Install Arch + OSX on MacBook Air 6,1 (2014 model)

mrunion · 2016-02-16 14:33:30

I have a MacBook Air I want to install Arch on. I have installed Arch on only non-Mac hardware, and I do not dual boot. I have read the Wiki on installing Arch and dual booting OSX and just want to make sure I understand what I need to do. I have already used OSX's Disk Utility to partition the device and get some free space for Arch. I have not yet began any installation/Arch-specific partitioning.

I don't want to use ReFind, but want to use the ALT-while-booting method to select Arch (I want OSX as the default). To do this as I understand the Wiki, I have to use grub. All the pieces to do this are in the Wiki, but I just must be missing something. I want OSX to boot by default and if I hold ALT during boot, be able to select Arch. These instructions say the opposite (hold ATL to choose OSX): https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ma … n_directly

Later in the installation section, it goes back to mentioning holding ALT during boot to select which OS to boot.

So I am assuming that I am either missing something, or it's just not clicking with me. Maybe I just tell grub to boot a default OS and set that to OSX. Granted, I haven't used grub in quite a while, so that may truly be the missing piece for me.

But as a short confirmation, I just need to:

Create Arch partitions
Mount the EXISTING Mac EFI boot partition to /boot/efi
Install grub to /boot/efi
Live happy. (There is no need for another boot partition, etc.)

Out of curiosity, in the section https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ma … ion_1:_EFI it shows a sample partition table and there is a partition that is labeled:

/dev/sda4  -           100MiB     hfs+  Boot Arch Linux from the Apple boot loader (optional)

That sounds like what I really want, but I see no other Wiki information about it unless it is referencing the "Blessing". Will that give me the ability to hold ALT and pick OSX or Arch? Will it leave OSX as the default?

Sorry for the long post. I just don't want to brick my new Mac.

olive · 2016-02-17 08:08:00

Why you don't want to use refind? It is possible to configure it to boot OSx by default unless a key is pressed (I do not know if ALT works but does it really need to be ALT?). Here I show you a example refind to dual boot with windows, it should be easily adapted to dual boot OSX.

timeout 0
scanfor manual
textonly true
textmode 1024
showtools shell, memtest, gdisk, apple_recovery, mok_tool, shutdown, reboot, firmware
default_selection ArchLinux

menuentry "ArchLinux" {
volume 71bd290b-d32a-4463-b4d7-99ee7c761af4
loader /boot/vmlinuz-linux
options "root=UUID=b61e88c7-153f-456b-9aac-421fc128b08a ipv6.disable=1 rw initrd=/boot/intel-ucode.img initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux.img"

submenuentry "Force fsck" {
add_options "fsck.mode=force"
}

submenuentry "Text mode" {
add_options "systemd.unit=multi-user.target nomodeset"
}
}

menuentry "Windows 7" {
loader /efi/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi
}

For grub, I think you will need to create a grub.cfg manually. I don't know the options that do exactly what your want. All I can show you is an example to boot archlinux on a standard PC.

insmod efi_gop
insmod efi_uga
insmod ext2
terminal_input console
terminal_output console
search --fs-uuid --set=root <UUID1> # UUID of the root partition.
set default=0
set timeout=3
set rootdev="<UUID2>" # UUID of the partition of the root filsesystem.

menuentry "Archlinux" {
          linux /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=${rootdev} rw ipv6.disable=1 intel_pstate=disable
          initrd /boot/initramfs-linux.img
}

Last edited by olive (2016-02-17 08:09:01)

mrunion · 2016-02-18 14:06:12

ALT is the key the Mac defines that you hold down to choose what partition/device to boot. That's an "Apple Thing" I guess. I just want to get Arch installed and have it available to choose from the Mac Boot Menu (again, holding down ALT shows that menu).

I've done a few UEFI gull installs on PC hardware, but never on a Mac and wanting to keep OSX.

Thanks for your help though.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-02-16 14:33:30

Install Arch + OSX on MacBook Air 6,1 (2014 model)

#2 2016-02-17 08:08:00

Re: Install Arch + OSX on MacBook Air 6,1 (2014 model)

#3 2016-02-18 14:06:12

Re: Install Arch + OSX on MacBook Air 6,1 (2014 model)

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