Jump to content
13 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

can i install osx86 on my external hdd and boot off it since my mobo supports usb booting?

 

We tried it yesterday. Install stucked at step 2. Then we decided to install it via ide, and then put the drive back in the external usb. unfortunately we had no luck with that, too. Install went fine, but after trying to boot via USB, the sequence hung at somewhere right before the windowserver was launched. So i think it depends on your chipset.

 

We tried it with an nforce4 and amd sse2. Maybe it will work with your hardware setup, it is not looking too bad. :(

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-68856
Share on other sites

This all depends on how the OS reacts to the USB system. Like Windows XP cannot be installed on USB media to boot from it could as well be the same issue with Mac OS. When you start windows from bootable USB media the boot sequence is handled by the BIOS. But as soon as the OS loads the USB system drivers it resets the USB BUS taking over the control from the BIOS and the boot process stops. I think the same happens here.

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-71981
Share on other sites

I also sucessfully installed it to my external USB drive. It works pretty well except that I often get the "Still waiting for root device." error at boot. To fix this, I simply unplug the USB cable, wait a few seconds, and reattach it. After that, it finishes booting normally. I assume the "Still waiting for root device" error is due to the USB drive. Otherwise, why else would it continue to boot after I unplug it. Please correct me if I am wrong. :)

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-72795
Share on other sites

I have 10.4.5 installed on an external USB drive and once in a while I get the root device error too. The first time it happened I thought the install was hosed! I used to get this error with 10.4.3 too.

 

I also managed to install 10.4.5 to a 4 gb thumb drive on a Dell Inspiron 9100...and I've never seen the root device error with the Dell booting to the thumb drive.

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-72960
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

For those who were successful with the USB booting do you want to throw me bone here and tell all what Boot loader your using? - I get no joy with the Chain0 approach also from a third party boot loader I got (BootIT NG) won't recognize HFS+ on an USB drive (cf. it apparently recoginizes HFS+ on an internal SATA PATA).

 

TIA.

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-82700
Share on other sites

Hello, this are the XBench results with the same disk in the same PC installing the same Tiger x86 DVD:

 

- USB2 interface:

Disk Test 15,34

Sequential 10.72

Random 26.93

 

- SATA interface:

Disk Test 53.45

Sequential 100.49

Random 36.41

 

- Xbench Version 1.2

- System Version 10.4.5

- Physical RAM 2048 MB

- Drive Type ST380817AS

 

And this are the start / stop time of the operating systems in the same PC:

- Tiger x86 SATA: start 25" / stop 6"

- Tiger x86 USB2: start 65" / stop 8"

- Windows XP SATA: start 45" / stop 10"

 

miliuco

Link to comment
https://www.insanelymac.com/forum/topic/10982-usb-booting/#findComment-82733
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...