[DuoList] Re: 2400 (Gene Osburn)

[Gary F. Daught]

Gene,

Greetings. I am also about ready to jump on the CompactFlash boot- 
drive bandwagon for my 2400 (which I love!). Just to clarify,  
however, when you say "run the OS installer," are you saying I don't/ 
can't just COPY the OS and apps from my hard drive to the CF card,  
and then assign the CF as the boot drive from the Startup Disk  
Control Panel? I have to actually INSTALL the OS onto the CF card  
first? I have the 1GB hard drive (thinking about up-grading this,  
too, after a while), and have it configured just about the way I want  
it (running OS 8.6, apps, etc.—even iTunes 1.1 using the iTunes for  
OS 8 patch!). I was going to just format the CF card and then drag  
all the contents from my HD over. But you seem to be suggesting that  
this approach won't work. Could you correct my impression?

Thanks!

Gary F. Daught

On Nov 21, 2005, at 2:59 PM, duolist- 
request at listserver.themacintoshguy.com wrote:

>
> OK, to review....
> First, you need to format the CF using Disk Utility or some such tool.
> It will then mount on your desktop and be selectable as a drive option
> when you run the OS intaller.
> Then install the leanest possible OS of your choosing.  I highly
> recommend 8.6 unless you have a compelling reason for using 9.1.  When
> install finishes, select the CF "drive" in Startup Disk CP and  
> restart.
> Once booted from your new CF boot drive, open the Startup Disk CP and
> reselect your CF drive; this is to ensure that your 'Book doesn't
> "forget" that your CF card is numero uno.  Whenever you shut down your
> 'Book be sure to insert your CF card again before starting up (I'd
> never shut down, just put the PB to sleep with card still inserted).
> No further "blessing" of the CF card should be needed; no specific key
> to hold during startup, etc.  The four-finger salute might come in
> handy some day: command/option/shift/delete at startup tells your Mac
> to bypass your internal hard drive and look elsewhere for a system
> folder.  I've never used it with a CF drive but I think it should  
> work.
>
> Using RAM Doubler or virtual memory is almost required with the 2400's
> rather low RAM ceiling.  RD 9 works great and allows you to  
> effectively
> triple your memory, but a CF boot drive gives you an even better
> option.  In the Memory CP you can set which drive to use for Virtual
> Memory and allocate as much of the free space as desired for that
> purpose.  Don't get too carried away, leave at least 200 MB of free
> space on your CF drive above and beyond VM usage....
>
> Did I cover everything?
>
> Gene Osburn
> Friends don't let friends do Windows