[all variants] Intel Macs with Hardy 'no bootable devices'

[cyberdork33]

After installing Ubuntu on an Intel Mac, you may get a 'no bootable devices' error or simply a blinking cursor after choosing Ubuntu with rEFIt., or no other operating systems show up at all when holding the Option key on startup. (You may also get a Question Mark Folder on startup). There is a bug in the installer that wipes out information about your partitions in the MBR. This data is required in order to boot what Apple calls "legacy" operating systems (meaning linux, windows).

WARNING: For those that have very complicated multi-boot systems (numerous installs of linux and/or windows). This may leave some of your installs unbootable. Please post in the forum to get specialized help with your setup.

If you Dual-Boot or Triple-Boot:

1. If you have the Question Mark Folder icon as descied above then you will need to create a rEFIt CD or install it on a USB key. Otherwise, you can install it normally from within OS X.
2. Once you boot into the rEFIt menu, choose to start the partition tool. It will ask if you want to sync your partitions. Say yes. after rebooting, you should be able to select the Linux icon in rEFIt and it will boot into your Ubuntu install.
3. PLEASE add your comment to this bug report. This is a serious issue and should be addressed. It will not get attention unless it affects a lot of people: https://bugs.edge.launchpad.net/ubun...ty/+bug/222126

Additional Problems:

After all this, choosing to boot linux from refit can cause a freeze on the Tux logo or still other problems actually booting the OS. Many people have reported this problem to go away if they power down (completely, not reboot) and try to boot into Linux a few times. Please try this first.

If that doesn't work, reinstalling Grub seems to work. Directions are here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...3&postcount=11
Although it indicates that you should install to the Ubuntu partition, you may very likely end up with two boot options if you do. Just install to the MBR unless you also have / want to install windows.

[Chaz_UK]

I've been trying for days to gat a dual Leopard/Ubuntu setup on my mini with that same error wand was just going to post a thread asking about what to do.

Thanks for posting this! Time to install.

[darcyb]

When I used refit's partition tool to sync the mbr, the behavior went from displaying the blank screen with white text "no bottable device" error, to sitting on a grey screen with the penguin image in the middle indefinitely.

When I did the partitioning with Bootcamp instead of gparted, the error message changed to a blank screen with white text "no operating system found." If I synced the mbr after that experience, I'd again get stuck on the indefinite grey screen with penguin.

[Hatfield]

My experience with a triple-boot malfunction may help some people out.
My triple boot is explained here.Long story short,

I installed Boot Camp, repartitioned the new Boot Camped partition to accommodate Vista AND Ubuntu and installed both. When I held the Options key, I would have a choice between Mac and Windows. To get to Linux, I would press Windows which would put me into GRUB where I would have a choice between Ubuntu and Vista.
So Boot Camp Option Key=
Mac=Mac
Windows=Windows or Linux(GRUB)

To clean install 8.04, I deleted the Ubuntu 7.10 partition and its swap and installed 8.04. But then when I held the Option key at boot-up, it only gave me an option for Mac. Whoops.
So Boot Camp Option Key=
Mac=Mac and that's it

Enter rEFIt. Intalled rEFIt and after syncing it gave me a choice of Mac, Linux, and Windows. But when I choose Linux, it sticks on the gray tux page and stays there. When I choose Windows, it kicks me over to GRUB like before where I have the choice between Ubuntu and Vista.
So rEFIt menu =
Mac=Mac
Linux=nothing
Windows=Windows or Linux(GRUB)(like before)

Hope this helps.

And I'm getting ready to get rid of the Vista partition.
1)Zero out the hard drive.
2)Repartition with gParted LiveCD.
3)MacOS(10.4 no more boot camp)
4)Ubuntu 8.04
5)rEFIt
I'll update the progress.

[darcyb]

For me, with Bootcamp as the partition solution, I would get a Windows startup icon while holding down the option key too, but pre-resync I would be brought to a "no operating system found" error on a blank screen. After a resync, the windows launch icon sat in the middle of the screen and wouldn't do anything further.

[calizu15]

I had the same problem and the solution from the 1st post fixed it. Thanks!
Now if I can figure out the rest of it... =)

cheers

[cyberdork33]

Originally Posted by darcyb For me, with Bootcamp as the partition solution, I would get a Windows startup icon while holding down the option key too, but pre-resync I would be brought to a "no operating system found" error on a blank screen. After a resync, the windows launch icon sat in the middle of the screen and wouldn't do anything further.

I still think you might have other problems with your partitions. If you are getting freezing with the default Mac chooser (by holding option) then this is likely a bug in Ubuntu, not refit... unfortunately, we still have not found the reason for it, nor a fix...

[nourani]

No problem upgrading from 7.10 to 8.04. But clean install of 8.04 from CD ruins the MBR table for the Linux partition. As suggested by cyberdork33, you can fix this by running the partition tool, resyncing and choosing to save this to the MBR table. The suggested MBR table should look something like this:

# A Start LBA End LBA Type
1 1 409639 ee EFI Protective
2 409640 245514279 af Mac OS X HFS+
3 * 245776424 307693959 83 Linux
4 307956111 312581111 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Cheers & good luck

[e85]

My first post here and I am a newbie to Ubuntu too so please forgive me if I am missing something obvious.

I have after some initial problems a triple boot setup in my 2006 macbook Core Duo.
It has OS X 10.4 on a HFS+ partition on which I used bootcamp to make a partition to install WINXP on and then shrinked the apple partition more o make a partition for Ubuntu 9.10 between the OSX and WINXP partition. I installed GRUB on the linux partition as well as rEFIt and triple booting worked well untill this morning.

rEFIt shows me 3 options like it did before, MacOS, generic legacy icon (for Ubuntu) and a windows flag. The partition tool show me that the partition tables are in sync but when I try to boot into Linux GRUB tells me that there are no bootable devices and I should insert a (booable) disk and then press any key. Normally Grub gave me the option to boot in Ubuntu, Ubuntu safe mode, WinXP as well as mac OS, luckily, booting in OS X (10.4) from rEFIt still works.

the three partitions visible in mac os disk utility
Mac OS Extended, with mac OS
Ext2 File System, with Ubuntu, in os x not mountable ext3 formatted partition
MS-DOS-filesystem (FAT32), with winxp and also mounted in mac os x

Any advice welcome!

/Aryan