Create a customized 10.3 'Rescue CD/DVD'

Aug 17, '04 09:26:00AM

Contributed by: nobody

I always thought it might be helpful to use the OS X installation CD not only for the purpose of installing the OS, but to do some repairs which can't be done when running from the hard disk. Fortunately, Apple has made this very easy. The only thing you have to do is to add the application(s) of your choice to the /Applications -> Utilities folder of the installation CD/DVD. After that, boot from the copy of the DVD, and in addition to the usual utilities, (for instance) the Terminal will appear in the list of commands you can execute if you added it before. I find that really useful, because if something goes wrong, the underlying Unix commands are most times able to fix it.

However, it was not simple to make a copy of my install CD ... this might be because of a problem with the DVD, or even a kind of protection Apple added to the disk. Every time I tried to make an image or a copy with Toast, it stopped short before the end with a read error.

Following are the steps I needed to make a copy of the Apple Install DVD I have. I believe this procedure should work also with a Panther Install CD:

After the burn is finished, try it out. For me, it worked perfectly. No more need to have an extra rescue CD with me, or a second hard drive.

Legal things:
Of course, you must be the legal owner of the install CD/DVD to make a copy of it.

[robg adds: I have not tested this hint. Note that creating a backup copy of a CD/DVD that you own is still legal in the US (and hopefully it always will be), so there's nothing legally wrong with this hint.]

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