Use one external hard drive for both PowerPC and Intel backup?

[GGD]

DewGuy wrote:
Thanks for all the answers so far. If I understand the responses correctly I've got a number of options. What I think I'd like to do is...

The drive is already formatted as APM. As needed I can back up my PowerPC iMac (10.4.11) via Carbon Copy Cloner to the first partition. When I get an Intel Mac (10.5.x) I should be able to connect it to the hard drive and using Carbon Copy Cloner back it up to the second partition. The PowerPC iMac will be able to boot from the first partition if necessary and the Intel Mac will be able to boot from the second partition if necessary. Correct?

Thanks.

Correct. Additionally, the PowerPC iMac should also be able to boot from the second partition with the 10.5.x clone from the Intel Mac if you ever need to.

[Doc]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2434?viewlocale=en_US

[DewGuy]

GGD wrote:
Correct. Additionally, the PowerPC iMac should also be able to boot from the second partition with the 10.5.x clone from the Intel Mac if you ever need to.

Wouldn't the Intel Mac (10.5.x) be an Intel only version of the OS excluding the PowerPC iMac from booting from it on the external hard drive?

[Doc]

DewGuy wrote:
Wouldn't the Intel Mac (10.5.x) be an Intel only version of the OS excluding the PowerPC iMac from booting from it on the external hard drive?

10.5 is a universal (PPC/Intel) operating system.

If it's an APM-partitioned drive and you've got a Leopard volume on it then both the Intel and PPC Mac can boot from it.

[DewGuy]

Doc wrote:
10.5 is a universal (PPC/Intel) operating system.

If it's an APM-partitioned drive and you've got a Leopard volume on it then both the Intel and PPC Mac can boot from it.

I didn't realize that the version of 10.5 installed on Intel Macs was a Universal version, I assumed that it was Intel only. Learn something new everyday. Thanks.

[JEBB]

Hard drives are cheap. Save yourself some hassle and buy a second external drive

[jdc]

JEBB wrote:
Hard drives are cheap. Save yourself some hassle and buy a second external drive

JEBB beat me to it

spend $100 on a 1 TB external drive and be done with it

[samintx]

I have always used external HDs formatted in the FAT32 format interchangably with mac and pC. I unplug to mac and put on PC or visa versa. In facto I have to clean up two externals I have been using over the years and see what PC and Mac programs are downloaded.

I download .dmg files to my PC and then transfer to my mac. Works fine ...because half the time none of my macs will access the internet....whereas my PCs always do.

[yeoman]

On the subject of security, what do you guys do to safeguard your external hard drives? I have one in a bank safe deposit box, one off site and two on site, daily/weekly and monthly-ish, rotated dates. The real question is what if a drive is stolen? Access to data on an external drive is not prevented by setting permissions, hence my practice of backing up to encrypted sparse images - multiple machines on the same partition, easy to restore for booting. Easy to move/copy yet very secure. BTW, confidential data is always encrypted (passwordwallet). I don't use Address Book except for basic info. I may be paranoid but I even have gone to the extent of moving Mail and Mail Downloads from ~/Library to an encrypted .dmg with symbolic links back to ~/Library. I always use secure virtual memory and have wake from sleep password active. Yes, paranoid but no worries when I'm away.

[jdc]

just in case you needed a second opinion, yes you are paranoid. B)

you must live in a rough hood