How to create USB Startup Disk

[sfmike]

Hello all. I am trying to install Mac OS on my HP Mini via USB. How do I create a USB startup disk? I have a Mac and my HP mini. I already have downloaded the ISO for iDeneb. I have a 16GB flash drive. I have tried unetbootin, apple disk utility with no success. Please help!

Thanks.

Mike

[boseyjones]

Clone the iDeneb iso onto the flash drive (formatted to Mac OSX journaled) with disk utility on your mac.
Download Universal OSx86 installer (you can find it on google, there might be a link on the forum also)
Run it on your mac
Choose your flash drive in the drop down menu
Check the box that says "install PC-EFI 9 Chameleon bootloader"
After thats done, plug the flash drive into your mini (make sure you have the F.05 BIOS) and choose your flash drive via F9 at boot prompt

[sfmike]

I was unable to burn the ISO using the disk utility. I had to mount the dmg, and the disk utility would mount that. I have the F.10 BIOS. I tried proceeding under these conditions and it booted, but my 16GB internal drive is not an option to install Mac OS. Do I need to downgrade to the F.05 BIOS? If so, how do I do that.

Sorry for all the questions, I am obviously new at this.

[boseyjones]

So basically you need another flash drive (8gb minimum), SDHC flash card or an external hdd. I'm pretty sure your good with that BIOS as long as it is not the initial BIOS that was released with the first minis. You booted into the iDeneb installation, correct?

[sfmike]

Yeah, I was able to boot and run the installer, but when it came to the point where I had to choose an installation destination, there was no option to install on the internal drive. Currently I am running Ubuntu on this machine. Looks like the installer to install the F.05 bios is on HP's website, but it's for windows. Do you think it's worth putting windows back on this computer, just to change the bios to F.05, or will that not help me?

[boseyjones]

No you don't need the BIOS dont worry about that, unless you wanna lose your ubuntu install your gonna have to install iDeneb on an external drive, flash drive, or SDHC card formatted in Mac OSX Journaled. Your internal drive is not formatted with Mac OSX Journaled so iDeneb will not be able to install on that drive. If you reformat your internal drive with iDeneb you will lose your ubuntu install. You can format any drive that is connected to your mini with Disk Utilty during the iDeneb install. So unless you wanna partition your internal drive both with the correct formats (1 for Mac the other for Ubuntu) you are going to have to stick to an install on an external drive. I would go with the external install for a couple reasons:

1) You get to keep your Ubuntu install as is.
2) Partitioning means your gonna have to reinstall both of the systems again.
3) Problems can arise from dual booting mac and ubuntu (windows too) that just make the process that much harder, trust me its a pain in the ass as it is.
4) Your most likely gonna have problems your first couple times around, so an external install is easily reformatted and allows you to leave your primary os untouched.
5) I think a 16gb hd is small as it is. 2 OS at 8gb a piece is really stretching what you can do with your systems, chances are your gonna need some source of extra space anyway.

[sfmike]

I have Ubuntu backed up on the 2GB HP drive that came with the computer. I want to have Mac OS installed on the internal drive 'cause I use this computer while communting, so I won't be able to use an external HD. I didn't see a disk utility on iDeneb, but will check again.

[boseyjones]

After a couple steps of the iDeneb install you will see the mac taskbar at the top of the screen. Its under either "Go" or "Utilities"

[sfmike]

I got it working. Thanks a ton for the help.