Arch Linux

starfox5194

Member

Registered: 2010-06-12

Posts: 13

[SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

before I state my problem, I will describe the situation a little.

I have a Macbook Pro 17inch Unibody (bought Late 2009)
It currently has 4 partitions
/dev/sda1 - a crazy apple specific thing
/dev/sda2 - My mac os x partition HFS+
/dev/sda3 - Trying to install Arch on.
/dev/sda4 - WIndows seven NTFS

I am using rEFIt as a bootloader.
I used this guide as a reference.
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Mac … stallation
It seems to only make one partition for linux correct?
Well, I made one that is ext2 using parted on the arch disk. All checks out okay.
Next I formatted it to ext3 in the arch installer. There is a warning that I have no boot or swap partition. Do I need one?
The problem arises when I try to install grub
I try to install It to /dev/sda3 - The root and only partition I have for arch.
I get loads of different errors. The latest was error 12.

What I am looking for is someone to tell me what partitions I have to make so that this grub issue is solved. thanks.

Last edited by starfox5194 (2010-06-14 23:56:53)

TheCycoONE

Member

From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Registered: 2009-12-21

Posts: 31

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

You can ignore those warnings.  I think the problem you're having is trying to install grub to /sda3.

I don't see any reason to install grub to sda3; installing it to sda's mbr is probably what you want.  Follow the guide here: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB

starfox5194

Member

Registered: 2010-06-12

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

that would make sense, but i dont think macs even have an mbr?  I think its just efi

This is what the directions say in the install portion of the link I posted.

Also in the install boot loader stage, install GRUB on whatever partition that /boot is on.
Warning: Do not install GRUB onto /dev/sda !!! Doing so is likely to lead to an unstable post-environment.

Sounds like I shouldn't install it to the mbr...

starfox5194

Member

Registered: 2010-06-12

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

sorry to double post, but to make the problem more clear, The problem is that grub always fails to install despite all of my efforts. even if I try to install it to sda.

starfox5194

Member

Registered: 2010-06-12

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

*bump*

Please help guys?

I even tried arch bang and It failed to install.
How do I install grub without a boot partition? or why doesn't grub install on the boot partition that I make?

darkbeanies

Member

Registered: 2009-01-14

Posts: 142

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

So, assuming you have successfully installed archlinux to sda3, but just failed to install grub, have you tried booting from an arch live cd, logging in as root and doing:

cd /
mount -t ext3 /dev/sda3 /mnt
mount -t proc proc /mnt/proc
mount -t sysfs sys /mnt/sys
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
chroot /mnt /bin/bash
grub-install /dev/sda3

If grub-install fails at this stage, try typing:

grub
root (hd0,2)
setup (hd0,2)

If THAT fails too, try:

install-grub /dev/sda3 /dev/sda3

# Then after you have hopefully installed grub, do:

cd /
umount -a
exit
cd /
umount -a
reboot

If this doesn't work, most likely you (or some program) have messed up the partition scheme.  Triple boot on the mac can be a bit temperamental, in my limited experience.  Did you just use apple's Disk Utility to partition the drive, and then use parted to format sda3 to ext3? 

I guess you've tried the sync option in rEFIt. 

Maybe you'll have to start again...When I did this, I created a "3" partition scheme with the OSX install DVD (plus the bonus hidden "EFI protective" Fat32 nonsense, so that makes four)  with both sda3 and sda4 formatted as fat32.  Then I installed OSX to sda2 (along with rEFIt), then installed windows to sda4 (formatted to ntfs with windwos installer), then converted sda3 from fat32 to ext3 using gparted, then installed archlinux to sda3 (only set a / mountpoint for sda3, didn't change the partitions with cfdisk or anything else), and finally installed grub to sda3 (NOT sda, no no no!)

Good luck, let me know how you get on!

Also, I should mention that a single partition for archlinux presents no problems whatsoever, "normally".  That's what I'm using now.  You can always make a swapfile on your archlinux partition too.

Last edited by darkbeanies (2010-06-13 22:33:58)

perbh

Member

From: Republic of Texas

Registered: 2005-03-04

Posts: 765

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

Yeah - grub install _always_ fails for me as well, but at least with legacy grub there is no problems.
I use a live cd with a legacy grub on it and installs from that - very similar to 'darkbeanies' post above.
I use grml_2009.05 (since that was the last grml with legacy-grub) and generally it goes like this:

sh # mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/sda3
sh # cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/* /mnt/sda3/boot/grub
sh # grub
>root (hd0,2)
>setup (hd0,2)
>quit
sh # vi /mnt/sda3/boot/grub/menu.lst
sh # reboot

Last edited by perbh (2010-06-14 13:20:42)

kernelpanic

Member

From: South Poland

Registered: 2010-06-11

Posts: 17

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

I have a similar partition scheme on my iMac, but without Windows and a few more Arch partitions.

I had problem with installing GRUB only when I didn't update partition scheme in rEFIt (Partitioning Tool). After rebooting it went well and installed on /dev/sda3.

Partitons were created through parted. In rEFIt conf I have legacyfirst option on.

If it doesn't work maybe problem is located in triple booting.

Last edited by kernelpanic (2010-06-14 13:45:34)

starfox5194

Member

Registered: 2010-06-12

Posts: 13

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

Thank you so much darkbeanies. Your post solved my problem. also, kernelpanic, I turned on the legacy first option. I am not sure if that also contributed to solving my problem, but thank you because I did it.

grub installed on the second attempt that darkbeanies showed.

darkbeanies

Member

Registered: 2009-01-14

Posts: 142

Re: [SOLVED] GRUB install problems on mac

Woohoo!  I helped someone with archlinux!  It took me 18 months, but I finally did it!

Seriously, there used to be a really great tutorial for how to restore grub on the arch wiki pages, until some slithy tove deleted the page on the grounds that all the information is contained on 37 separate pages.  (?!)

Anyway, I am glad you got it working.