OS9-OSX dual boot setup

[rpress]

My question arises from the digi document : Pro Tools 6 and Migration to OS X — Dual-Boot Systems
Using Pro Tools 6 for OS X and Pro Tools 5 for OS 9 on the same computer

where it says:"There are 3 ways to configure OS 9 along with OS X on the same computer:

1.Both OS 9 and OS X on the same drive on a single partition. This is the easiest method, and typically the way Apple Computers ships their OS 9 compatible computers.

2.Each OS on a separate partition of a single hard drive. This is a better way to go if you have only one internal hard drive. If each partition has a discrete OS (OS 9 on one partition and OS X on the second) then file sharing between the OS'es will be minimized.

3.Each OS on a separate hard drive. Installing OS 9 and OS X on separate hard drives is the safest way to allow OS 9 and OS X to co-exist on the same system. This method allows you to completely unmount or disconnect either hard drive when doing maintenance or OS updates.

I figure option 2 - but then if I copy everything on my system drive to my secondary disk, and then after partitioning and installing OSX:
1. Can I then copy my system drive files back from the secondary disk to the OS9 partition of the drive 1 and expect ny OS9 install (and all other OS9 apps that were copied) to function as before? Or

2.Must I reinstall OS9 after OSX and set up all my apps again?

Or
3. Shpould I back up my current OS9 install with somethiong like Retrospect and restore to my new OS9 parttition and expect ny OS9 install (and all other OS9 apps that were copied) to function as before?

Thanks for the help.
Bob
G4/500 AGP

[AverageJoe]

The biggest issue I can think of is that you will likely have to re-authorize some things... I believe when you reformat the disk and then copy back, many apps, plugs, etc will think they are on a new drive.

If anyone can confirm that this is true, i would recommend a fresh install... you can still copy some things like apps, etc. even many preferences. But you'll have a fresh system which never hurts!

[where02190]

Just install them both on the same drive. We've been running that way for well over a year, no problems.

[AverageJoe]

Just install them both on the same drive. We've been running that way for well over a year, no problems.

For the other side of the coin- here's something that happened to me when I did this:

OS X got corrupted and I could not use my mouse (trackpad on powerbook). I could not change the startup disk to OS 9 and since they were on the same partition, it wouldn't work to startup while holding the option key, which will normally give you a choice of what to boot into.

I ended up having to reinstall everything, whereas if I had had OS X on a different partition, I could have only had to reinstall OS X.

So there is a benefit to having them partitioned. If you NEVER have problems with your OS, keeping them all in one will not decrease performance, however.