macbook bootloader

cschep · 2007-04-18 07:20:02

I'm trying to get Arch on my macbook, dual booted with OSX.

I'm having a weird issue trying to install a boot loader.

I followed the macbook Wiki steps, using parted, to setup the partitions, then I used the arch setup utility to format them and mount them, and installed like normal.

Trying to install grub gives me an unknown partition type error when trying to install to /dev/sda3 (which is my /, formatted ext3). Lilo will install, though it throws a warning about it, then when trying to boot "legacy OS' from refit, lilo says OS is missing. The lilo.conf file seems fine.

Has anyone gotten grub installed on their macbook, and did you have to do anythign special?

Also, if i boot off the cd, then do arch root=/dev/sda3 i can get right into my arch install.

Stupid boot loaders, what am I doing wrong?

thanks!

tom5760 · 2007-04-18 12:23:38

OK, give this a shot. Do the installation like I wrote in the wiki, and try to install grub. If you get that error, switch to a virtual console and type:

sfdisk -c /dev/sda 3 83
gptsync /dev/sda

and try to install grub again. If you get that error again, try those commands again. I know it sounds silly, but it should work.

cactus · 2007-04-18 15:16:18

tom. Can you add those steps to the wiki?

tom5760 · 2007-04-18 19:49:58

Done! I also added stuff about wifi with ndiswrapper.

cactus · 2007-04-18 22:45:46

sweet! Thanks.
I am thinking up picking up a mac mini in a month or so, to use as a little linux server for the corner of my room.

cschep · 2007-04-19 06:54:54

tom5760:

Thanks a ton for figuring this out and posting this info. It's exactly what I needed.

Score one more for the arch community

Xilon · 2007-04-20 07:47:48

Hmm I had absolutely no problems when doing it this way:

In Mac OSX install bootcamp, use it to create a now partition (as you would for Windows, but don't burn the drivers).
Reboot, put the CD in, and follow the setup. Proceed as usual.
I think either before installing the new OS or after you are supposed to install refit and sync the partition... it was like 4 months ago, hard to remember
Note: I was following the gentoo wiki, but it seems it has been edited

Sekre · 2007-05-22 17:56:49

Sweet,

was actually thinking of installing arch again on my sweet macbook.
This will help a bunch since I never liked lilo

Thanks tom!

tom5760 · 2007-05-22 20:29:26

No problem, Arch is still up and running on my Macbook. One thing that recently happened though with the 2.6.21 kernel is this -> http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=32732 (sorry about the cross post ) I don't think it affects anything, everything still seems to be working fine, but if any of you have an idea, let me know.

cry0x · 2007-05-30 00:08:51

what is the point of installing refit? Bootcamp works fine on my core2duo macbook.

Xilon · 2007-05-30 10:55:40

Yeah I use bootcamp with the EFI bootloader, works great... but is there a way to natively run Linux using EFI? I don't like the idea of having BIOS in EFI... it's just wrong. Would elilo work?

tom5760 · 2007-05-30 21:06:47

cry0x wrote:

what is the point of installing refit? Bootcamp works fine on my core2duo macbook.

I guess I don't really have a good answer for that. I dunno, when I first found a tutorial on how to install linux on a macbook, they said to use refit, so I did.

Arch Linux

#1 2007-04-18 07:20:02

macbook bootloader

#2 2007-04-18 12:23:38

Re: macbook bootloader

#3 2007-04-18 15:16:18

Re: macbook bootloader

#4 2007-04-18 19:49:58

Re: macbook bootloader

#5 2007-04-18 22:45:46

Re: macbook bootloader

#6 2007-04-19 06:54:54

Re: macbook bootloader

#7 2007-04-20 07:47:48

Re: macbook bootloader

#8 2007-05-22 17:56:49

Re: macbook bootloader

#9 2007-05-22 20:29:26

Re: macbook bootloader

#10 2007-05-30 00:08:51

Re: macbook bootloader

#11 2007-05-30 10:55:40

Re: macbook bootloader

#12 2007-05-30 21:06:47

Re: macbook bootloader

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