[P1] iBook Hypothetical

[Tom R. no spam]

This will be brief since I'm in a hurry :-) :

Partition is a fine idea; suggest smaller partition for OS9 and
larger for OSX unless you plan to use raw OS9 forever (I have
approx 4G B for OS9 and approx 10GB for OSX on my "20GB" iBook,
the rest is for other technical efficiencies you may not be
concerned with, total of 5 partitions.  A bigger HD would be nice,
I just got a small external 40GB and expect it to serve my present
needs); procedure order is (note this will wipeout whatever you
presently have on your HD):

-boot from OS9 install CD
-partition using disk utility (exact name maybe different, but similar)
-install OS9 on its partition, and do its setup
-shut down
-boot from OSX install CD
-install OSX on its partition, and do its setup
-shutdown
-startup in the OS9 (hold down option key at startup until all possible
    startup partitions/disks show, then select the OS9 partition)
-from OS9 installer CD, install OS9 on the OSX partition so you can
    cleanly run OS9 as Classic in OSX (another reason for the OSX
    partition to be larger)
-restart, in OSX (the option key at startup trick)
    =3DUsing System Preferences in OSX, do Classic & select Classic to
        start from the OS9 install on the OSX partition
    =3DStartup Classic (note, "Classic" means **ONLY** OS9 running as
        classic in OSX, *NOT* OS9 running from a raw OS9 install, many
        people cause a lot of confusion by not making this distinction)
        and do its OS9 setup
    =3DUsing System Preferences, choose which partition you want as your
        default startup partition.  You can always use the option key
        trick to select what you want at any particular startup.  (You
        can set the default startup partition using the OS9 Control
        Panel whenever you might want to do it that way, too.)
You're done with the basic install.

Doing it this way, you'll want to be aware when you're running raw OS9
and when Classic, just to ease remembering where files are (assuming
you'll be keeping Classic files in the OSX partition and not on the
raw OS9 partition, tho you could do either), but IMHO that's not any
significant problem.

The "blank", etc files you see in OSX partition when looking at them in
OS9 are, basically, unix system files which are part of OSX.  Don't
mess with them.  You can live happily never noticing them if you're
just running OSX in usual, effective Mac user fashion.  Viewing your
folders in OSX, they won't be shown.

You can do pretty much what you want with an external drive.  If it has
a Mac OS on it and is plugged in at computer startup, the option key
trick will make it available as a choice to be startup disk.  That is,
basically it can be treated as just another disk "on" your computer,
though slower since info has to go thru the external cable, and don't
unplug it if it's the startup disk.

A clamshell, an iMac, and a 12" iBook is a fine collection of modest
but world-altering computers, each bringing computing efficiency and
just plain beautiful neatness a major step ahead.

HTH

On Sun, 5 Jan 2003 gecina at earthlink.net wrote:
 . . .
> I sprang for the $20 machine-independent install of OS 9.2 from Apple (Ja=
guar
> offer).  On an ice book, for example, would it make any sense to use a
> partitioned disk with OS9.2 installed on one half (complete system) and O=
SX
> installed on the other half (complete system)?  Does such a plan make sen=
se?
>
> Another idea has crossed my mind:  This is a wildly hypothetical question=
 =97
> With the clamshell iBook, could I plug in a firewire exterior hard disk a=
nd
> install OSX on it?  That way I could use either system at will without bu=
ying
 . . .