Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Booting Ubuntu when internal hard disk of MACBOOK PRO is corrupted

Hi friends,

i messed up with my internal hard disk of 17 inch 2009 mid macbook pro. Its corrupted flashing the unknown folder symbol during start up. I booted in single user mode but as my installation dvd is pretty old it shows a read write error while installing. I have few queries regarding it. Though i installed the ubuntu only in external hard disk i dont know how did it corrupt my internal hrd disk.

MY queries are

1) if i want to boot from my external hrd disk where UBUNTU is stored and log in into ubuntu from my macbook pro temperorily is it possible even when my internal hard disk in corrupted. If so please guide me the way to use it.

2) i have formatted my internal hard disk, is it possible to recover the previous data even after i install a new OS now on it. Which i am going to do next week. I think some data is already stored on it by my old snow leopard installation dvd which stuck in the middle of installation due to an read write error.

Awaiting your valuable guidances.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on Mar 10, 2013 10:15 AM

18 replies

Mar 10, 2013 2:00 PM in response to Shootist007

I am working on a dspc analysis... Where the demo programs are only for ... Linux... So i want to work on it.. And i feel it gives me more freedom.. Than mac, as its open sourced... Thats the biggest advantage mac .. Doesnt have...thats the reason.. I wanna switch on to linux... Lets see how it goes... After my installation...

Shootist007

Level 6

16,703 points

Mar 10, 2013 2:12 PM in response to venkateshfilm

Well you do know that if you had a Windows PC you would not have to go through all of this.

Well Good Luck with your project. Hope it all works out for you on the Mac.

ds store

Level 7

30,735 points

Mar 10, 2013 3:06 PM in response to venkateshfilm

venkateshfilm wrote:

HI

I am working on a dspc analysis... Where the demo programs are only for ... Linux... So i want to work on it.. And i feel it gives me more freedom.. Than mac, as its open sourced... Thats the biggest advantage mac .. Doesnt have...thats the reason.. I wanna switch on to linux... Lets see how it goes... After my installation...

I suggest Linux be installed in a Virtual Machine program like VirtualBox (also free) on a Mac.

It's because Linux has special requirements and Mac's have special requirements, if you don't know the intimate details of both and how to recover if something goes wrong, then your up the creek, like you are now. 😉

Direct installing Linux on a Mac requires hardware drivers to interact with your Mac particular hardware features, for the wireless card, trackpads and so forth, also to tone down the fans or they will race out of control.

Getting these hardware drivers are difficult, because Apple does NOT supply them, so it takes someone willing to hack to get ones or make ones that work with Linux.

You should start your Linux education installing it on a generic PC, installing on a Mac is not for the newbie, but a seasoned geek.

And then it's wise to use a second machine, not your primary one to install Linux, as if you need assistance you might not be able to get online with one machine.

Booting Ubuntu when internal hard disk of MACBOOK PRO is corrupted