Mac OS X on iPod

messiahmessiah
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I used to have Mac OS X installed on my iPod, and I could walk up to any G4 and boot into my OS, fonts, apps etc. Neat little "toolbox" for graphic designers amongst others.



I tried to install OS X 10.2 recently and the installer wouldn't recognise the iPod as a viable target. Have Apple disabled this "feature" for some reason?



Is it going to be a big selling point of the new iPods that have been rumored?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    There is a way of doing this. [Note: this should have been posted in the Genius Bar] I forget exactly how Macworld recommended it be done, but I have one IDEA that *might* work. Change the iPod into Firewire HDD mode, and copy the System, Library, and ~ folders into the iPod. This is the only thing that I can think of. Maybe you can find the Mac911 article on the Macworld site.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    Oh yes, and remember the Applications folder.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    cowerdcowerd Posts: 579member
    carbon copy cloner



    http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
  • Reply 4 of 10
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Placebo

    Change the iPod into Firewire HDD mode, and copy the System, Library, and ~ folders into the iPod. This is the only thing that I can think of.



    That might work, but you'd also need so copy the invisible folders at / and run Disk Utility to fix the permissions on the iPod.
  • Reply 5 of 10
    kennethkenneth Posts: 832member
    Are you using the iPod 1.2.6 software? After I upgraded to 1.2.6, I am no longer boot the OS off my iPod. I guess the 1.2.6 update breaks this feature. I read about this on Apple Discussion too.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    Yes I'm using 1.2.6 - I wonder if it deliberately breaks the ability to boot from the iPod, or if it's just a another bug.



    If it's deliberate, is there any way to get 1.2.6? Can you simply format the iPods drive using Disk Utility and then install an older version of the iPod software?



    I'll need to give it a try, of course, the trick will be getting hold of a older version of the iPod software!



    \
  • Reply 7 of 10
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Messiah

    Yes I'm using 1.2.6 - I wonder if it deliberately breaks the ability to boot from the iPod, or if it's just a another bug.



    I think it's deliberate since Apple don't recommend installing Mac OS X on iPods - something about the hard drive itself IIRC.
  • Reply 8 of 10
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    heh, i guess i will sound stupid but since when can you install OS X onto a firewire drive?



    what version this the add this feature back in, i was under the impression you still couldn't
  • Reply 9 of 10
    jlljll Posts: 2,713member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    heh, i guess i will sound stupid but since when can you install OS X onto a firewire drive?



    I don't remember, but we use a customized system setup on a FW drive to clone new machines.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    messiahmessiah Posts: 1,689member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ast3r3x

    heh, i guess i will sound stupid but since when can you install OS X onto a firewire drive?



    what version this the add this feature back in, i was under the impression you still couldn't



    I think I used to run 10.1.x on my iPod. I can't remember if I ran 10.2, because I had an iBook by that point. So it might be a 10.2 thing.



    I've formatted my iPod, and installed the 1.2.2 software and the installer (which is for a G4 MDD) still doesn't recognise the iPod as a viable target - so now I'm thinking it's the installer. I'll need to look out my retail copy of 10.2, and see if that works.
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