Run netcat on another machine where you want to store your backup:
nc -l -p 80000 > /path/to/backups/your_image_name.img
Now on the machine you want to backup (substitute sda1 with your partition name):
dd if=/dev/sda1 | nc hostname_of_2nd_machine 80000
This will transfer an image of the partition to the second machine at an incredibly fast speed (I love netcat!)
As found in MacAddict: Key Combination Result Start-up Keystrokes C Starts up from a CD. D Starts up from the hard disk's first partition N Starts up from the network server. T Puts the Mac into FireWire Target Disk mode. X Starts up in OS X (if OS 9 is on the same disk) shift Prevents start-up items from opening option Shows icons of all start-up disks or partitions so you can choose one for start-up Apple-option-shift-delete Starts up from an external drive (or CD) Apple-V Show Unix console messages during start-up. hold mouse button down Ejects a stuck CD or DVD Finder Keystrokes Apple-option-W Closes all Finder windows. Apple-up arrow Opens the parent folder. Apple-option-shift-up arrow Selects the desktop tab Selects next item alphabetically. shift-tab Selects previous item alphabetically. Apple-shift-H Opens your Home folder. Apple-shift-A Opens your Applications folder. option-click "Green Ball" Minimizes all Finder windows. General Keystrokes Apple-tab Switches to the next open program - press once and release the Apple key to switch to the program you used most recently. Apple-shift-tab Switches to the previous open program Apple-tilde Switches to the next open window in this prog. option-Empty Trash Empties the Trash without asking, "Are you sure" Apple-option-D Hides/shows the Dock Apple-click on Dock icon Reveals the original item in the Finder Apple-option-click on Dock ic Switches to this program and hides all others Apple-option-H Hides all windows except the one you're in On Keyboards w/o Power Key control-eject Brings up the dialog box for shutdown/sleep/rs Apple-control-eject Forces a restart Apple-option-eject Puts the Mac to sleep Apple-control-option-eject Shuts down. Rob's Keystrokes: Command-click Directory name in a file browser Brings up filesystem directory path where you can select any Parent directory option-click Dock icon If done on current app, hides app If done on different app, brings forward, and hides other applications option-click desktop Hides current application
Disable the Dashboard:
defaults write com.apple.dashboard mcx-disabled -boolean YES
Allow Widgets to stay on Desktop
defaults write com.apple.dashboard devmode YES
Make Hidden Dock Icons Transparent
defaults write com.apple.Dock showhidden -boolean YES
killall Dock
You change 'YES' to 'NO' to re-enable
Disable "wake on open" (you'll need to press a key now):
sudo pmset -a lidwake 0
Set "0" to "1" to re-enable
To disable safe sleep, run the two following commands in Terminal:
sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0
sudo nvram "use-nvramrc?"=false
Set "0" to "3", and "false" to "true", to re-enable