Running Mac OS X Tiger

Installing Tiger

Assuming that you’ve taken the time to back up your data and check it to make sure that everything you need is there, it’s now time to think about installing Tiger on your Mac. The important word there is “think”; there’s nothing wrong with a default Mac OS X installation, it’s just that you should really think about how you’re going to use your Mac.

• Are you going to run Classic? If so, you should consider setting up a separate partition in which to install Mac OS 9.

• Are you going to run more than one version of Mac OS X on your Mac for testing purposes? If so, you’ll need separate partitions for them, too.

• Are you running an application that can benefit from a scratch disk, such as Final Cut Pro or Photoshop? Consider setting aside part of your hard drive as a partition just for that purpose. It won’t be as good as a dedicated separate drive, but it’s better than nothing.

The next thing you’ll need to decide is how you will install Tiger: clean, archive, or (if applicable) upgrade?

• A clean install is recommended, since it wipes your drive and checks it for errors (and attempts to fix said errors) before installing the operating system.

• If you opt to archive and install, all the data in the /Users directory will be archived and retained in a buffer during the install, then dropped back into the /Users directory once the installation has completed. Then it’s up to you to go back and pull what you want out of the archive and trash the rest.

• The upgrade option upgrades your ...