Q: Mavericks Install DVD

I think you will be better off with a bootable USB instead. They boot faster and are easier to make. But I've also included instructions for making a bootable DVD if you want that too.

USB

Your 8 GB USB drive should be called Untitled and formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). The installer should be called Install OS X Mavericks.app and should be in your Applications folder.

After downloading Mavericks from the Mac App Store, run this in terminal and wait about 20 minutes:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction

You should see something like this:

Erasing Disk: 0%... 10%... 20%... 100%...
Copying installer files to disk...
Copy complete.
Making disk bootable...
Copying boot files...
Copy complete.
Done.

You can then boot up from the USB by holding down the option key, then install Mavericks from the USB.

Note that this will also install a recovery partition.

DVD

After downloading the Install OS X Mavericks.app file from the Mac App Store, run these 12 commands in Terminal to create a Mavericks.iso file and then burn it to a dual layer DVD with Disk Utility. You may then boot up from it by holding the option key down and then install mavericks. This will not install a recovery partition. To do that, uncompress and run the script file https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/13872235/Musings/Recovery%20Partition%20Crea tor%203.7.zip

hdiutil attach /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_app

hdiutil convert /Volumes/install_app/BaseSystem.dmg -format UDSP -o /tmp/Mavericks

hdiutil resize -size 8g /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage

hdiutil attach /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage -noverify -nobrowse -mountpoint /Volumes/install_build

rm /Volumes/install_build/System/Installation/Packages

cp -rp /Volumes/install_app/Packages /Volumes/install_build/System/Installation/

hdiutil detach /Volumes/install_app

hdiutil detach /Volumes/install_build

hdiutil resize -size `hdiutil resize -limits /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage | tail -n 1 | awk '{ print $1 }'`b /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage

hdiutil convert /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage -format UDTO -o /tmp/Mavericks

rm /tmp/Mavericks.sparseimage

mv /tmp/Mavericks.cdr ~/Desktop/Mavericks.iso

"sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app --nointeraction"

Thank you tywebb13. This worked flawlessly.

For those that run into problems, take note of the spaces in the command. Follow the spacing carefully.

Thank you. Had to find where Apple downloaded Mavericks... into Applications Folder. After that, I just copied the commands and pasted into a Terminal session. Piece of cake. Did I say thank you? Thank you.

After you download the installer, quit it and then make a bootable copy using the free program below. Then you won't have to download the installer again (4+GB file). The program does all the work for you, negating the use of Terminal commands.

Bootable Drive DVD or USB Flash Drive – Lion Diskmaker

diskmaker x might be ok for usbs

but their changelog says it no longer supports dvds.

so if you want to make a dvd use my terminal commands to make the iso file then burn it to dual layer dvd with disk utility.

True, but with Apple computers shipping without a Superdrive, it appears in Apple's opinion that DVDs are the new floppy disks.

But apple still sell macs with superdrives.

Clearly apple know there is still a demand for it. Why else would they still sell it?

The only Mac that still includes a SuperDrive built in is the Mac Pro, and that's being replaced in December with a new model with no optical drive. So while they still offer an external drive, they clearly feel that downloads rather than physical distribution is the future.

Regards.

not true.

they are still selling a 13" macbook pro with superdrive:

http://www.apple.com/mac/compare/notebooks.html

tywebb13 wrote:

 

not true.

 

they are still selling a 13" macbook pro with superdrive:

 

http://www.apple.com/mac/compare/notebooks.html

OK, there is one portable and one desktop with a DVD drive, and a whole lot more without.

You're right, I missed that they were still selling that model. But that's the old design with the old CPU and graphics processor, being held onto for price point. None of their new models have built-in optical drives, so it's just a matter of time before no new Mac has a drive built in. Again, Apple's clearly expecting the majority of software and media to be delivered via download and so is making the SuperDrive an external option.

Regards.

The point is they are still selling it.

Whilst there is a demand (which there clearly is), apple will be sure to provide a supply.

No, the point is that Apple is phasing out supplying software via any physical means and no longer expecting that all or even most users will need to install sofware from an optical drive.

And don't be certain that Apple will continue to offer their own DVD drive indefinitely. They've dropped devices and features in the past long before people thought they should, including RS-232/422 serial ports, parallel ports and floppy drives. It would not surprise me at all if they discontinued their own SuperDrive in the not-too-distant future.

Regards.