Project OS X Forums > Edit OSInstall.mpkg for MBR Install

Full Version: Edit OSInstall.mpkg for MBR Install

Project OS X Forums > Previous Releases > Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 > Leopard Guides & Tutorials > Installation

Hagar

May 16 2009, 01:56 PM

There is an improved version of this technique by modbin

The Retail DVD includes a check which prevents you from installing on an MBR partition. As MBR can have advantages for multi-booting, removing this check can be useful, here's how:

You will need:
A working os x machine
a copy of OSInstall.mpkg from /System/Installation/Packages on the retail DVD
a copy of Flat Package Editor If you have xcode installed, this is in /Developer/Applications/Utilities/Packagemaker.app/Contents/Resources

open OSInstall.mpkg in Flat Package Editor:
Click to view attachment

drag the file "distribution" somewhere (Desktop will do)
open "distribution" in a text editor, what you see should begin with:

CODE

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<installer-gui-script minSpecVersion='1'>

    <options
        eraseOptionAvailable='true'
        hostArchitectures='ppc,i386'
        allow-external-scripts='yes'
    />

the line marked here in red is the one to remove, so:

CODE

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<installer-gui-script minSpecVersion='1'>

    <options
        hostArchitectures='ppc,i386'
        allow-external-scripts='yes'
    />

and save.
drag the edited "distribution" back into Flat Package Editor
delete the existing "distribution" and Save.

Click to view attachment
Click to view attachment

pater

May 17 2009, 02:33 AM

Perhaps you should explain in more detail what this allows for, "for MBR" really isn't that explanatory

Hara Taiki

May 17 2009, 03:57 AM

Yeah, I don't understand the difference, when I install using MBR partition scheme it works fine. GPT works just as good (better IMO with the ability to modify the partition maps).

Kabyl

May 17 2009, 07:37 AM

Looks like many people didn't try a retail install.
What this does is, enable you to install on MBR partitioned disks by removing the check (?) for GPT. (anyone with a better, in-deapth explanation?)

pater

May 17 2009, 08:01 PM

No Kabyl, I know what it does, but that doesn't mean everyone else does.

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