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Mac OS X Leopard - ARCAism

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CHAPTER 21 WORKING WITH REMOTE SERVERS AND NETWORKS 375<br />

or to move some videos from a desktop to a TV server, people are forever connecting two<br />

machines just to facilitate getting files from computer A to computer B.<br />

In this case, a network is not actually necessary. Any two <strong>Mac</strong>s with FireWire ports can take<br />

advantage of a special FireWire trick called Target Disk mode. To put a computer into Target<br />

Disk mode, hold the T key while booting, or select Target Disk mode from the Startup Disk pane<br />

of System Preferences. The machine will boot, but instead of a login screen, the computer’s monitor<br />

will display the FireWire symbol.<br />

When it’s in Target Disk mode, a computer is treated as just another FireWire peripheral.<br />

That means if you plug it into another computer, that machine will mount the targeted machine’s<br />

drives as if they were regular external drives, as shown in Figure 21-9. This includes the hard<br />

drive, as well as connected drives such as the DVD drive.<br />

Figure 21-9. Mounting a machine in Target Disk mode in the Finder<br />

To copy, move, or delete files, just do so in the Finder as you would with an external drive.<br />

You can also read or eject removable media in the usual way. Even with gigabit Ethernet, which<br />

is theoretically faster, a direct connection with a FireWire 800 cable is pretty much as fast as it<br />

gets when it comes to moving files.<br />

NOTE Somewhat counterintuitively, the proper way to bring a computer out of Target Disk<br />

mode is to hold down its power button until it shuts down. However, like any other external<br />

drive, you must remember to eject it from your machine first.<br />

Target Disk mode can do some pretty interesting things. Since <strong>Mac</strong> <strong>OS</strong> X can boot from a<br />

FireWire drive, you can boot your computer as a different machine by putting that machine in<br />

Target Disk mode. That means you could put your laptop into Target Disk mode and boot your<br />

<strong>Mac</strong> Pro from its drive so you’d be using your laptop, except it would be your <strong>Mac</strong> Pro. Then<br />

you put the <strong>Mac</strong> Pro into target Disk Mode and use it from your laptop.<br />

Why would you ever do that? Well, maybe your laptop got run over by a car and the screen<br />

is busted but the mechanics are still good. That sounds far-fetched, but it’s actually a documented<br />

occurrence. Or maybe your friend brings over a <strong>Mac</strong> mini, and you want to boot it up<br />

but you don’t have a monitor. As long as you have your laptop, Target Disk mode is all you need.

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