@pcwiz:
Finder/Prefpane problem:
I replaced /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app and /System/Library/PreferencePanes/Keyboard.prefpane with the ones from iDeneb 10.5.5. Maybe the Finder 10.5.6 (from 10.5.5) should be available as additional installation.
Quicktime:
Which was an AMD problem on QT 7.5.5? I only had the problem that it was slow, but that was on 7.5.0 too. But I always used installers which were patched by Zephyrith's AMD Patcher 0.31. Anyway, if there are more known problems a downgrade to 7.4.5 is the best solution, it's most compatible and upgrading is always possible. I can upload it to rapidshare, also the X1600 drivers.
Installation:
Quote:
* Isn't that an issue with the retail DVD as well?
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What do you mean? If this was ment to problems with installing the languages from image from a working system (no from booted DVD) this couldn't happen on a retail DVD because it won't install from a working system.
Readme inside installation: The most users skip pages with much information or license information. The most users want to go as quickly to the installation menu because they want to select their drivers because they want to finish the installation as fast as possible. But if they then have a question 'What does this do?' it would be easier to take a look in a guide which is on the same page. Imagine it like a comparison of an always visible PDF with bookmarks to a long scrolling text file in which has to be closed everytime before the next step you do - which is easier to use?
PS/2 drivers: I'll check this. I normally have PS/2 mouse and keyboard, but also combinations are working I think. Some users have problems with PS/2 keyboards if they have 'USB Legacy Support' in BIOS. May Asus A8N-SLI Premium doesn't has this problem, my Asus A8N-E FM/S has it.
3rd party software: I think totally different. A lot of users don't want to experiment or to patch, they want to use the computer (like a normal Mac). But if they want to try to watch an AVI video it isn't working, that's frustrating. That's why I recommend Perian, it combines all Codecs and it updates itself - so it's no problem if the prefpane on DVD is version 0.5 - you'll get always the actual version. But no OSx86 software has a software update. The only-using users don't need them, and the ones who are using this software have already have it. And, by the way, if the user knows how to download the image or an ppf file, he also could download a seperate image containing software. A link to the software image could be added in the archive of every new ppf image.
Xslimmer: You can disable language slimming and it still brings enough space - every MB counts. Especially large problems like Airport Utility, iChat, iTunes and so on save a lot after slimming. But - it always be a little possibility that the software isn't working after simming.
Legacy mode: It forces the Kernel to use 32bit mode. This wouldn't be problematic on AMD and Intel because there is very less 64bit software. I'm not sure if Voodoo 9.5.0 kernel uses 64bit mode by default on AMD, but if you run with -force64 it is in 64bit mode, but PowerPC programs won't work anymore.
Chameleon: If you want to make another partition bootable, just install it on the partition you want.
Did you have an answer to my question why the unnused default OS X graphic drivers are installed automatically? Would it be too difficult to remove them from the main OS X installer package?
Other things:
Maybe you could add a little installer with infos which are installed into the All Users/Documents folder. There could be some infos about useful Terminal tips, a collection with likes to useful software and web page links and so on. This wouldn't use much space on the DVD but is very informative.
Use verbose mode and legacy mode, maybe a memory reducing (-v -legacy maxsize=1024) as default on the DVD. This enhances the compatibility, espcially if some geeks have 8GB or so installed. Verbose mode: If the Apple logo is used it looks maybe more like a reatil disc, but it better to check information what is happeing. Beginners don't know how to use -v and I think a lot of users already had the problem that they missed to go into the boot menu.
You could make the 'System' folder on the installation DVD visible. Users have direct access to the installer package files this way.
Maybe update the iTunes installer with the actual version.