your…

Apple never licensed OS X to clone makers. The clone era was very short (at most 1993-1997), and ended while the Classic MacOS was current. OS X didn't ship until 2001.

Apple licensed variants of OS 7 to the clone makers. When Steve returned, someone decided that the clone license agreements did not cover OS 8 ... so boom. New OS, but no new license. IIRC, Apple did buy one of the clone makers (possibly Power Computing).

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#25

Post by bane »

krevis wrote: post #21
bane wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple licensed OSX to clone makers in the past, but that was one of the first things Jobs put a stop to if I recall correctly. There's a strong thread in Apple's strategy to prevent computing from becoming a low margin commodity. This helps Apple with its image of high-end or well-crafted devices, increases profit etc. Which is a smart move if you don't own the entire market (but can differentiate yourself from your…

Apple never licensed OS X to clone makers. The clone era was very short (at most 1993-1997), and ended while the Classic MacOS was current. OS X didn't ship until 2001.

Oh yes...too right. Apologies. I meant MacOS and my brain immediately brought up OS X for some reason.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#26

Post by Groxx »

Zev wrote: post #23
borism wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it doesn't matter $ man bless

It matters because you need the extra step and the article didn't mention doing so. Not that there isn't a way around it.

Actually, it does:

>Hit Options and make sure you're using the Master Boot Record option. Then hit Apply to format the drive.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#27

Post by alextgordon »

jacquesm wrote: post #13
bane wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not the "build my own PC" part.

If you want to stay legal and use OS/X you'll have to forego that part. That's not how I would like to see things but that is how Apple wants you to use their software, and if you abide by their terms of service that is how you should use it. That you ought to be free from such restrictions is something that I agree with but if it were ok to run OS/X on 'foreign' (i.e. non apple) hardware then the apple clone factori…

If you want to stay legal and use OS/X you'll have to forego that part.

I'm not sure it's wise to let EULAs dictate what you do for fun.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#28

Post by GeneralMaximus »

hackermom wrote: post #9

This is for "hackintosh" setups, just to point out. Mach/OS X itself, on a real machine, actually treats all block devices identically - without hacking around, you can boot a Mac off of anything, be it a USB stick, a harddrive attached over USB or FireWire, even booting one Mac from another Mac's internal storage by directly linking the two via FireWire (so-called Target Mode).

I've successfully installed Snow Leopard from a USB drive. You can also install it to a USB/FireWire drive. If you're particularly adventurous, you can put the installer on a partition of an external USB/FireWire drive and, from there, install it to a partition of another USB/FireWire drive.

You will, of course, need a Mac to do all that. In some cases you might also need a working OS X install.

EDIT: I realize everything I mentioned above is possible with a Linux distro, but doing this is far easier on a Mac. You just go to System Preferences, select a boot volume and you're good to go.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#29

Post by evilduck »

hxa7241 wrote: post #16
bane wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple licensed OSX to clone makers in the past, but that was one of the first things Jobs put a stop to if I recall correctly. There's a strong thread in Apple's strategy to prevent computing from becoming a low margin commodity. This helps Apple with its image of high-end or well-crafted devices, increases profit etc. Which is a smart move if you don't own the entire market (but can differentiate yourself from your…

> As a user I think it sucks, but I have to respect that as a business strategy. No, I do not think respect is quite what it deserves. It does not flow from their capability, but from particular exploitation of given laws that allow market restriction. Respect them for making good products, not for avoiding competition. Respect them for persuading you to buy their products, not for preventing you from having more cho…

I've ran a hackintosh since 10.4 and I've never seen Apple do anything to actively prevent users from doing it or pursue anyone for a non-commercial EULA violation. They stop resellers like Psystar, and they've broken a few things which appeared to be ancillary to moving their own products forward (Atom CPUs), but they could be far more annoying about it every point release if they really felt like it. Early on, they also needlessly released a few fat binary hardware drivers for ethernet, sound, and wifi devices that have never been bundled in a real Intel Mac.

Apple certainly has the means to stop it, but I don't think they mind the fringe hackers running OSX. I've seen a few people converted by it, and I own a few real Macs plus the hackintosh as well, and I suspect most people who hackintosh are Apple customers of some degree. Getting stuffy about it could be pretty damaging to their perceived good will.

Re: Run OS X from a USB Drive

#30

Post by Zev »

Groxx wrote: post #26
Zev wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It matters because you need the extra step and the article didn't mention doing so. Not that there isn't a way around it.

Actually, it does: > Hit Options and make sure you're using the Master Boot Record option. Then hit Apply to format the drive.

That doesn't say anything about making a bootable partition. Just that it involves the MBR (rather than EFI, which Mac uses by default), somewhere.
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