Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Second Edition

The Basic Installation

The installation process takes about an hour, but for the sake of your own psyche, you’ll probably want to set aside a whole afternoon. Once the installation is over, you’ll want to play around, organize your files, and learn the lay of the land.

The Installer

Here’s how to install Mac OS X 10.2 onto a drive that doesn’t have a version of Mac OS X on it already:

1. Insert the Mac OS X CD.

   What you see in its main window differs depending on your version of Mac OS X, but there’s always a Read Me document worth reviewing before you begin.

2. Double-click the Install Mac OS X icon. When the Restart button appears, click it.

   The Mac starts up from the CD and takes you directly to the first Installer screen.

   Note

   If you’re installing a Mac OS X update and not a fresh copy, you’ll be asked for an Administrator’s password (see Chapter 11). Installing new versions of the operating system is something that only competent people are allowed to do.

   The installer will soon fall into a pattern: Read the instructions, make a couple choices, and click Continue to advance to the next screen.

   As you go, the list on the left side of the screen shows where you are in the overall procedure.

   You can back out of the installation at any time before step 6, just by choosing Installer→Quit. When the Restart button appears, click it. Then eject the Mac OS X CD, either by holding down the mouse button while the computer restarts or, if you have a tray-loading CD drive, pushing its eject button during ...