Installing Linux Multi-Boot Using rEFInd - Neither USB nor DVD Installers Boot

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Level 4

2,356 points

Installing Linux Multi-Boot Using rEFInd - Neither USB nor DVD Installers Boot

Super-frustrating because I feel like I must be missing something obvious.

I'd like to give a second life to a 2008 MacBook Pro4,1 I have (and I'm tinkering - totally admit that. I previously got Windows 10 on BootCamp running on it just to see if I could). So, now I'd like to multi-boot it with various Linux installs. Specifically, Elementary OS, Mint Linux, Pop! OS and Zorin OS (plus El Capitan - so a quintuple-boot)

I've already wiped the system and reinstalled El Capitan with only a couple of upgrades (mainly Firefox 78.15 ESR and updated ISRG X1 CA). I have installed rEFInd as a boot manager. I have the ISOs I need on bootable Live USB drives, and rEFInd can see them on boot. SIP is disabled for the installs...but the USB drives won't boot.

As I say, rEFInd sees the drives as bootable. When I select the USB, it goes to a boot screen and I see that grubx64.efi is found and loading, then the GRUB boot loader for the Linux OS comes up as expected. Where it breaks down is the next step, when the Linux kernel is selected to load - just a black screen at that point, until I power down the system.

Thinking the issue might be USB booting support (although not sure why that would be an issue on an older MacBook Pro), I burned Elementary OS to a DVD to try that route - and I know I've booted live DVDs before. Basically the same issue, though, except for one attempt where I did at least get to a verbose boot, which failed with endless squashfs errors, and left me uncertain if the issue is booting, or just booting Elementary OS.

In any case, neither the manual nor Google has been helpful so far (and most older threads on the forums are old enough the issue was usually lack of 64 bit UEFI support in Linux - so not the issue anymore), and I'm increasingly sensing that I have just missed something small but important that keeps eluding me. So, any suggestions would be great.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Dec 25, 2024 7:25 PM

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Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

126,929 points

Dec 26, 2024 11:30 AM in response to g_wolfman

My guess is you might have better luck on the rEFInd forums.

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Answer 2

g_wolfman Author

Level 4

2,356 points

Dec 26, 2024 10:58 AM in response to a brody

Oh, I have lots of Parallels VMs and I'm plenty familiar with BootCamp (which you are correct, is not the tool for this job). No, this is a pure interest/learning project to get Linux to boot natively on the hardware.

Guess I'm hoping I don't have to dig into protective and hybrid MBR's to get it done...not the project I had lanned on for my days off work.

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Answer 3

HWTech

Level 9

61,604 points

Dec 26, 2024 7:01 PM in response to g_wolfman

If the GPU on your Mac has a problem (very common with those 2008 - 2011 MBPro 15" models), then it may prevent Linux from booting even if macOS was seemingly working fine....some of those GPU issues would show up in very odd unexpected ways.

Sometimes the Linux boot disks will have issues booting due to Linux Kernel configurations & kernel boot settings (on a standard Windows' based non-Apple PC). With Macs, things can be even a bit more complicated due to the Mac's firmware where you may not always see the early boot screen when booting Linux (it varies).

I don't know anything specific regarding any of the Linux distributions you have listed. Some of them may actually have issues booting on a Mac. Usually Linux Mint is usually Ok as a co-worker tends to use it for older Macs. Ubuntu is probably Ok as well. Generally. However, Ubuntu has been known to have odd boot issues from time to time. I would suggest focusing on Ubuntu or Linux Mint at the moment & check their forums and other online resources to see if there are any current boot issues in general and also Mac specific.

Sometimes you need to modify the Linux kernel boot options related to video, and possibly power management. I cannot remember some of the others I have used. You can easily add these kernel options by press "E" when the GRUB menu is shown on the screen to "edit" the boot options. Scroll down until you see the main entry and add on a boot option, then select the option to boot (I believe it may be F10, but there may be another key that can be used as well....it has been a while since I did this).

nomodeset
noapic
acpi=off

Make sure to use either "dd" or Etcher (Mac, Windows, Linux) when making the bootable Linux USB installer. Other methods (UNetBootin especially) may make some modifications to the actual USB installer. Also, use Option Boot to boot the USB installer just to be 100% sure that rEFInd is not complicating things. I know rEFInd is very good and probably is not causing any problems with the Linux USB installers, but best to test with Mac only options to simplify troubleshooting.

Once you can get Ubuntu or Linux Mint installers working, then you can try the other distributions. You will find more online help for Ubuntu & Linux Mint (especially on Macs) than any of the others. Most likely the fix is the same for all distributions, but each distribution may do things a bit differently or have other things that may interfere with troubleshooting.

You may also want to try a much older Ubuntu or Linux Mint installer from many years ago to see if that works.

Try booting from a Knoppix Linux USB stick. You can try a recent version, but again you may want to try a much older one to compare. I'm not sure how far back you can go since most mirrors tend to remove the older ones (version 6.x or 7.x would be Ok, but use whatever is available...if v8.x then go with v8.6.1). With Knoppix you will need to give Knoppix lots of time to boot due to the previously mentioned Mac firmware issues since the Mac may appear to be frozen on the Apple boot picker menu. Knoppix boots just about any Intel system out there and if it has trouble activating the graphical interface, then it will drop you into a command prompt where you can look at the system boot logs to see what may have prevented booting into a GUI. Most likely it will be a bad GPU....that is the only reason I've ever seen Knoppix fail to boot into a GUI on a Mac. It is possible that using rEFInd to boot Knoppix may allow you to see the earlier Knoppix boot screens. Don't use Knoppix as a daily driver though since it is highly customized even though it has an "install" option....it is great for test booting systems though.

FYI, SIP has nothing to do with booting Linux.

Edit: Modifying the Linux kernel boot options through the GRUB menu as I mentioned is a one time option & does not save the changes.

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Answer 4

a brody

Level 10

84,227 points

Dec 26, 2024 3:10 AM in response to g_wolfman

VirtualBox or VMWare or UTM offer Linux installation capability. I would research each program and figure out which is easiest. I don't believe Boot Camp itself can do it.

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