What happened to remote install in Lion? It's no longer in /Applications/Utilities

It's since been removed, and apparently, the only way around this is Target Disk Mode (either go to Software Preferences > Startup Disk > Target Disk Mode; or, hold down the 'T' key upon restarting your Mac). To use TDM, make sure you have the appropriate FireWire cable, as you cannot use USB.

To me, I find this incredibly backwards, and very difficult to perform any kind of OS repairs on a Mac with a dead optical drive without having an external optical drive handy.

My mother's BlackBook (MacBook3,1) has a dead ODD and still running Leopard. I was going to install Lion, but you can't leapfrog OSes, at least not Snow Leopard. Now, I have to use Target Disk Mode, wipe the hard drive remotely and pray to Thor that I can reinstall SL using TDM. It would have been so much easier with Remote Install, allowing me to open this Utility on my MacBook Pro (8,2) and forgo this entire backwashed approach.

The BlackBook in question that I mentioned has been successfully upgraded to SL and is in the process of restoring from a Time Machine backup. Here's what I did, just in case others may come across this (this would only apply for those who have a computer with a busted ODD or for an ODD-less Mac, such as an Air or the Mid-2011 Mac Mini refresh that won't accept a Remote Install from a Lion-based Mac, or the Remote Disk function is not working):

Tools:

• Target Computer (my mother's black MacBook; 3,1)
• Main Computer (my MacBook Pro; 8,2)
• FireWire 9-pin to 6-pin cable (this may vary case-to-case)
• Backup Volume for Target Computer (if need be)

Procedure:

1. Put Target Computer in Target Disk Mode (TDM) by either going to Software Preferences > Startup Disk > Target Disk Mode or by holding the 'T' key when the computer restarts. A large FireWire icon will appear indicating it's in TDM.
2. Connect both the Target Computer and Main Computer using the FireWire cable and open up Disk Utility.
3. Here, find the Target Computer listed as a FireWire mass-storage device. In my case, I Erased the drive - after Verifying/Repairing it, just in case - and renamed it "Destination". Then, under the Restore tab, I selected the Source volume as the Mac OS X Install Disk and the Destination as the Destination partition I just created. Click Restore and let it do it's thing.
4. Ensure there is only one partition left, as if the partition you will be installing OS X to has minimal amount of storage space, you won't be able to migrate a Time Machine backup upon initial startup after OS X has been installed.
5. Once the OS X Install Disk has been fully copied and all partitions have been restored, Eject the Target Computer, turn it off, then turn it back on holding down the Option key. Once you get to the boot menu, select the partition labeled "Mac OS X Install Disk".
6. Perform the basic process of installing OS X like you normally would if you were using the actual disk.
7. Do everything else as normal, such as restoring from a Time Machine backup, and deleting the partition that contains the OS X Install Disk copy, unless you want to keep it there for future instances.

I know there's a lot of people out there that would already know what to do, but there's a few helpless souls that won't know what to do. I hope this helps anyone out there who's in the same pickle I was.

I scoured the web for a couple days..

thank you Nintendo Tim...

I restored my mac mini..

had both towers with PPC 10.5 and Lion on my intel tower..

(btw.. I wish I had never upgraded to Lion..

words can't express how much I think it *****)

both 10.5 and 10.7 spit out my 10.6 install DVD

you're my hero right now