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Quick Lion Install Question

A

aminadab

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 3, 2005
132
1
Portland, Oregon
So I just picked up a new 3.33 6-core Mac Pro and an OWC 120GB PCI SSD. To install Lion on the SSD, do I download the .dmg file from the App store on the drive that ships with the Mac Pro, install it on the SSD and select that as my startup drive? Is it that simple? Forgive the simple question, I haven't had the luxury of having two drives at my disposal on one computer in a very long time!

After I get my SSD as my OSX and APP drive, do I run a disk utility to zero-out and erase the drive that comes with the Mac Pro? I want to use it to store audio files and as a time machine backup.
 
You could just use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the HDD to the SSD. No fresh install necessary.

If you don't want to sell the HDD there is no point in zeroing it. Just format it and you're good.

If you want to use it for work files and Time Machine, you need to partition the drive, because otherwise Time Machine will fill it up over time and leave you no room for your work files.
 
flatfoot said:
You could just use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the HDD to the SSD. No fresh install necessary.

If you don't want to sell the HDD there is no point in zeroing it. Just format it and you're good.

If you want to use it for work files and Time Machine, you need to partition the drive, because otherwise Time Machine will fill it up over time and leave you no room for your work files.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I'm looking into CCC.

If I do want to start with a fresh install, would I boot the drive that ships with my new MP, download Lion, format the new SSD PCIe drive and install from there? I guess my question is whether I need to create a USB install drive or if I can install the OS onto another drive while the OS is running on the stock HD and just switch the startup disc in Preferences.

I'm sorry for the questions. I have done a ton of searches. It seems Lion is a bit trickier than all the other OSX installs I've done in the past. Or am I over thinking this?
 
Hm, I think the way to go in this case is to boot from the recovery partition by pressing and holding cmd-R right after the boot chime. The timing is crucial here; not too early, not too late.
From the recovery partition you should be able to install Lion.

If you bought Lion from the App store a while ago, you can proceed as you described in your post (logging into the App store with the account with which you bought Lion), but otherwise you'd have to pay for it again, which doesn't make sense since you already bought it with the Mac Pro.
 
I could be wrong but I think that because the hdd that came with your computer has lion installed you should be able to do everything from there. Start off by booting into recovery mode. In recovery mode you'll have options to run disc utility first (and set the correct partition table for the pci ssd) and then will be asked if you want to reinstall lion. Once you choose to reinstall lion you will be asked what volume to put it on and then you just select the newly created pci ssd volume. Once lion is clean installed there you can format the original drive. I've never done this procedure but that's my understanding of the workflow. Some one else could verify this.
 
jbg232 said:
I could be wrong but I think that because the hdd that came with your computer has lion installed you should be able to do everything from there. Start off by booting into recovery mode. In recovery mode you'll have options to run disc utility first (and set the correct partition table for the pci ssd) and then will be asked if you want to reinstall lion. Once you choose to reinstall lion you will be asked what volume to put it on and then you just select the newly created pci ssd volume. Once lion is clean installed there you can format the original drive. I've never done this procedure but that's my understanding of the workflow. Some one else could verify this.
Click to expand...

That's what I meant in my last post. Thank you for spelling it out in detail.
I didn't have the patience this morning since I was on my way to an exam. Passed it, by the way. ;)
 
Thanks! This is very helpful. I'll try installing the OS by going through recovery mode and will check back here to let you know how it turns out.
 
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