Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
Hi Andu, Still no success, sorry. Here's a rundown of what I did: 1. Rebooted, entered the rEFIt partitioner. Synced the MBR. Seemed to be OK. Afterwards I reentered the partitioner, just for curiosity, but this time I got the message Analysis inconclusive, will not touch this disk. Error: NotFound returned from gptsync.efi I have no idea what that means, so I proceeded anyway. 2. Booted from the install CD. Did normal install with the hope of setting the kernel option afterwards. After installation, rebooted, selected the Linux partition in rEFIt, but it hung with a blank screen. No way out. 3. Forced reboot with the power key. Did an expert install. Nowhere did it give me the option to set kernel options 'nomodeset reboot=pci' which you asked me to do. So at the end of the installation I chose the option to execute a shell, and used nano to put the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=nomodeset reboot=pci into /etc/default/grub, as you suggested as a plan B. Ran update-grub as it asked me to. Exited the shell, ended the installation, rebooted. 4. Again used rEFIt to sync the MBR. From there I got EXACTLY the results I got the first time. So I can't boot into Linux -- I just get a hang, whatever I do. I'm really a bit astonished that it seems to be so hard to install Debian on what's now quite common hardware -- an Intel iMac. As I said earlier, it was easy on my PPC iMac. I'm not exactly a newbie although I am very new to Intel hardware. Any other suggestions Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5d692.5080...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
Hi again Andu, I should have added, that in all cases I installed GRUB on my Linux partition (/dev/sda2), not the MBR. Also I always set the bootable flag on that partition to on. Is this what I should be doing? Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5dad2.4020...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 2011-06-13 11:39, Mike Hore wrote: I should have added, that in all cases I installed GRUB on my Linux partition (/dev/sda2), not the MBR. Also I always set the bootable flag on that partition to on. Is this what I should be doing? Install Grub in the MBR, that's the trick! What else would all the MBR syncing be good for. ;-) HTH, ändu -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5ea60.1070...@worldwideweber.ch
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 13/06/11 8:45 PM, Andreas Weber wrote: On 2011-06-13 11:39, Mike Hore wrote: I should have added, that in all cases I installed GRUB on my Linux partition (/dev/sda2), not the MBR. Also I always set the bootable flag on that partition to on. Is this what I should be doing? Install Grub in the MBR, that's the trick! What else would all the MBR syncing be good for. ;-) Ah, right!! Will do. Well tomorrow -- it's late here :-) Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5efa5.4030...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 13/06/11 9:08 PM, Mike Hore wrote: On 13/06/11 8:45 PM, Andreas Weber wrote: On 2011-06-13 11:39, Mike Hore wrote: I should have added, that in all cases I installed GRUB on my Linux partition (/dev/sda2), not the MBR. Also I always set the bootable flag on that partition to on. Is this what I should be doing? Install Grub in the MBR, that's the trick! What else would all the MBR syncing be good for. ;-) Ah, right!! Will do. Well tomorrow -- it's late here :-) Just one more quick question -- in one of my earlier failed attempts I reformatted the MBR -- should it be FAT32 or what? I think that's what I've got it at now. -- Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5f262.6000...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 13/06/11 21:20, Mike Hore wrote: On 13/06/11 9:08 PM, Mike Hore wrote: On 13/06/11 8:45 PM, Andreas Weber wrote: On 2011-06-13 11:39, Mike Hore wrote: I should have added, that in all cases I installed GRUB on my Linux partition (/dev/sda2), not the MBR. Also I always set the bootable flag on that partition to on. Is this what I should be doing? Install Grub in the MBR, that's the trick! What else would all the MBR syncing be good for. ;-) Ah, right!! Will do. Well tomorrow -- it's late here :-) Just one more quick question -- in one of my earlier failed attempts I reformatted the MBR -- should it be FAT32 or what? I think that's what I've got it at now. -- Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- How did you format the MBR Mike? I suspect you mean a partition :-) Cheers -- We all pay for life with death, so everything in between should be free. ~ Bill Hicks -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df5fc0f.3040...@gmail.com
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 13/06/11 10:01 PM, Scott Ferguson wrote: ... Just one more quick question -- in one of my earlier failed attempts I reformatted the MBR -- should it be FAT32 or what? I think that's what I've got it at now. -- Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- How did you format the MBR Mike? I suspect you mean a partition :-) Yes - in the partitioner during the install process. I can't remember why I monkeyed with it, but it's 200 Mb FAT32 now. Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df69197.9070...@aapt.net.au
[solved] Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
Hi Andu and Scott, Thanks for all your help! I installed again, put GRUB on the MBR this time, rebooted, synced the MBR in rEFIt, selected Linux and rebooted, and Linux came up! So hopefully I can get my system all set up now. Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df6ab91.3030...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 2011-06-12 04:26, Mike Hore wrote: 3. Install rEFIt on the Mac. Don't forget to run enable-always.sh. It's installed, but I don't know what you mean by enable-always.sh. Sorry, I'm new to this. In MacOS, open up a terminal, go to /efi/refit/ and run 'enable-always.sh' so rEFIt is invoked on boot all the time. 4. Boot, choose the rEFIt partitioning tool, sync the MBR. Umm... it looks like it's going to wipe the Mac partition if I do that! Am I going to have to save everything and restore again? No. If you open up the partitioning tool of rEFIt from the boot menu, it will ask you if it should sync the MBR table for you. Yes, it should. If no action is needed, then quit the partitioning tool. 5. Insert the CD, reboot, press C. 6. Install Debian with kernel options 'nomodeset reboot=pci'. How do I select those options? You can set them once the installer has loaded and you choose if you want to do normal, expert or whatever install. If you don't, your Linux will hang during the reboot. Plan B: don't set it on install and if the install is done and the reboot hangs, kill the machine with the power button. Continue with 9., and once in Linux, set the options in /etc/default/grub and have a line in it like GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=nomodeset reboot=pci 9. Reboot, choose the rEFIT partitioning tool, sync the MBR. What - do it again?? Yes, do it again. If you don't, your Linux won't boot. 10. Reboot, pick whatever you want as OS in rEFIt. If you like, define the default OS in the refit conf file under MacOS. Where's that? Edit in MacOS /efi/refit/refit.conf, use 'default_selection L' after you read the fine manual. ;-) HTH, ändu -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df471a3.7000...@worldwideweber.ch
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
Hi Andu, On 2011-06-12 04:26, Mike Hore wrote: 3. Install rEFIt on the Mac. Don't forget to run enable-always.sh. It's installed, but I don't know what you mean by enable-always.sh. Sorry, I'm new to this. In MacOS, open up a terminal, go to /efi/refit/ and run 'enable-always.sh' so rEFIt is invoked on boot all the time. OK, thanks. 4. Boot, choose the rEFIt partitioning tool, sync the MBR. Umm... it looks like it's going to wipe the Mac partition if I do that! Am I going to have to save everything and restore again? No. If you open up the partitioning tool of rEFIt from the boot menu, it will ask you if it should sync the MBR table for you. Yes, it should. OK. Yes, it's saying it wants to do it. If no action is needed, then quit the partitioning tool. 5. Insert the CD, reboot, press C. 6. Install Debian with kernel options 'nomodeset reboot=pci'. How do I select those options? You can set them once the installer has loaded and you choose if you want to do normal, expert or whatever install. If you don't, your Linux will hang during the reboot. Plan B: don't set it on install and if the install is done and the reboot hangs, kill the machine with the power button. Continue with 9., and once in Linux, set the options in /etc/default/grub and have a line in it like GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=nomodeset reboot=pci OK, I'll try one of those. 9. Reboot, choose the rEFIT partitioning tool, sync the MBR. What - do it again?? Yes, do it again. If you don't, your Linux won't boot. 10. Reboot, pick whatever you want as OS in rEFIt. If you like, define the default OS in the refit conf file under MacOS. Where's that? Edit in MacOS /efi/refit/refit.conf, use 'default_selection L' after you read the fine manual. ;-) Whoops, there's a manual? :-) :-) I'll post the results of how I go. Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df55e68.2030...@aapt.net.au
Can't install on an Intel iMac
Hi folks, I've had Debian installed on a PPC iMac for a long time now, and I've now also picked up a used Intel iMac (from about 2006 - processor is 32-bit). I've downloaded and burned a netinst CD for squeeze, but the installation seems remarkably obscure. I've found a few articles, and done a few things, but I'm having no joy. (PowerPC was easy!!!) I've installed EFI to control which partition to boot off. I've got the disk repartitioned OK, I think: /dev/sda1 MBR /dev/sda2 / (for Debian) (bootable) /dev/sda3 Mac OSX /dev/sda4 swap I've now repeatedly gone through the installation, and I make sure the bootable flag is on on sda2. Everything runs normally, then when it gets to install GRUB, I set it to install on sda2 (I think from what I read that the MBR is actually unused on an iMac.) Everything appears to go OK. But then when I reboot, and use EFI to select the Debian partition, I get a GRUB message telling me no bootable device. I've also tried to select Lilo, during the installation, but it gives me a message that an error occurred without saying what. There's a Wiki article about Intel Macs, but it talks about custom kernels and I don't want to go there. I don't want a Windows partition, just Mac and Linux. I'm getting nowhere -- I'd be grateful for any help!! Cheers, Mike. -- --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df35c2f.6000...@aapt.net.au
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 2011-06-11 14:14, Mike Hore wrote: I've installed EFI to control which partition to boot off. Do you mean http://refit.sourceforge.net/ ? You can't install EFI, it's already on the machine like BIOS was on old hardware. There's a Wiki article about Intel Macs, but it talks about custom kernels and I don't want to go there. I don't want a Windows partition, just Mac and Linux. I'm getting nowhere -- I'd be grateful for any help!! There are different approaches, but this one works 100 % almost always: 1. Install the MacOS. 2. Use BootCamp to downsize the Mac Partition or use the disk utility. 3. Install rEFIt on the Mac. Don't forget to run enable-always.sh. 4. Boot, choose the rEFIt partitioning tool, sync the MBR. 5. Insert the CD, reboot, press C. 6. Install Debian with kernel options 'nomodeset reboot=pci'. 7. Install Grub as proposed. 8. Finish the installation. 9. Reboot, choose the rEFIT partitioning tool, sync the MBR. 10. Reboot, pick whatever you want as OS in rEFIt. If you like, define the default OS in the refit conf file under MacOS. HTH, ändu -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df37d97.9010...@worldwideweber.ch
Re: Can't install on an Intel iMac
On 12/06/11 12:37 AM, Andreas Weber wrote: On 2011-06-11 14:14, Mike Hore wrote: I've installed EFI to control which partition to boot off. Do you mean http://refit.sourceforge.net/ ? You can't install EFI, it's already on the machine like BIOS was on old hardware. Hi Andreas -- yes, I meant rEFIt. There's a Wiki article about Intel Macs, but it talks about custom kernels and I don't want to go there. I don't want a Windows partition, just Mac and Linux. I'm getting nowhere -- I'd be grateful for any help!! There are different approaches, but this one works 100 % almost always: 1. Install the MacOS. 2. Use BootCamp to downsize the Mac Partition or use the disk utility. I didn't use BootCamp, but I've got the Mac partition downsized OK, as a result of my earlier installation attempts. I just backed everything up and restored onto the downsized partition, which I probably didn't have to do, but it's done now. 3. Install rEFIt on the Mac. Don't forget to run enable-always.sh. It's installed, but I don't know what you mean by enable-always.sh. Sorry, I'm new to this. 4. Boot, choose the rEFIt partitioning tool, sync the MBR. Umm... it looks like it's going to wipe the Mac partition if I do that! Am I going to have to save everything and restore again? 5. Insert the CD, reboot, press C. 6. Install Debian with kernel options 'nomodeset reboot=pci'. How do I select those options? 7. Install Grub as proposed. 8. Finish the installation. 9. Reboot, choose the rEFIT partitioning tool, sync the MBR. What - do it again?? 10. Reboot, pick whatever you want as OS in rEFIt. If you like, define the default OS in the refit conf file under MacOS. Where's that? Thanks, but you obviously are much more knowledgeable than me in this area. If you can answer these thing for me, I'll give it a go. Cheers, Mike. --- Mike Horemike_h...@aapt.net.au --- -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of unsubscribe. Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/4df423be.10...@aapt.net.au
