InformIT: Mac OS X Unleashed > Installing Mac OS X

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Installing Mac OS X

Installing Mac OS X is much like installing 9.x. The process has changed slightly with the new version because it takes place under Apple's Mac OS X Installer program, booted from a "lite" version of Mac OS X on the Install CD. The entire process will take roughly 20 minutes on a G4 system, or 30–45 minutes on a slower G3.

If you're running Mac OS 9.x and have inserted the Mac OS X 10.0 CD, double-click the Install Mac OS X icon. Your computer will display a welcome message and then restart after a few moments and begin to boot from the CD. If you are starting the installation from a power-off state, make sure that the CD is in your drive, and then start the computer while holding down the C key.

While the installer boots, you'll see a Mac OS X loading screen. It is normal for this screen to stay visible for a few minutes. The installation procedure begins immediately after the operating system is loaded.

Note

During the installation, there are a few non-install actions you can choose from the Installer menu at the top of the screen:

Reset Password is useful if you are locked out of your computer. This will be discussed in Chapter 29.

The Open Disk Utility selection will open the Mac OS X native version of the Drive Setup utility that you used to partition your drives. In addition, this application contains the combined functionality of Disk First Aid, making it easy to repair your disks when booted from the Installer CD. Learn more about using this tool in Chapter 6, "Native Utilities and Applications."

Choosing a Language

Mac OS X includes built-in support for many languages including English, Japanese, French, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, and German.

Previous versions of the operating system required localized system and application software. In OS X, a single application can contain all the resources necessary to choose the appropriate display language for the person using the software.

The language selection screen is the first option that will appear during the installation process, as shown in Figure 2.12.

Figure 2.12 Choose the language you want to use on your computer.

Click the radio button in front of the language you'd like to use. Be aware that this sets the language for the entire operating system, not just the installer! If you choose Japanese, you'll boot into an operating system that is fully localized for Japan! (If that's what you intend, by all means, proceed!)

Click Continue to move on.

Welcome, Read Me, License

The installer will now take you through a sequence of three screens: the introductory Welcome message, a Read Me file that contains information about the version of Mac OS X you are installing, and finally, a License Agreement similar to the one within Mac OS 9.x. The license agreement is shown in Figure 2.13. If you'd like to view the license in another language, simply choose from the pop-up menu at the top of the agreement.

Figure 2.13 Click Agree to proceed with the installation.

You can use the Continue and Go Back buttons at the bottom of the installer window to navigate forward and backward between the screens. After clicking Continue on the license page, a license agreement dialog will be shown. You must click Agree to continue the installation.

Tip

Your first reaction might be to skim through the Read Me file, or ignore it altogether. I highly recommend that you take the time to read this information; it might contain errata not printed in the installation guide that came with your computer. One of the more common frustrations with installing Mac OS X on older computers (the 8GB partition limit) is documented in the Read Me screen of the installer. It wasn't until Apple posted an additional TIL article on its Web site that people realized what the problem was.

Select a Destination

The installation is about to begin: There are only two more steps before you can take a breather and let the installer do its thing. You must now choose the drive that will receive the OS X installation. Click on the icon of the drive that corresponds to the volume you've prepared for Mac OS X, as shown in Figure 2.14.

Figure 2.14 Choose the drive that will contain Mac OS X.

A gray circle and arrow will form over the selected drive. Figure 2.14 shows a system with a single dual-partition drive, and the Mac OS X destination volume selected.

If you'd like to erase the volume as part of the installation process, you can click the Erase Destination and Format as check box and choose a type of partition (Mac OS Extended [HFS+], or UNIX File System [UFS]) from the pop-up menu.

Caution

If you're a traditional Mac user and have installed Mac OS before, the Erase Destination option appears in roughly the same spot as Mac OS 8/9's Perform Clean Installation. It should be noted that this is entirely different from the older OS's clean install.

In Mac OS 8/9, a clean install will disable your current system folder and install a new folder. All existing applications will be untouched. On Mac OS X, the Erase Destination selection will completely remove any information that is stored on the volume. All existing data will be lost.

When you're satisfied that you've chosen the correct volume, click Continue to move on to the final step.

Installation Type

The final step of the installation process is choosing the type of the install. For most users, the recommended option is to click the Install button. This will copy all the standard Mac OS X components to your computer. If this is the first time you've used Mac OS X, this is the best course of action to take. If, however, you're feeling adventurous, click the Customize button to display the individual components that can be added/removed from the system. Figure 2.15 shows the custom installation options.

Figure 2.15 If you want to, you can customize your installation options.

There are four components to the basic Mac OS X 10.0 installation:

Base System— The Base operating system contains everything that is needed to boot, such as the Mach kernel and system libraries. The component cannot be deselected.
Essential System Software— This package contains the standard assortment of Mac OS X applications and utilities. Like the Base System, the Essential System Software option cannot be removed.
BSD Subsystem— The command-line BSD environment tools are contained in the BSD Subsystem. This will be necessary to access many of the advanced features of the operating system, so I suggest that you include this option.
Additional Print Drivers— The Additional Print Drivers package includes drivers for many Canon, Epson, and HP printers. If you do not plan to print from your computer or are using a LaserWriter/LaserWriter-compatible printer, there is no need for this optional component.
Additional Languages— By default, all available language packs are installed. Pick and choose what you need on your computer.

To add or remove a component, click the check box in front of the item. Checked items are installed, unchecked items are not.

Finally, click the Install button to start the installation. The process of copying and installing files will take around 15–30 minutes, depending on the speed of your machine. After the installation is complete, your system will reboot and start Mac OS X for the first time.

The Mac OS X Setup Assistant | Next Section

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