How to get a system on a USB drive

[grimjaws]

I read on this website http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20060301112336384 that you can boot powerpc via USB 2.0 drive.But i dont know how to install a OSX system in a USb.Any ideas??

Im using an ibook G4

 

[AdrianK]

Irrelevant, read rest of thread


Boot off your OS X install disk
Go to disk utility and format the USB stick as 'Mac OS Extended' (I think non-journalled is the way to go for flash memory...?). This will delete everything off the drive, so make sure it's empty or contains nothing important before proceeding.
Set the destination drive as your USB stick and start the install

 

[simsaladimbamba]

• Boot off your OS X install disk
• Go to disk utility and format the USB stick as 'Mac OS Extended' (I think non-journalled is the way to go for flash memory...?). This will delete everything off the drive, so make sure it's empty or contains nothing important before proceeding.
• Set the destination drive as your USB stick and start the install

But will it work with a PPC Mac? I only knew one could clone an existing Mac OS X onto a USB device and then boot from that, or one could use the method the OP linked to.

 

[AdrianK]

But will it work with a PPC Mac? I only knew one could clone an existing Mac OS X onto a USB device and then boot from that, or one could use the method the OP linked to.

But why the need to clone, is it not possible to get past the set-up phase when booting from USB? Because otherwise I see no difference.

My instructions were just for getting OS X installed on the USB stick, before following the rest of the guide. I haven't installed OS X to a USB drive on a PPC, but I see no reason why the drive wouldn't show up under disk utility and the installer.

 

[TechnoDestructo]

that you can boot powerpc via USB 2.0 drive.

ONLY 2005+ G5 models and last generation Powerbook models can boot from USB. I installed 10.5 on my DC2.3 G5 (FAR faster than booting from a DVD) but it failed every time on my 1.6 G5.

You must clone the DVD to the USB drive. Copy will not work.

 

[AdrianK]

ONLY 2005+ G5 models and last generation Powerbook models can boot from USB. I installed 10.5 on my DC2.3 G5 (FAR faster than booting from a DVD) but it failed every time on my 1.6 G5.

There are a couple of people in the comments who stated that it worked fine in an iBook G4. Also the author states that it worked on a PowerBook which was either rev B or C (E being the last).

You must clone the DVD to the USB drive. Copy will not work.

Ugh, the step on the guide is extremely ambiguous:

You need a USB2 drive with an OS X system installed

Sorry for any confusion

To the OP, if you want to write the OS X installed to the USB stick:

• Open Disk Utility
• Format the USB stick as 'Mac OS Extended' (I think non-journalled is the way to go for flash memory...?). Go to 'Options' and make sure the This will delete everything off the drive, so make sure it's empty or contains nothing important before proceeding.
• Insert your OS X install DVD
• Click on the USB stick, then the 'Restore' tab.
• Drag the mounted OS X install disk in to the 'Source' field
• Drag the USB stick in to the 'Destination' field
• Then start the process

 

[chrismacguy]

There are a couple of people in the comments who stated that it worked fine in an iBook G4.

I'll add that its worked for me on several PowerBook G4 revisions (15" Alu D and E, so not just the last revision)