Live Mac on pc

**adamherb** · 05-27-2005, 01:32 AM

Are there any live mac cds or dvds that can work on a regular pc just like the regular Knoppix cd does?

**bigkahuna** · 05-27-2005, 01:54 AM

If I understand your question correctly, are you asking if a "live" version of Mac OS X is available that will boot on an Intel based system? If so, the answer is no. Mac OS X is a proprietary software that (at present) can only run on Power PC based computers. Also, the user's license for those who purchase Mac OS X prohibits anyone from using it on anything but "Apple labled" hardware.

Having said that, there are rumours that Apple -may- release an Intel compatible version of OS X... but this is only a rumour. If this ever happens, it is -extremely- unlikely it will be a "live CD", since OS-X is just too big.

There is PearPC, which is a PowerPC emulator that allows you to run most versions of OS X under Windoze and Linux, but you take a big performance hit and not everything works. PearPC is free, but you'll have to still buy a copy of OS X. You'll also have to set aside a 6-8 gb partition -just- for OS X... not exactly a live CD

Nope, if you want a "live CD" your option is Linux, and the best live CD's (IMHO) are Knoppix and Kanotix (nearly identical twins BTW). You can dress up your destop so it -looks- like OSX, if that interests you, but the engine beneath the tiger skin will still be Linux.

**adamherb** · 05-27-2005, 12:41 PM

Thanks for your reply, I thought that maybe there was a way that you could do that with the emulator built into the live cd, but I guess that is just too much.

**baron_iv** · 07-09-2005, 05:14 AM

there IS a version of os x that runs from a CD, but it's for PPC only. It's also HIDEOUSLY slow. There is a DVD version as well. They're meant to be used as "rescue" discs for os x. I've used 'em a time or two, just to see what they were all about, but never to actually fix a PROBLEM...mainly because os x HAS no problems.

Be patient...I'm sure we'll see something like that once the PPC to intel switch is complete.

-baron_iv

**probono** · 08-21-2005, 02:47 PM

With Apple's transition to Intel, a Mac OS live CD that runs on plain PCs would now be technically possible, but Apple licenses Mac OS only for use with Apple hardware.