If you want to perform a clean install of Lion, or throw it on a Hackintosh, you’re going to need a physical disc—none of this Mac App Store craziness. Luckily, there’s an image file hidden inside the Lion installer package that you can burn do a DVD for just such an emergency. Obviously, you’ll need to wait until Lion is released, but once it is, just:
- Download Lion from the Mac App Store. The installer should show up in your Applications folder.
- Right-click on the installer and hit “Show Package Contents”. Navigate to Contents > SharedSupport and look for a file called “InstallESD.dmg”.
- Right-click on the DMG and burn it with Disk Utility, or use a program like Burn. When you’re done, you should be able to install it on a computer from a DVD like you normally would.
There’s no telling what might change between now and Lion’s release, but for now it looks like this is a pretty solid method of getting Lion on your computer the old-school way. Hit the link to read more.
How to Burn an OS X Lion Boot Disc [TIME.com]
Bill
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 7:57 AMActually, this method might not work.
OSX Installer images such as these generally have to be RESTORED, not BURNED as they aren’t your basic ISO image.
Use of a USB stick, even a little one you get a conference, would be a faster and safer way to do this.
See the following link for an example: http://dancameron.org/general/creating-os-x-leopard-install-usb-drive
Albert
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 10:01 AMMate u really dont know wat ur talking about ><
Spazturtle
Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 3:18 AMNope I have already done this and it works, DP2 and then DP4.
You only need to restore if you want it on a pendrive, SD card or hard drive.
P.S. If you have on of the newer super drives; or any dvd reader faster then 5x for dvd’s, then using a dvd would be faster then a pendrive.
Lets say pendrives and sd cards are 32 Mbps, well dvds are 10.2 Mbps for every x1 you have so x2 is 20.4 Mbps.
James B
Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 3:11 AMObviously you need to do this before you install Lion – I didn’t think about that. Any word on how to get a Lion install CD when you’ve installed already?
David
Friday, July 22, 2011 at 3:36 AMSo will this method give an upgrade option.
i.e. preserve exisitng settings and apps.
or does it give a lovely new fresh lion (lion cub?) ??
kris
Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 10:55 AMnope, doesn’t work.