Installing Leopard from which account?

I am curious whether some people have been installing Leopard from a second or non-adminstrator account.
If you open a terminal window and enter "id" without the parenthesis, if you are the main or original user, I am pretty sure you should see 501 as your uid.
Apple starts uids from 501 and up.
My uids are 501 and 502, for my less-than-full-privileged account.
I suspect that the install should be done from the main, root, account, the one with full admin privs.
For those who are having issues with ownership, check your uid as mentioned above.
I would also check the uid before creating a backup and/or installing Leopard - it might be something of importance.

I believe the only reason the little "Install Mac OS X" application you double-click on to begin the install process asks for an admin password is for the authorization to set the startup disk to the DVD, which is a requirement imposed by the Startup Disk system preference of the OS it is running under. If you just start up from the DVD directly (using the "C" key or option key methods), you are not asked to authenticate.
The install itself runs as root & I don't believe any user accounts are created until the setup assistant runs on the first reboot. If you migrate user info from an existing Mac or a connected drive, those UID's & GID's are preserved, otherwise the first account created is an admin user with UID of 501, as it is for any "virgin" install.
Note also that as long as you have at least one admin account (which can have a UID greater than 501), you can change your 501 user's account type to standard. The password thing seems to have a few causes, all associated with previous accounts created in early versions of the OS like 10.1 or 10.2.

Similar Messages

  • How do install Leopard from intel to ppc by Firewire?

    Can anyone tell me how to install Leopard from my intel macbook to my older ppc? When I try to install from firewire it says that the drive is going to GUID and non-bootable. My DVD drive on the PPC isn't good enough for the Leopard DVD. Any suggestions are appreciated.

    I'm not commenting on whether the type of Mac is compatible with the Leopard install.
    I'll offer suggestion for the firewire install. The objective is to take the Leopard DVD and transfer in some way to a firewire drive to be able to boot a PPC Mac and complete a Leopard install to the PPC Mac.
    How? Take a firewire external drive and partition it in two. One for your data and the other (7.2 gigs) max, for the ability to restore the Leopard DVD to that smaller partition. Once restored you'll be able to boot(using system startup control panel) and install Leopard to a PPC Mac.
    The rule to follow is to use APM ie Apple Partition Map to boot PPC Macs. GUID mapping is for intel Macs. You use options within Disk Utility ti select which way to go. You cannot have both on one firewire hard drive. I use two firewire hard drives: one APM and the other GUID.
    How to setup the small partition? Connect firewire drive to your PPC Mac. Open disk utility. Create your two partitions(remember when you do this the drive is formatted and all data is gone, so backup first). Remember to use option and select APM, although on a PPC Mac it should be by default and ditto if on an intel Mac for GUID. Once the partitioning is complete, select Restore and while using the left hand column(just read the instruction in the disk utility window) and assuming you now have the Leopard DVD on the desktop , drag the install OSX section from the left hand column to "source" and then drag the Leopard small partition from the left hand column to "destination." Wait 20 minutes and you are completed. Now you can boot from the firewire drive and install Leopard to a PPC Mac.

  • Installing Leopard from USB flash drive

    Basically i need to install Leopard from a USB flash drive on my Macbook, but i will sum up my issue: (I'm afraid i'm not a computer-"geek", so bear with me when i try to explain the issue :-))
    My macbook hdd recently died on me, so put in a new, clean hdd. I now need to install Leopard on the new hdd from a DMG-file.
    So, i have an 8GB USB flash drive and DMG-file of Leopard.
    I formatted the USB flash drive to NTFS, and copied the 6+GB DMG-file onto the flash drive.
    I tried booting from the flash drive by holding down the option key, but a blank screen shows up with a mouse pointer. There is no Flash drive or install icon to select.
    Can anyone tell me, what i'm doing wrong?

    Hi Dweepe;
    On top of everything else the other posters pointed out, I would suggest that formatting the USB flash drive to NTFS is not doing you any favors either. NTFS is a propriety file system from Microsoft which the Mac can only read with special software install.
    My suggestion is to replace your optical drive. A new one can probably be purchased for much less then the problems you are creating for yourself in your attempts to work around replacing it.
    Allan

  • How to install Leopard from an external DVD reader?

    Hi,
    I've bought Leopard today. unfortunately, it's not yet installed on my PowerBook. As my SuperDrive is dead, I use now an external DVD (Lacie Portable DVD-RW), but it doesn't work. I can read the Leopard install DVD, but when it reboot, it reboot on my current installation.
    I've tried the following during the boot sequence:
    - alt pressed, but I can only see my main HDD
    - c pressed, but I boot on my current installation
    Can you tell me if it is possible to install Leopard from an external DVD, and how can I do that ?
    Thanks in advance.
    Regards,
    Emmanuel Di Pretoro

    Can you tell me if the same problem occur with a FireWire external DVD ?
    It does not occur on your model of Mac.
    (25504)

  • How to install leopard from a DMG file instead of DVD

    How to install leopard from a DMG file instead of DVD, When i open this file, click restart, NOTHING happened!!!!!!

    Use Disk Utility to restore the DMG to a blank partition, then use the Startup Disk preferences pane to reboot from that partition. Why not just install from the DVD, though?

  • Can you install leopard from an external usb disc drive?

    I don't know if the disc drive is fast enough for leopard or something. It's taking forever to open the installer, and when I restarted into the installer it just booted back to my desktop. I have an external disc drive I want to try. Can you install leopard from and external disc drive?

    ****, I just tried it and when I restarted it didn't go into the installer. I think my disc drive in my old mac mini might be too slow. It takes forever to recognize the disc and just to double click on it and it up. And when I tried to install it the first time from the internal drive it just booted right into my desktop again.

  • Re-Installing Leopard from Snow Leopard HELP!!!

    Hey guys, I'm sure this is a duplicate post, but i have looked for ages.
    Basically, i need to re-insall Leopard from Snow Leopard on my new 17 MBP.
    I have the 10.5 DVD, but when i try to run it, the computer restarts and then just sticks in a loop of restarting pretty much straight after the startup chime. I really need to go back to leopard due to software reasons until 10.6 is fixed. I also dont have a time machine backup
    Please help!
    Thanks a lot.
    Alex

    I assume that you are trying to start from the DVD, right. Does the disk show up and run if you start up to your internal? If so, then you could at least do and Archive and Install (A&I) back to Leo.
    A&I is a good play, under your current circumstances, given that you are not currently able to do an erase and install. Note that Apple doesn't recommend going backwards this far (i.e., going back beyond the current major version, say, 10.6.2.x back to 10.6.1.x) via A&I. But, regardless it is a way to get back to Leo and to pave the way for doing an E&I of Leo in the future assuming your E&I fails to produce an acceptable installation.
    Note that if you go backwards, then you will not be able to preserve user and network settings--which may be a good thing. Fortunately, there is a way to extract anything needed from a prior user home folder. [Here is the explanation|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2196].
    Even though you don't want Sno any more, you need to have a bootable clone of your Sno installation on an external for fail save purposes and data backup. Also, I would repair disk and permissions before archiving and installing and unplug all peripherals during installation, but not your Ethernet connection if you have one.
    Message was edited by: donv (The Ghost)

  • Installing Leopard from a PowerPC mac to an Intel mac via Target Disk mode

    I've just purchased Leopard, but thanks to the common and very annoying faulty MacBook Pro disk drive, I cannot even read the DVD, much less install from it. Before, the disk drive error never affected purchased DVDs, only the ability to read and burn to empty DVDs, but now, apparently, I can't even read Apples own disks.
    As the new system disk is Universal, would it be possible to start the installer form the cd on my sister's PowerPC mac (12' Powerbook), and install the system on my MacBook Pro's harddrive, mounted as a firewire drive, or would the installer automatically choose the PowerPC version, since it is launched on a PowerPC computer?
    And, if so, is there any way to tell the installer to install the Intel version of Leopard if I run it on a PowerPC computer?

    well, looks like I'll have to install Leopard through the Firewire Target Disk mode as my MacBook can't read the DVD. I would appreciate if someone could review the steps below to let me know if I am on the right track. The MacBook is the computer on which I want to load 10.5 and the iMac G5 (PowerPC chip) is the computer on which I will insert the DVD.
    - First question: Am I correct (see above) in saying that the MacBook is the Target computer?
    - Insert DVD in Host computer
    - Connect Target to Host using FW cable
    - Turn on Target computer press and hold T to launch in target mode
    - select DVD drive from disk options
    - this is where I get fuzzy, would I simply click the Install icon? And then what? Will the MacBook know to reboot in Target Mode or do I have to hold down T again?
    - anything else I am missing?
    Thanks.

  • Installing leopard from .dmg file not dvd

    i have a mac pro that has 10.4 and would like to install 10.5. The thing is i don't have leopard on DVD it's a .dmg. Is it possible to install leopard onto my 10.4 mac pro without burning a dvd?
    thanks
    jason

    Some things to keep in mind:
    1) the only way to install the OS (that I'm aware of) is by using a DVD
    2) the DVD you're using MUST belong to that machine OR be a retail copy. The DVD from another computer will NOT work.
    ~Lyssa

  • Is it possible to install leopard from external USB DVD drive?

    Hi all,
    I've read through the various posts on the subject and there doesn�t seem to be a definitive answer on this. I've got a Lacie USB2 DL DVD drive which I'm trying to use to install leopard on an earlier MacBook Pro (core duo 2.0ghz). I've tried the various suggestions (hold c on boot, hold option key on boot, set dvd as startup drive), and so far been unsuccessful. The drive is just not recognized.
    The DVD media is fine(I've got family edition of Leopard), I've successfully installed it on my G5. The Lacie drive recognizes it fine, when I'm in tiger on MBP and insert the disk it is mounted as I would expect. I did try dbl-clicking the install icon as well (in case you were wondering)
    So, does anyone have any other ideas for me to try, or should I go and get a refund on the Lacie drive? The guys in the store (Apple authorized reseller, not Apple Store) assured me it would work, so I don't want to look like a clown if it is possible and I'm just doing it wrong
    Anyway, thanks in advance for any replies.

    Hi,
    Thanks for the reply. Yes the MBP is currently running Tiger, I want to flatten this with a fresh install of Leopard. I can view the install DVD when in Tiger currently.
    I haven't tried what you have suggested, but I have seen various posts suggesting this approach. I've also seen several posts explain how to create a partition on an external firewire Harddrive and this seems to have worked for various people.
    This would however mean that I didn't really need the external Lacie drive at all, as I've got access to my G5s DVD drive over the network. The more I search on this, the more convinced I am the USB drive was a bad idea.
    Once again thank for the response.

  • Install Leopard from a .DMG on an external drive?

    Hey guys, last night I got my copy of Leopard, and then the SuperDrive on my 17" 1.33 GHz PowerBook decided to take a dump. It doesn't read anything anymore - not a brand new Leopard disc, a Tiger disc, the System Restore discs, or the Transformers DVD. I used it about two weeks ago to run the Apple Hardware Test from the System Restore discs and it hasn't moved off my desk since, so I have no idea how it died (unless it simply died).
    My brother has a MacBook and I'm planning on getting a triple-interface 1TB drive from LaCie. My question is: can I create a .DMG of the Leopard install disc with my bro's MacBook, move it on to that external drive and install it on my PowerBook from there?

    The guys at MacFixIt have a guide for doing this. It looks like the biggest things are (a) making sure you pick the right partition map for the external (Apple Partition Map for PowerPC, GUID for Intel) to start up from, and making a "CD/DVD Master" image.
    Obviously, installing Leopard isn't going to fix my SuperDrive, but at the moment I only need my SuperDrive to install Leopard (the last time I used it was about two weeks ago to run the Apple Hardware Test and everything checked out, before that I can't remember). I was going to purchase the LaCie Big Disk anyway for Time Machine and storage and to have a bootable Tiger install, so if I can use that to install I can hold off on replacing my SuperDrive. If I can't install it from the external, I can throw my PowerBook into Target Disk Mode and install from my brother's MacBook.

  • Unable to install Leopard from install disc

    My MacBook stopped booting recently due to a "INvalid Sibling Link" error and I decided to reinstall Leopard from the installation disc. I booted using it but I get an error saying "Leopard cannot be installed on this computer."
    THe log says
    "Installation checks failed.
    Installation check failures: This software cannot be installed on this computer."
    Apple's help says that I need to update my firmware but my laptop came installed with Leopard. Why is it not installing now?

    Possibly:
    1. You need to reformat the hard drive.
    2. You are trying to install when an existing version is on the drive.
    Before you reinstall OS X do this:
    Extended Hard Drive Preparation
    1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger or Leopard.)
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Set the number of partitions from the drop down menu (use 1 partition unless you wish to make more.) Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
    6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
    Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.
    After formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Complete the OS X installation.

  • Help installing leopard from external fw dvd

    I'm trying to install Leopard on an iMacCore Duo with a broken dvd drive. The hdd has been wiped clean. I've got an external LaCie fw dvd drive hooked up to the iMac. No matter what i do the iMac still gives me the folder with the ?. Holding down the option or C key with the Leopard dvd in the external drive makes no difference. It won't load the dvd. I've also tried using the dvds that came with the iMac. No luck. Not sure how to put OSX on this iMac.
    thx
    lenn

    Have you tried using your installer disc on another Mac just to be sure there isn't a problem with the DVD? I would also contact LaCie tech support. I would be surprised if the device was not bootable. Do you know if the drive is even working? That is are you able to mount the DVD on the Desktop (assuming you can get to the Desktop.)
    You should be able to boot the computer from an external FW hard drive if you have a bootable system on the drive that's compatible with your iMac. You also may be able to install OS X on the iMac from another Mac with a FireWire port by using Target Disk Mode.
    BTW, you aren't trying to use the Leopard installer discs that came with your MBP to install Leopard on your iMac, are you? If so that won't work. The MB{P's discs are machine specific and will not likely boot the older iMac.

  • Install app from different account?

    I have two Apple ID's, one for work, one for home. I accidentally installed XCode from the home ID instead of my work ID. I'd like to delete it and install it from the work ID, since that's the one I'm logged into most of the time, and since it pertains to work, not home.
    So, I deleted the XCode app (4.4.x), logged out of the home ID, logged into the work ID. However, XCode still says "Update" on the Mac App Store page instead of "Install".
    Is there a way to do this?
    Thanks!

    The MAS can see versions of the apps on mounted partitions and drives. Do you have a backup, perhaps Time Machine, which has the app? If so, unmount the partition or drive with the old app and try again.

  • Installing Leopard from scratch, then installing old apps

    Hi,
    I want to reinstall Leopard, so none of my documents etc are on the computer, as if I bought it from new. But then I want to reinstall my apps like Aperture, Office, iWork etc. How do I do this, if I want to use the same purchase code as previously (don't want to buy the software again)?
    Are the purchase codes related to my laptop itself, and therefore I can use this again after reinstalling Leopard?
    Any help is much appreciated. Thanks.
    Mc

    As long as you have the installation serial numbers and the original disks, you should have no problems installing them on your reinstall of Leopard.
    If iLife came with your computer, then you will have to install that from the original disks that came with your computer using the "Bundled Software" install....

Maybe you are looking for