Need to transfer setting from on computer to another anybody know how?

[the1Hub]

ive got a couple of G4's that i want to replace in the next couple of days with some new G5's. i was wondering if there was an easy way to transfer all the user setting form the G4's to the G5's. i was thinking that you could do an archive and intall on the G4's and then copy the old system folder that gets created to the G5 then erase the exisiting osx system folder and then restart the computer. but something in the back of my head says thats a bad idea.. however theoritcaly it should work. am i missing something here or is there an easier way to do this.

thanks

aaron

[henryrobinett]

Carbon Copy Cloner

This is great for backing up. On the same machine at least it keeps all your installs in place.

There's also the FW transfer option. You connect both machines via firewire. You can use the Migration Assistant. I can't recall the exact commands. I think once they're connected you restart the old Mac while holding the T key. The 2nd Mac is put into slave mode. You'll just see the firewire symbol slowly dance across the screen. You can easily transfer all the data from you G4 to the G5. This is how I did it when I bought my G5.

[the1Hub]

thanks for your reply henry

yeah the firewire trick works great, i use it all the time with my laptop to take seesions around, but it dosn't really address my problem. i basicly have my computer arranged (settings and all) so that it is stream lined to my work inviroment. it takes a couple of hours to make the changes one at a time. i was wondering if there was a way to transfer the settings the way they are from one computer to the other. just me being lazy trying to save some time... wich is one thing i dont have durring november.


anybody tried CCC for this dose it work from computer to computer with diffrent hardware? Dose the os installed on my g4 have the ability to run a g5. or dose the install program only install what is needed for the os to run on each individual system.

[Geert van den Berg]

If you do this with CCC then you need to update your OS on the G4 first to the version which is installed on your G5. But I don't think this will work without any problems.

You're not the first to ask so I looked into it a bit.

On OS X 10.4 there's an application called migration assistant which allows to copy apps and settings. This app works also if you use Target disk mode on the G4, but the OS needs to be on the first drive in the system. I would first try this first.

[hociman]

Originally Posted by the1Hub

ive got a couple of G4's that i want to replace in the next couple of days with some new G5's.

What model G4s do you have, and is their fate decided?

As for what you want to do, you can use a Terminal command called rsync. However, I would only attempt this if the OS is the same version on both the G4 and the G5. If it is, then do the following.

On the target system (G5), enable the root user. You can do this with NetInfo Manager (Applications/Utilites) from the Authentication menu. Next, go to System Preferences-->Sharing, and enable remote login (ssh). Note the IP address of the G5 (yes, it must be on the network). Before walking away from the G5, make sure you are NOT logged in as the user you wish to transfer. For example, if your everyday username is going to be bamf, do not be logged into the G5 as bamf. I suggest that the very first user account you create on the G5 be named admin, with admin level priviliges (sorry if that's obvious). If you do it as I would, login on the G5 as admin. Now, create the user account for the everyday user you will be (bamf, for example). Now walk to the G4.

On the source system (G4), enable the root user. You can do this with NetInfo Manager (Applications/Utilites) from the Authentication menu. Next, open up the Terminal (Applications/Utilities), and type this:
su -
When asked for a password, type in the root password. Now, type this:
rsync -vaze /Users/<user>/ root@<IP address of G5>:/Users/<user>

Where <user> is the username of the account that you wish to move from the G4 to the G5. What this will do is copy all of the files in your user directory (home directory) from the G4 to the G5 over Ethernet. How long it takes will be determined by 1) how much stuff needs to be copied and 2) the speed of your LAN.

When this process is done, sit in front of the G5, and type the following:
su -
When asked for a password, type in the root password. Now, type this:
chmod -v -R /Users/<user> <user>:<user>
where <user> is the name of the user account on the G5.
When that command is finished, type logout. Then, quit Terminal. Logout of the admin account, and login as the user you just migrated data for. Bask in the glow of my knowledge.

[henryrobinett]

Originally Posted by hociman

Bask in the glow of my knowledge.

Dang that was good!

[Geert van den Berg]

Originally Posted by hociman

What model G4s do you have, and is their fate decided?

As for what you want to do, you can use a Terminal command called rsync. However, I would only attempt this if the OS is the same version on both the G4 and the G5. If it is, then do the following.

Good advice, but I think Hub wants to migrate all his software too, not just the contents of his user directory...

Do you know a fix for that other than Migration Assistant?

[hociman]

Originally Posted by Geert van den Berg

Do you know a fix for that other than Migration Assistant?

No.

[the1Hub]

thanks everybody. that definatly gives me plenty of options. hociman's got it i think. i dont mind reinstalling the software just so i have a clean install from day one, its all the user settings that iam worried about. ive allways been afraid of the termanl app its so easy to screw thing up with it . thanks for all your great anwsers.

aaron