[shecky]

i know this is a somewhat pre-emptive question, but i have posted this question on a number of forums and no one seems to want to give a detailed answer, so PLEASE give me a hand here:

I have a new TiBook 1Ghz, now running 10.2.8. I will be installing Panther when I get it (already pre-ordered) and I have a problem. The problem is that I have a bunch of legally purchased 3rd party software (Adobe, Macromedia, etc..) that I have from my school as part of their mass academic license program; i.e. NO install disks are available to me. So what I would like to do is the following:

-backup all my files & iTunes AAC songs
-backup my applications
-clean install Panther on the TiBook
-reinstall my apps, documents & music

I really would much, MUCH rather do a clean install of Panther than just upgrade since from experience with 10.0, 10.1, and 10.2 i know the clean install runs a lot smoother than the upgrade install.

Now i have 2 things available to me - a new 20GB iPod and a Superdrive. Backing up the music & documents is no problem, i can do that with my eyes closed, either to a DVD or to the iPod.

The problem is that i have been told repeatedly that dragging JUST the application folder to my iPod and then dragging it back after installing Panther will NOT work. Apparently you need to drag not only the Application folder, but also a bunch of other random folders or else you are out of luck. So the question is how do i do this so it will work??

So if someone could PLEASE take the time to answer this post properly i would appreciate it. I can't really just test it out because if it does not work I am out of commission for a week while I wait for the tech desk at school to get around to reinstalling everything for me.

Thanks in advance!

[- - e r i k - -]

Two words: Archive install.

[shecky]

From Apples article on Archive & Install:

"Third-party software items that are installed within /System or /Library, or anywhere else besides a user's Home directory, are not preserved. Reinstall the third-party items after the Archive and Install is performed, if necessary."

so this does what for me? it does not preserve the applications, just the system folder, therefore its basically useless to what I am trying to do.

[010111]

it saves all the /system and /library stuff in the 'previous systems' folder that it creates... if a random adobe app doesn't work... look in the previous system folder for things that are adobe related and move them to the new system.

the /system folder you shouldn't ever have to grab anything out of.

from /library in the old 'previous systems' you should just be able to grab all the stuff from 'application support' and copy to the new 'application support' folder.

preference panes and maybe some other stuff would need to be copied... but probably not much else short of the 'application support' stuff.

[Gul Banana]

Originally posted by shecky:
so this does what for me? it does not preserve the applications, just the system folder, therefore its basically useless to what I am trying to do.

It does preserve the applications. Archive Install does not touch anything other than /System and /Library, and it makes backups of those.

[shecky]

OK now i am more confused - my applications are installed in mac hd/applications, NOT in my home directory; so according to that article i posted they would get erased. (hence my post)

But according to you guys, all that Archive & Install does is make a backup of /system and /library, leaves everything else alone, including all my applications, documents, etc, then it makes a new system folder & library install. so the upshot is that everything stays on the machine, but all the accumulated gunk in the system folder & library is replaced by a fresh Panther system folder & library.

right?

if thats the case then i guess thats the next best thing to a full clean install. right? the only thing i loose out on is zeroing out the drive itself.

[Dale Sorel]

I just did an Archive and Install with 7B85 and all my old apps are still there

[THE MAC GOD]

No... with panther you want to erase and install... that's why i put Panther/Jag/9/everthing else on it's own partitions... SO I can erase the system, but not affect the programs. The most you gotta do is save the prefs (unless you have the serials.) and everything in application support in your /library and /user/library. That's what i do and I am always switching around systems.

[Thor]

Carbon Copy Cloner

[torifile]

8 posts and no one has answered his question? Well, a couple people did and their posts were sort of ignored... Anyway.... Archive and install is the way you want to go. Your applications folder will be untouched, except for updated versions of Apple's apps being installed. The problem will come in with a couple of the programs you want to salvage. Adobe and Macromedia programs install things like fonts, etc, in the /Library/Application Support folder. Your ENTIRE /Library/ and /System/ folders will be moved to /Previous System/Library and /Previous System/System so that you can go through and salvage what you need from there. It should work if you get everything. The benefit of trying this first is that it's non-destructive so you won't screw up what you have. Try it and if it doesn't work, clean install. You've got nothing to lose with an Archive and Install.