System/install disk backup copies??

Question

I just bought an IBook G4, have been using an Icebook duo for several years. With all past Macs I have used and all the install/system disks that came with them, I have been able to backup the originals and stash them safely away. When I went to do that with my new iBook G4 I discovered that it's a dual-layer disk, and my Superdrive doesn't support dual-layer burning! Fortunately, I was able to make a backup copy on my mother's new iMac, which came with a Superdrive that can burn DL disks. I used Toast 7. Then I tried it on my iBook G4 with Toast 7 using the DL compression option, but that only supports DVD-Videos, and it would not copy.
Why would Apple do this? Provide a system disk that we can't back up? Doesn't make any sense. Or am I missing something?

Answer 1

Please read the original post. I know how to copy a disk.
Apple should have provided a boot disk that I could copy on my iBook G4, which does not have the capability of burning dual-layer disks.
You can't get 5.4GB from a dual-layer DVD onto a 4GB single layer DVD.
They obviously goofed. I am going to pursue getting a backup boot disk through AppleCare. They owe me that much for this screw-up!
Hi PacNW,
Apple's Software License Agreement states that "You
may make one copy of the Apple Software (excluding
the boot ROM code) in machine readable form for
backup purposes only..."
I don't know how one would set about excluding the
"boot ROM code".
A bootable copy can also be made using Disk Utility:
I can't remember from whose post it was that I saved
these instructions, thank you to whoever it was, and
I hope you don't mind me repeating them here...
"The procedure is for making a copy of the OS DVD
using Disk Utility and indeed can be used for any
CD/DVD. First we make an image of the DVD:
1. Insert Mac OS DVD
2. Fire up Disk Utility (DU)
3. Click on the DVD icon in the left pane of DU to
select it
4. From the menubar select File->New->Disk image from
disk...
5. In the Convert window that appears select where
you want to save the image - the Desktop is as good a
place as any.
6. Again, in the Convert window select DVD/CD Master
from the Image Format drop down menu
7. Click Save
An image of the DVD with a .cdr extension will now be
created and saved on the desktop. When this completes
click once on the image, select File->Get Info...
from the menubar and lock the image by checking
Locked in the Get Info window.
Now that we have an image, remove the original DVD.
DO NOT open the image by double clicking it. We will
now create DVD using the image:
1. Fire up DU
2. In the left hand pane of DU you should see the
image you created. If you do not see the image, drag
the image from the desktop to the bottom part of the
left hand window pane of DU.
3. Select the image in DU by clicking on it once.
4. Click on the Burn icon
You'll be prompted to insert a blank DVD-R media and
then simply follow the on screen prompts. That's
it... job done
If you have Roxio Toast then this has the option of
making a copy without creating an image. You simply
insert the OS DVD and just follow the on screen
prompts... again, just one optical drive is required,
not two."
Adrian