Second OS choice

just install OS X!

can i ask... why is it you only want to install only a linux-y OS? i guess you just want a quick boot time, since you'll only be using it for some bzippin'.

what does that command do by the way? restore a backup to your boot volume?

 

I would install Mac OS X Server, you can play with all of the server tools and everything and if you ever want to change your Mac into a server you can do it quickly.

 

Well if you want you can buy 10.3 server which has a lot of the same features as 10.4 for next to nothing.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Software-Mac-OS...ryZ80258QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

ah, i didn't see the dd in there. i posted late at night.

and fair enough, i can understand the geek thing.

you could just boot into Single User Mode in your alternate OS X install. also if you have a 2nd OS X install - you can trouble shoot OS X if you do things like tweak with the system.

 

single user mode logs you in as root.

As for booting up without all that fancy stuff in OS X, a google search would have been useful:
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20030716220410216

i tried looking for that >console thing you use to login, but there's ways to not even look at the loginwindow and just boot directly to the console.

 

what's wrong with logging in as root? if all you want to do is 'dd' your other drive and bzip it...

i was just saying that Single User would save time, not having to fully load the OS X GUI etc. and it's always handy to have a 2nd OS X install.

 

Of course the other obvious thing to do is to use Carbon Copy Cloner to make a complete back up. That way you don't have to boot into single user mode, or even use the command line at all.

 

Secondary OS For backing up

Question for you...
Have you thought about using Disk Utility and the restore option? I use it all the time. Saved my hinney this week when my primary drive failed. And if you have a Sawtooth or later System you can boot from an external Firewire drive.

Step 1
Do all updates to system, antivirus, programs
Step 2
Make a partition on the drive large enough to hold everything plus 25%
Step 3
Run "Repair Disk Permissions"
Step 4
Run "Restore"
Step 5
Run "Repair Disk Permissions" on new drive
Step 6
Run "Repair Disk"
Step 7
Boot from Firewire Drive to make sure it works

Simple, Elegant

You could also create a DMG file and burn it off to a DVD.

Hope this helps
David