[Noisebridge-discuss] how do you install linux on a macbook?

[Brink Of Complexity]

Jake,

Maybe this helps...

Here's the boot order:

1. EFI-native/rEFIt/etc:

The native/similar bootloader on the Mac checks for supported devices to
boot...
Your media must be formatted with a GUID partition table (GPT) to boot on
the Mac.  If it is, it will probably show up on this screen. If it isn't,
it probably won't. (that goes for both rEFIt or the native
hold-down-C-when-booting menu)

Yours is probably good in the GPT department since you could select it
before getting errors.

Once a boot device has been selected at that stage, the computer proceeds
to the device for further boot instructions...

2. Boot loader on the media.

Usually included with Linux distros. It looks like you've got a lilo (linux
loader) variant called elilo, for systems with EFI.  Grub is an alternative
with the same function.  These boot loaders require configuration files
that list locations and options for the available operating system kernels
to boot.   From the vague description of errors, it sounds like you might
want to have a look at that file, and make sure it lists the appropriate
location to boot the kernel from.

Specifically, probably a line like "image=..." or "root=/dev/sdxx" in
elilo.conf has the wrong kernel image or device location listed.

If you have some error like "elilo.conf not found", and yet it's obviously
there, then you might have a filesystem access issue instead.

If it's any consolation, I had similar (and worse) hair-pulling boot issues
getting Ubuntu to install on my MacBook Pro, despite my decade of
professional linux systems experience.  I eventually got it installed, and
when it reared the same problems again randomly at a random later time... I
decided to get a ThinkPad.

This[1] is a pretty good resource for elilo, though even that author
acknowledges mysterious problems with getting his Mac to boot.

- Brink.

[0] http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343
[1] http://www.rodsbooks.com/efi-bootloaders/elilo.html

On Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 3:31 AM, Taylor Alexander <tlalexander at gmail.com>wrote:

> I'm not sure if this helps, but I do know you get a different boot menu
> (before rEFIit) if you hold down the option key (at least with current
> macs, no idea on older ones). Have you tried booting from that menu instead
> of rEFIit? I'm not sure how that deals with USB sticks though.
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 6:11 PM, miloh <froggytoad at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Oh jake, duh I forgot when helping you that I have a usb optical drive
>> ill pick it up and bring it to you at chm tonight.
>> On Nov 19, 2012 5:44 PM, "Jake" <jake at spaz.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I have been trying for days to get my black macbook 2.1 (whatever that
>>> means) to boot linux from a USB stick.  My preferred installation is Linux
>>> Mint Cinnamon and i have a Core 2 Duo CPU so i have been trying to do
>>> 64-bit installation.
>>>
>>> It hasn't worked.  My computer has rEFIt already installed on it so it
>>> totally recognizes USB sticks when it boots, but if i choose them it fails
>>> with various messages.  The farthest i got had something to do with
>>> /boot/efi/elilo.efi and elilo.conf but i couldn't figure out what to put in
>>> elilo.conf and it shouldn't be this hard anyway should it?
>>>
>>> i don't have an internal optical disc right now but i tried a stock
>>> linux boot DVD in an external (firewire) drive and the same thing happened
>>> as with the USB stick - rEFIt sees it but if i choose that volume to boot
>>> from, it errors out with some crap.
>>>
>>> If you have any experience with this process please let me know.  I'm
>>> trying to re-up my computer getting nowhere.
>>>
>>> -jake
>>> ______________________________**_________________
>>> Noisebridge-discuss mailing list
>>> Noisebridge-discuss at lists.**noisebridge.net<Noisebridge-discuss at lists.noisebridge.net>
>>> https://www.noisebridge.net/**mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-**discuss<https://www.noisebridge.net/mailman/listinfo/noisebridge-discuss>
>>>
>>
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>
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