Re: [Tails-testers] USB image test, macOS 10.14.2, MacBook P…

Hi,

Ron Risley:
> Installed successfully on macOS 10.14.2, MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014).

> Able to create a persistent volume and do all the usual stuff I do with Tails (as far as I could go without actually trusting the image, so no sensitive private GPG or onion keys or cryptocurrency information).

> As expected, the MacBook Pro's internal WiFi was not recognized but my Cisco WiFi dongle worked fine.

Thanks a lot! Glad it worked for you.

> I am somewhat dubious about the need to install third-party software
> (Etcher) to do the install. Do you document anywhere what Etcher
> does that cannot be done with Disk Utility or command-line tools?

A quick web search suggests that the feature we need (block copy of an
image to an entire drive) is called "Restore" and was introduced in
Disk Utility with El Capitan (September 2015). Correct?

I don't know enough about the Apple ecosystem to tell if it makes
sense to support older versions of macOS. I suspect sajolida did this
research before picking Etcher, but better educated input is welcome!

Another factor is that standardizing on Etcher for Windows and macOS
makes things easier for those who use both operating systems.

> I know that some folks would much rather download a tool than mess
> with the command line, but there are others among us who prefer not
> to install third-party binaries on our systems.

Understood. We do have command line instructions, aimed at tech-savvy
Linux users. I wonder if they would work as-is on mac OS. If they do,
it might make sense to offer them as an option. If they don't, then
I suspect the cost of maintaining doc for an additional installation
method outweighs the benefits: maybe Mac users who are at ease with
the command line and don't want to use Etcher will guess that Etcher
is merely a graphical "dd" and will use dd instead?

Cheers,
--
intrigeri