15 replies to this topic

[tpho2500]

Hi,

I'm going on a trip soon (I'm traveling by plane) and I have to bring my laptop. My laptop automatically loads up Chameleon and has the "Hackintosh" HD selected by default. If I want to boot into Windows, I have to manually press the arrow key to select my Windows partition.

I've heard that most airports will ask you to turn on your laptop. I'm worried that when they boot into Mac OS X, they will ask me a lot of questions. Is this a problem? If it is, what can I do?

[kmisterk]

The purpose behind them having you turn it in is to shoe that it is functional at all, do that you weren't able to hide bomb components inside it. As soon as they see the lights come on and the bios post, you'll be golden. Don't worry about it.

And if they do ask, tell them its a beta linux distribution.

[cactusjack901]

If they ask, tell them you're just better than them, and they can piss off.

[eep357]

Your so going to jail dude. Cavity search at the least....Ouch! Seriously though, I'd be more concerned they'd want you to build them one too! Hackintosh is not illegal, despite what apple want's you to believe, nor is jailbreaking on ios, as long as you obtained all the software though legitimate means. EULA case law goes back and forth all the time, but generally speaking, unless you stole it or are profiting from someone else's intellectual property, your fine. Basically don't start building and selling hackintoshes, or work for Samsung.... Pirating software is another story.

[Alessandro17]

As you have already been told, hackintoshing is not illegal, provided you own a legal copy of OS X. In fact, having a pirated copy of Windows is much worse.
At most, it is breach of EULA, which is a private contract between Apple and you, nothing to do with the police. The only reason they might want to ask is curiosity.

[tpho2500]

I know a Hackintosh is not illegal, unless I pirated OS X. The airport security might not be knowledgeable about what is legal and illegal and might assume that my copy of OS X was pirated because it's being used on a non-Apple machine. I think the odds are slim that they will ask me to turn it on, otherwise it would take people hours to get pass airport security.

[eep357]

airport security only cares if you can kill people with your hackintosh or not, if the answer is not "NO", you got some serious computer skillz! Customs agents would be in charge of deciding what less deadly items may be legal to transport, so no real Mountain Lions or Leopards, especially no Snow Leopards as they are very much endangered and none of which will fit into the single carry on bag they allow.

[Alessandro17]

Said with other words, airport security couldn't care less what OS you run on your PC. It could be an alien OS from a far away galaxy, they still wouldn't care.

[eep357]

Unless your Jeff Goldblum:) But he used a real MacBook(PowerBook)

[LooN3y]

LOL, airpot security wouldn't even know/care bro, ur fine

[333mhz]

Airports are interested in seeing if you are a danger to the passengers or a trying to smuggle something into the country.

They don't care what wizardry you do on your computer. Most people don't even understand about operating systems and how to install them.

It is 100% fine. The only Apple you should be concerned about is the fruit; if they find one of those in your bag they'll give you a harder time, depending where you are going.

[ctene]

LOL, well if a hackintosh isn't able to kill people what else could it possibly be good for? ROFLOL *j/k*

P.S. I'm jus havin a 'retarded day' - and - a retarded day without proper sarcasm is just unthinkable LOL

[Hackintosh2000]

LooN3y, on 25 April 2012 - 11:06 PM, said:

LOL, airpot security wouldn't even know/care bro, ur fine

This should have been the first and last response in this thread.  People need to get out and get some air.  TSA is going to care about your Hackintosh about as much as an attractive girl will on a first date.  If you were to tell them indepth what a hackintosh is and explain to them you are violating the EULA their eyes would glaze over and ask you to move along.  Seriously people.  Get a grip.  There is more to the world than hackintoshing.  No one, not even apple cares.

[instant idiot]

Not that this thread really needs any more replies, but...

What the hell is the TSA going to care if you and Foo, Inc broke a private agreement? They're looking for people that are going to blow up or hijack airplanes.

[Demo Janitor]

Hello TPH...

Don't worry about booting up your laptop.

I travel a lot within the US, to Mexico, to South America, and to Europe.

I have never had a security checkpoint person ask me to turn on my two laptops.  I carry two for work.  One has Vista, soon to be upgraded to Win 7, and the other has XP, to maintain capability with older Network and MPEG Analysis software.

In addition to the above two laptops, I now carry a MacBook Pro, iPad1, iPad2, iPad3, and Android Tablets.  I fit the above in two laptop bags, one is a hand carry, and the other is a backpack laptop bag.

The security checkpoint personnel deal with too many travelers, who each carry laptops, and now Tablets too.  In fact, the US TSA says that you can leave the iPad inside the bag.

You will be just another traveler with a laptop.  If you start acting nervous or suspicious, then they will probably ask you to turn on your laptop, but this will one of the many things that they will do as part of scrutinizing you.

Be Polite and Respectful to the Security people and Enjoy your trip.

[Melvin Chia]

If it still matters to you, you could create another partition and install ChromeOS, and set it as a default boot partition before your flight.. When they switch it on, say "ChromeBook"..