Feature #8802: Investigate graphical tools for manual installation on Mac

Feature #8802

Investigate graphical tools for manual installation on Mac

Added by sajolida 2015-01-27 10:09:05 . Updated 2016-04-25 06:59:12 .

Status:

Resolved

Priority:

Elevated

Assignee:

Category:

Installation

Target version:

Start date:

2015-02-04

Due date:

% Done:

100%

Feature Branch:

Type of work:

Research

Blueprint:

Starter:

Affected tool:

Installation Assistant

Deliverable for:

Description

Once we get Tails Installer into Debian, Mac users without a DVD would be the last ones to have to go through the command line instructions.

Furthermore, new models of MacBook Pro, and even iMac don’t have DVD drive anymore. MacBook Air never had one to beginning with.

Subtasks

Feature #8869: Test Mac Linux USB Loader

Resolved

Feature #8868: Test Unetbootin for Mac

Resolved

Related issues

Related to Tails - ~~Feature #8560~~: Study feasibility of porting Tails Installer to OS X	Rejected	2015-01-06
Related to Tails - ~~Bug #11348~~: Test Etcher, a multiplatform USB stick burner	Resolved	2016-04-14
Related to Tails - ~~Bug #11668~~: Install on Mac: test Entreprise	Rejected	2016-08-19
Related to Tails - ~~Feature #11682~~: Document Etcher to install Tails from macOS	Resolved	2016-08-20

History

#1 Updated by sajolida 2015-01-30 09:12:15

related to ~~Feature #8560~~: Study feasibility of porting Tails Installer to OS X added

#2 Updated by intrigeri 2015-01-30 14:38:15

(Posting again on the correct ticket.) I’ve been told that diskutil (sic?) on OSX allows one to do the same thing as dd, but in a GUI. Once we ship a hybrid ISO, this means the bootstrap can be done without the command line, and in turn this very ticket becomes not so much of an emergency as it currently seems to be.

#3 Updated by sajolida 2015-02-02 15:11:55

Here it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Utility.

#4 Updated by sajolida 2015-02-04 21:28:03

I tried Disk Utility and it doesn’t work with our ISO (even isohybrid). It returns “Could not validate source”. Apparently Mac only accept some format of ISO images, as explained on:

#5 Updated by sajolida 2015-02-21 19:36:58

Status changed from Confirmed to Resolved

I’m afraid there are none :(

#6 Updated by intrigeri 2015-03-06 06:59:03

We’re told that Rufus 2.0 worked for someone

#7 Updated by sajolida 2015-05-19 19:20:31

Affected tool set to Installation Assistant

#8 Updated by sajolida 2015-05-21 10:31:55

Assignee deleted (~~tchou~~)

#9 Updated by mercedes508 2016-03-06 19:59:00

Status changed from Resolved to Confirmed
Assignee set to sajolida

I’m not sure this is relevant anymore, but I tried those three tools:

UNetbootin https://unetbootin.github.io/
Mac Linux USB Loader https://sourceforge.net/projects/mlul/
RPi-sd card builder https://alltheware.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/easiest-way-sd-card-setup/

And my results are (using USB and a Tail-2.0 iso):

UNetbootin: the USB wasn’t recognized by the software even though it was formatted in FAT32

Mac Linux USB Loader: installed Tails in a strange way, wasn’t able to clone&install on another USB

RPi-sd card builder: worked fine, very simple. But need to be modified, it only advertises for SD card and the translation isn’t all good (in english), and it looks dedicated to Rasperry Pi. But it went fine installing Tails 2.0 on a USB, and then cloning&installing it on another USB which worked as well.

#10 Updated by sajolida 2016-04-14 07:53:26

Status changed from Confirmed to Resolved
Assignee deleted (~~sajolida~~)

Thanks for all the investigation! So the only one that works is RPi-sd card builder which is a “closed source application which requires your root password” according to http://elinux.org/RPi_Easy_SD_Card_Setup#Run_an_App_.28Only_with_graphical_interface.29.

The same page also mentions Pi Filler which is open source but not available after Yosemite, so not a solution either.

Still, seeing these tiny apps for Mac it gives a bit of hope that doing a graphical equivalent of `dd` on Mac sounds relatively easy to do.

#11 Updated by kaboum 2016-04-14 08:12:40

Hey,
It is maybe a bit late but did you try this: http://www.etcher.io/
I didn’t tested on mac but it looks easy, has a good UI AND is open-source.

#12 Updated by sajolida 2016-04-14 09:18:09

related to ~~Bug #11348~~: Test Etcher, a multiplatform USB stick burner added

#13 Updated by sajolida 2016-04-14 09:19:44

Thanks for the link! I created ~~Bug #11348~~ to test it. I’m not sure we should reopen this ticket every time we find a new candidate, that’s why I created a different ticket. It would be super cool if you tested it. Do you want me to assign ~~Bug #11348~~ to you?