Hi DavidIt will show all partitions on an MBR-partitioned disk (bios format) and only the disk on GUID partition tables (EFI format). Their partition tables are structured differently. On EFI-based machines, for instance, primary and extended partitions have been done away with, as well as the active partition flag. Booting each partition is now handled exclusively by the boot loader installed on that particular disk. So, if you have one internal drive partitioned as GUID, and one external USB disk partitioned as GUID, you will have two disks shown to boot from. However, if the external disk was partitioned in the legacy bios style, and has three partitions, you will have a total of four options in your boot menu. This may vary with different Macs, so yours may act slightly differently. I've used this on a Macbook and a Mac Mini (both Intel) and also on a PPC iBook. The PPC machine acted quite differently (unsurprising, as PPC has some very big differences), but the two intel machines acted the same.
hth
On Jan 9, 2009, at 23:36, David Truong wrote:
Hi Jacob,Ah got ya! Thanks for the clarification. I have a mac pro. I'm assuming that the partitions will still show even though they might not be bootableor is it only the partitions that are marked bootable which is shown? Thanks again for the info, David Truong EMail and Messenger: [email protected] Skype: blindboxer1967 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jacob Schmude Sent: Saturday, 10 January 2009 11:14 AMTo: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X bytheblind Subject: Re: Imaging my Mac for backup and rescue Hi It lists bootable partitions on all hard disks detected. On my machine, CDs aren't shown in this list, since to boot a cd you hold down "c" during boot instead of option. Yours may be different though, your firmware might show CDs in this list even though you usually don't boot them this way. The partitions are grouped according to the device they're on. The partitions on the internal hard disk will be first, from first to last, followed by any on USB or Firewire disks. On Jan 9, 2009, at 19:45, David Truong wrote:Hi Jacob, Thanks for your reply. So just to make sure I am understanding this correctly, when option key is pressed at bootup, a list of bootable devices are shown from left to right in order of device IDS, or in groups such as cd/dvd, USB, hard disks etc? Thanks again for your help with this, David Truong EMail and Messenger: [email protected] Skype: blindboxer1967 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected][mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jacob SchmudeSent: Saturday, 10 January 2009 9:58 AM To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind Subject: Re: Imaging my Mac for backup and rescue Hi David Just hold down the option key at boot-up and your boot devices are inorder from left to right. So, the partition (if more than one) on yourfirst drive, then the second one, etc. So, no need for the BIOS--Mac doesn't even have the same BIOS as PCs do, it's got EFI instead with enough bios compatibility to run other operating systems in the case of Intel Macs. In the case of PPC Macs it has Openfirmware. So, no bios to worry about. On Jan 9, 2009, at 18:22, David Truong wrote:HI Jacob, Is there any way a totally blind person can specify the boot sequence of a mac or is it like windows where you have to do it within the bios therefore needing sighted assistance? Thanks for any info on this. David Truong EMail and Messenger: [email protected] Skype: blindboxer1967 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jacob Schmude Sent: Saturday, 10 January 2009 6:46 AM To: General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by theblind Subject: Re: Imaging my Mac for backup and rescue Hi For a bootable clone backup you'll need a USB drive, as you cannot boot from a time capsule. However, you can clone to an image stored on the time capsule if you don't need it to be bootable. In general, however, it's best to keep separate backups on separate drives. That way if, for whatever reason one of them dies, you don't lose both of them. On Jan 9, 2009, at 15:35, Dan Eickmeier wrote:Ah ok, wil it be ok to use Superduper with a time capsule? Or wouldit be better to get a USB drive, and use it with that? On Jan 9, 2009, at 1:28 PM, Jacob Schmude wrote: Hi DanTime Machine and Super Duper are equally accessible, but they're twodifferent solutions to the backup problem. What super duper does ismake a clone backup of your disk, bit by bit, onto another disk or adisk image. If cloned to another disk, that disk is bootable in the event your main system goes down--i.e. you can boot off of it andget your OS X system as it was at the point when you last cloned it.Time Machine is an incremental backup solution, one designed to be able to restore your machine in the event of a failure, but also to be able to pull backups as they existed at a certain time or date. It is an archival backup solution, in that it stores numerous backups that you can open and retrieve files from at any time. However, time machine backups are not bootable, you must first boot off your OS X cd to perform a restoration of a time machine backup. Super Duper doesn't do this, when you clone your drive with it youget a copy of your disk as it was at the point you cloned it. If youclone your system again to the same disk at a later point, the old clone is overridden.Which is the best depends on what you want from a backup. Of course,you could always be safe and do both of them--a time machine fornormal use and keep your clone up to date every so often in case thehd in your mac goes down and you need a bootable system right away. If you're happy with time machine, though, I see no reason not to stick with it. On Jan 9, 2009, at 13:15, Dan Eickmeier wrote:I'm currently using time machine for backups to a time capsule, is Superduper in any way more accessible as far as restoring your backups? Or would it be beneficial to use both to back up to the same drive? On Jan 9, 2009, at 11:12 AM, Esther wrote: Hi Mike, There are two programs that you can use to create bootable clones of your hard drive, since you're talking about imaging and dd inlinux. Cabon Copy Cloner is available from Bombich Software and isfreeware. SuperDuper from Shirt Pocket Software is $28, but you can use it in clone-only mode for free. Both these programs can also update only files that were changed since your last backup.SuperDuper has an extensive manual that includes explanations aboutbasic concepts behind backups and has a chattier dialogue, so some people prefer it for this reason. Both work fine. Cheers, Esther P.S. On the Intel Macs you can boot from a cloned disk with either Firewire or USB connections. On earlier model Power PC Macs this could only be done via a Firewire connection. I'm just mentioning this because some of the furor about Apple's dropping the Firewire port on the new late 2008 MacBooks was centered around issues like this, and other ways to restore through Firewire such as target disk mode. On Jan 9, 2009, at 5:17 AM, Michael Ryan wrote:Hi all: Is there a program available for OSX-10.X Leopard that will allow you to create an Image of your hard disk for backup and restore purposes? Something similar to Part Image and DD in Linux? If something happened, I would hate to have to re_install everything from scratch. Not a Problem mind you but it would be a pain. I'd like to Image my perfectly functioning system, complete with installed aps and files and just restore it if something major occurred. TNX all: MichaelThe major difference between a thing that might go wrong and athing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannotpossibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair. --Douglas AdamsThe major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannotpossibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible toget at or repair. --Douglas Adams __________ NOD32 3755 (20090109) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.comThe major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair. --Douglas Adams __________ NOD32 3755 (20090109) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.comThe major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair. --Douglas Adams __________ NOD32 3755 (20090109) Information __________ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com
The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
--Douglas Adams
