MacBook bootloader installation

Danny · 2011-11-26 16:36:34

Hi guys, I'm trying to install Arch on a MacBook 5,2. The install disc boots just fine and I get through the setup with no problems until I get to the Install Bootloader section. The MacBook wiki article says not to install the boot loader to /dev/sda but that's the only choice I get when I'm on the Install Bootloader section. I'm assuming I'm supposed to exit the installer at that point and install GRUB manually put I have no clue on how exactly to do this and the wiki makes no mention of this. I've read through the GRUB2 wiki article as well but I'm just not sure which parts of it I should be following (if any) to install it manually on a MacBook.

I'd like to run Arch alongside OS X. I have rEFIt installed and it works (lets me boot OS X and recognizes and lets me boot the Arch install disc). I also have the partitions stuff worked out as everything seems to run properly until I hit the Install Bootloader section of the installer.

Can someone who's done this before give me some pointers on how I should be handling the bootloader installation/configuration?

Thanks!

Army · 2011-11-26 18:39:18

Afaik all you have to do is

grub-install /dev/sdaX

Danny · 2011-11-26 19:25:13

That returns:

Probing devices to guess BIOS drivers. This may take a long time.
/dev/mapper../dm-0 does not have any corresponding BIOS drive.

I did run the rEFIt partition sync in case it matters.

Danny · 2011-11-26 21:17:53

Ok I made a little progress. I got GRUB recognized by running this after the installer:

# mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
# mount -t proc /proc /mnt/proc/
# mount -t sysfs /sys /mnt/sys/
# chroot /mnt bash
# cp /proc/mounts /etc/mtab
# grub-install /dev/sda3 --recheck

The 5th line is the magic one, without that I was getting that error I previously posted.

Now when I reboot Linux shows up in rEFIt and when I select it I have to wait a little while, then the screen goes completely black for a second and then GRUB pops up. Unfortunately the keyboard doesn't work so I can't boot because hitting enter does nothing. I also tried a external usb keyboard and same problem. I did add usbinput in mkinitcpio.conf during the installation (actually it was already there).

Any suggestions?

bsilbaugh · 2011-11-28 03:15:35

Hi Danny,

I recently installed Arch on my Macbook 5,1 (aluminum body). I used the Arch installer via a live CD and choose to download packages off the net as opposed to use those provided with the live CD. I did run into some issues initially because I was lazy and happened to choose a mirror that was out of date. It made such a mess of things that I just reinstalled Arch via the installer, but with a better choice of mirror.

Unfortunately, as you discovered, the new Arch installer no longer gives you the option of installing the bootloader to partitions. In the end, I used the installer to install and configure everything up to the last step where it prompts you for the boot loader installation location; at that point I just exited the installer (using the back/cancel buttons in the installer menu). Note that I did configure menu.lst via the installer; i.e. I edited the default menu.lst file provided by the installer so that the kernel path was correct, and I tweaked the kernel arguments per the MacBook Wiki. After exiting the installer I used the version of grub on the live CD to install grub on my machine. In my case I installed grub via the grub shell, but the method suggested by Army should give the same results. Note that I did not reboot between exiting the installer and installation of grub.

At what point did your keyboard stop working? I assume that your keyboard works when you run the live CD (and hence were able to run the installer)? When you say that your keyboard doesn't work, do you mean that pressing a key results in gibberish or that the keyboard just seems dead? For what it is worth, I believe an incorrect setting of the locale can impact keyboard functionality.

It also seems suspicious that you needed to manually mount sysfs, etc, before installing grub; did you set your mount points correctly via the installer?

Danny · 2011-11-28 07:24:14

Hey,

Great to run into someone who has been through this. My partition scheme is EFI - OS X - root - home, with /boot being on root. My keyboard did work fine with the live CD but was just completely dead on GRUB (no response no matter what I press, even tried a external keyboard).

I have finally managed to get it working yesterday evening by installing GRUB 2 instead of GRUB post-install and my keyboard now works and the system boots correctly. WLAN doesn't work (complains of missing kernel modules or something) and the way fans work is super annoying (they start at 2000rpm and just go up over time and never back down even though the system is idle) but at least I have a working Arch install.

If you have any further suggestions on any specific tweaks for the rest of the system I'd love to hear them. The fans thing is the most annoying issue right now which I'll try and tackle tomorrow.

nek.thu · 2011-12-04 01:19:05

I'm probably not much help, but when I installed arch on my Macbook Pro I just decided to wing it and installed grub on /dev/sda with the installer. It's been working perfectly fine.

Arch Linux

#1 2011-11-26 16:36:34

MacBook bootloader installation

#2 2011-11-26 18:39:18

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

#3 2011-11-26 19:25:13

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

#4 2011-11-26 21:17:53

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

#5 2011-11-28 03:15:35

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

#6 2011-11-28 07:24:14

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

#7 2011-12-04 01:19:05

Re: MacBook bootloader installation

Board footer