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Installing Panther

shecky

shecky

Guest
Original poster
May 24, 2003
2,580
5
Obviously you're not a golfer.
Ok i know this is obviously preemptive but I just wanted to make sure I understand how this works:

I have a new TiBook 1Ghz and I will be getting Panther when it comes out on the 24th. I know that to install OS X you have a few options and I just want to make sure I understand the differences (I am sure I am not using the right terminology):

-Clean Install - flattens the HD, you loose everything, probably the best install

-Upgrade Install - upgrades from jaguar to Panther. keeps system prefs, etc.

-Archive & Install - archives the current system folder & installs a new bootable folder with Panther on it.

So my question is, if i have a bunch of 3rd party software on my tibook that i do not have install disks for as they are academic mass licences, and therefore i clearly cannot do a clean install (which would be my preference) is the archive & install a good way to go? any advice here in general? i want the best way to install Panther without loosing all of my applications.

thanx :)
 
you could always make backup cds (or if you have an external drive or something, put everything on that) and then clean install. once you are done, just move everything onto the new system. the only thing here is you need to make sure you get everything (special pref panes, itunes library, etc...)
 
see now i am getting conflicting answers on this stuff - i was told you CAN'T just drag the app folder and expect to copy it back and have the app work unless you get everything along with it, the system folder, everything....and even then it may not work.

i have an iPod, i have room on it, but no one can give me a 100% definitive answer on this stuff.

if indeed that IS possible to do, can you tell me exactly what folders i need to copy to my ipod so i can then do a clean install of Panther on the tibook and the drag the applications back to the laptop so i can be assured it will work again?

for example, i have photoshop 7. to make a copy of this to my iPod to be able to reinstall BACK to my tibook i need to copy the application folder itself, and exactly what else.............???

the problem here is that i can't test it because i only have one mac and if i do it and it doesnt work i am out of action for a week untill the idiot savant techs at school can get around to reinstalling everything for me.
 
Well to be safe, you'd just do the regular update. If you knew what you were doing, you'd back up the Appz and their prefs and clean install but that's more risky. Archive/install is for those people who can't or can't be stuffed backing stuff up manually. So just upgrade for now.
 
is there any peformance issues around upgrade installs (a la windows upgrade installs!).

also - i dont have an ipod (yet) to back my 60Gb home folder up to, but I have my brothers wintel machine on my network. can i just drop my home folder onto his machine as backup, do a clean panther install, then drop the home folder back onto my mac? will this affect any filenames / permissons / or any other filesystem gubbins, or will the home folder come back just as it went?
 
davrouk -
You can't just go dragging home directories between computers. It'll stuff things up a tad. Also, the point of a clean install is to get rid of all the crap that you don't need, and duplicating your old home folder is just keeping all that crap isn't it? I did a clean reformat the other day and I installed all the appz I needed. Kept all my important documents and files, but had all the prefs as defaults. It took me less than 10 minutes to get the whole system configured the way I had it before. So it's not exactly too time-consuming to just backup key files.

c2kvette -
It's not hard to backup music. Burn a few cd's, or just use an iPod or external drive. No major drama. Setting up mail "and all that", as I said to davrouk, isn't too hard a job. If you don't remember the settings, just write them down somewhere first.

On an unrelated note, what is it with people and saying "loose" in the context of "losing" something? (it's actually "lose" without the double "o" ;)) In three seperate threads I read in a row, there had to be at least one person who wrote that. Sorry if I'm being picky but it's rather irritating.
 
I've done both Upgrade installations and Archive and Install installations. I'd rather not lose (with one o :D) all my preferences and users, so I don't do a Clean Install installation.

I've found no degradation from the Upgrade and no increased quickness from the Archive and Install, so I still don't understand why people claim these things.
 
Originally posted by bousozoku
...
I've found no degradation from the Upgrade and no increased quickness from the Archive and Install, so I still don't understand why people claim these things.
Click to expand...
I think it depends on how many hacks you've installed on your system. And how cleanly they installed.

Some of the stuff people install can be pretty messy and that is why the need to do something other than a straight upgrade.
 
interesting... lot of good info here.

Originally posted by mmmdreg
Well to be safe, you'd just do the regular update. If you knew what you were doing, you'd back up the Appz and their prefs and clean install but that's more risky. Archive/install is for those people who can't or can't be stuffed backing stuff up manually. So just upgrade for now.
Click to expand...

lets say for a moment i am willing to muck about with backing up the proper folders and such manually, between the iPod & superdrive i can defintely copy everything i need reasonably - exactly what should i be looking at backing up in terms of folders??

for example, Flash MX. i see a folder app from Hard Drive--> Applications--> Macromedia Flash MX. I would need that folder and its contents backed up, and then what else?
 
I have an educational copy of Office V.X installed. I don't know if I can find the serial number...if I back up the "Microsoft Office V.X" folder in my applications folder, and put it back after doing a clean install of panther, will it work right off the bat? or ask me for a serial? or refuse to open?
 
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