xcode and GS on an external hdd + account profile problem

TheGabfather

Hi guys,
I'm supposed to get a Mac but I'm having trouble with its shipping. Normally I can be patient and wait but I found out my friend who develops for the WP7 platform is making a similar game that I was planning on making so I it feels like I'm in a race with him now. GS is awesome for being quick, but I can't publish for the iOS with just the Windows version :P

So I'm getting a new external hard drive later today, planning on running it via USB 3.0 with my friend's MBP.
I'm not allowed to install on his machine though, so I was wondering if installing xcode and GS on the hard drive would work? So that once I do get my own Mac I can simply plug in the hard drive and run what I was working with earlier, xcode GS and all, with my Mac?

Also, I changed my account name around 2-3 days ago. However when I use the forums, it reverts to the old one and breaks my picture. Anyone know a fix for this?

The_Gamesalad_Guru

You can only install Xcode on the drive if the os resides on it and it's a boot drive. Xcode need to run at the root level of the OS.

TeamLava8

I actually had been running gamesalad for several months using an external drive. Cause my internal one had started to mechanically fail. Basically in disk utility I created a disk image of my current hdd and then installed it onto the external one, you could do the same but delete anything that you don't need off of the external drive. Using this method Xcode and gamesalad work exactly as they would if there was an internal drive being used. Just make sure to boot to that drive on startup. So using this method you basically. Have a portable Macintosh that you could plug Into any apple machine and use.

In the future you could even use the drive when you do get a Mac.

TesseractEngine

Don't know about installing to an HDD...I don't think Xcode would like it...

But with regard to sorting your account name problem, @SaladStraightShooter is your man.

Hapiapps

Also I believe the windows files are compatible with the mac creator but as long as you are only publishing, I think you will be fine.

TheGabfather

@SaladStraightShooter is there is a certain procedure that I should do? I finally found other threads with the same problem, but I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll report it as a forum bug/glitch?

Hi @Hapiapps thanks for the response. I'm actually planning on developing on both. But I understand that I will have to wait for a future release for a seamless Mac to Windows conversion. And cross my fingers that my Windows to Mac transfers work without hitches

TheGabfather

Thanks a lot @FryingBaconStudios !
I didn't know that it had to be that way. Time to rethink my plans

But will installing GameSalad onto the external drive along with the game projects I will be making, work? I'm lucky my friend is letting me use his MBP but his drives are almost full and I gotta steer clear of storing stuff there. I hope he already has Xcode otherwise that's roughly 14GB right? O__O

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Yes I run My GS files on an external drive just like I do with video makes the read write faster. GS can be run off a drive or USB drive.

TheGabfather

@FryingBaconStudios thanks a lot for the info!!

TheGabfather

Nice @jayleedesigns ! I read up a bit on the things you suggested, and I think this will be a really preferable solution for me. If I am not mistaken, when I boot from the external drive it's like I'm just using his machine to boot my own Mac (in a sense)? So his machine will have its own OS, and my drive will have its own OS, and whatever I do on mine does not affect his in anyway. I hope I got it correctly. I already bought the new drive from WD, will try to actually proceed with this tomorrow evening.

Good to know GS works this way.

Thanks a lot man!

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Yep that's what I said make a boot drive.