Clean install Mountain Lion on Mac mini Server (Mid 2011)

Question

Level 1

10 points

Clean install Mountain Lion on Mac mini Server (Mid 2011)

Hi.

I am trying to do a clean install of ML on a Mac Mini Server. This is just a test machine, so not interested in any backups, etc.

The machine is a Mid 2011 Mac Mini, and had Lion Server on it to start with (has been re-installed, reimaged, etc multiple times in it's short life with me so far ..)

I would like to set the internal disks up as a Software Raid 1 config.

I have a successfully created and tested USB stick with OS X ML install on it. I boot the mini with the USB stick, and once the installer options are available, I use the disk utility to create my software raid 1 config. Once this is completed, I proceed with the rest of the install.

Before I can go any further, I am warned that the installer will NOT be able to create a recovery partition, and use time machine backups on this drive.

If I break the raid and install on either one of the drives, the install proceeds without any problems.

Is there a method I can use to do a clean install on this machine with the drives configured as RAID 1?

Mac mini, OS X Server

Posted on Aug 2, 2012 6:46 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

PS78

Level 1

11 points

Aug 2, 2012 9:31 AM in response to tnedor

You could do this by installing a clean system on one of the drives pre-RAID and then take a disk image using Disk Utility. Once you have an image, create your RAID and then use the Restore feature in Disk Utility to copy the system back to the newly created partition.

Reply

Answer 2

Eric.

Level 6

12,260 points

Aug 2, 2012 9:51 AM in response to tnedor

This is the message that would happen with Lion, see this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4649

Basically when you setup a Raid 0/1, the Lion and Mt. Lion installer won't/can't create a recovery partition.

When you boot from a recovery partition you have access to certain tools, e.g. Disk Utility to restore a Time Machine back up, redownload the OS, etc.

The recovery partition provides a certain bit of convenience but isn't absolutely necessary to run the OS. When you see the message, doesn't it let you go ahead with the install, accepting that no recovery partition will be created?

If you need some of the recovery partition tools, you have a bootable USB stick as well as a backup of the Mt. Lion installer, no?

Reply