grub2 EFI boot loader internal/external booting

[buntuLo]

the two cards are actually 9600Mgt and 9400M.
kdas, could you please post me also the full menuentry from your grub.conf? i'm still not able to boot up the iso... thanks! Lo.

[pxwpxw]

The grub2 efi bootloader in the attached tarball can be used to boot from HD or USB, the grub.cfg will need adding a menuentry to boot from HD, and the /efi directory contents may need to be merged with existing rEFIt /efi contents.


This is the grub.cfg used to boot live ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso. It is from the tarball below and expalnation is found on the thread -
How to create a Live-USB-Stick, that is able to boot a Mac
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...29&postcount=7
and subsequent posts.
This is the loop mounted iso method as distinct from System-Admin-Usb Startup Disk Creator which copies casper/ .disk/ and files from an iso to the usb stick, and creates casper-rw for persistence. (casper-rw has to be done manually for the iso).
I added a typical menuentry for booting casper.

## grub.cfg pxw 20090916

menuviewer="text"

timeout=20
default=0

set F1=ctrl-x

set color_normal=yellow/red

menuentry "reboot from grub.cfg fat usb " {
reboot
}
menuentry "use /grub2.cfg" {
 search --set -f /grub2.cfg
 configfile /grub2.cfg
}
menuentry "OSX" {
	search --set -f /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
	chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
}
menuentry "A ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso " {
 fakebios
 search --set -f /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 loopback loop /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso noefi
 initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "B ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso fbdev " {
 fakebios
 search --set -f /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 loopback loop /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso video=efifb fbdev noefi single
 initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "C ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso fbdev persistent" {
 fakebios
 search --set -f /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 loopback loop /ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso
 linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso persistent video=efifb fbdev noefi
 initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64 casper fbdev single persistent " {
 fakebios
 search --set -f /casper/vmlinuz
 linux /casper/vmlinuz boot=casper video=efifb fbdev noefi single persistent
 initrd /casper/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "D slax iso console" {
	fakebios
	search --set -f /slax-6.1.2.iso
	loopback iso /slax-6.1.2.iso
	linux (iso)/boot/vmlinuz from=/slax-6.1.2.iso  ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw 
	initrd (iso)/boot/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "E slax iso console persistent" {
	fakebios
	search --set -f /slax-6.1.2.iso
	loopback iso /slax-6.1.2.iso
	linux (iso)/boot/vmlinuz from=/slax-6.1.2.iso  ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw changes=slaxper.dat
	initrd (iso)/boot/initrd.gz
}
menuentry "CD" {
   appleloader CD
}
menuentry "MBR1" {
   appleloader HD
}
menuentry "REBOOT" {
	reboot
}

Other menuentry examples for booting ubuntu on HD
(edit 20090925)

# boot ubuntu from HD sda3, 
# more - see http://grub.enbug.org/TestingOnMacbook
menuentry "3A sda3 ubuntu-9.04-amd64 X default " {
 fakebios
 root=hd0,3
 linux  /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 noefi
 initrd  /initrd.img
}
menuentry "3B sda3 ubuntu-9.04-amd64 fbdev single " {
 fakebios
 root=hd0,3
 linux  /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 video=efifb noefi fbdev single
 initrd  /initrd.img
}
# requires grub-dumpbios from pcbios boot initially 
menuentry "3C sda3 ubuntu-9.04-amd64 fglrx" {
 search --set -f /boot/vbios.bin
 loadbios /boot/vbios.bin /boot/int10.bin
 root=hd0,3
 linux  /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 noefi
 initrd  /initrd.img
}

[buntuLo]

This is the gruub.cfg used to boot live ubuntu-9.04-desktop-amd64.iso. It is from the tarball below and expalnation is found on the thread -
How to create a Live-USB-Stick, that is able to boot a Mac
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...29&postcount=7
and subsequent posts.

thanks! i'm actually coming from that post. in fact i decided to give it a try exactly when you posted that nice summary, with the idea of tasting some distros. i ended up writing here, as those instruction did not work for me yesterday. and as i saw here somebody able to do it with my same harware, i was guessing that he used some specific options.
this evening i try again the same usb stick, without making any change to it. option A does not work, but B (video=efifb fbdev noefi single) does! X does not find any video device, and i'm aware that i need to correct xorg.conf for that.
apart from this, i shutdown and restart the machine, three times consecutively. again, as yesterday, it gets stuck every time after i choose the B grub option, showing me the graphic card address on red background. no usb access. after ten minutes i have to power it off cause of overheat. fourth time, consecutive, same B option, the booting process proceeds properly after the previous screen, and the kernel is properly loaded till a console login.
i should also report (what appears to me as) another inconsistency: every time i shut down the box, and manually restart it, i get to the boot selection rEFIt screen, which gives me only three options: the usual tux and apple logos on internal disk, and a legacy os on the usb stick. the only way get the two grub.efi executables which are on the stick is to choose reboot from the rEFIt screen, and let it come back with the three previous options plus the two grub.efi files, both starting up properly.
tomorrow i'll try another usb stick, i don't know what else i could think of, and let you know.

[kdas]

the two cards are actually 9600Mgt and 9400M.
kdas, could you please post me also the full menuentry from your grub.conf? i'm still not able to boot up the iso... thanks! Lo.

I threw away the options because i needed my usb disk for school. As I said my setting are hella generic(yes i am form cali). Also, i am running archlinux which operates quite differently than ubuntu and also has different versions of software than ubuntu. So, i advise asking some of the pros here for help.

[pxwpxw]

thanks! i'm actually coming from that post. in fact i decided to give it a try exactly when you posted that nice summary, with the idea of tasting some distros.
...
i shutdown and restart the machine, three times consecutively. again, as yesterday, it gets stuck every time after i choose the B grub option, showing me the graphic card address on red background. no usb access. after ten minutes i have to power it off cause of overheat. fourth time, consecutive, same B option, the booting process proceeds properly after the previous screen, and the kernel is properly loaded till a console login.
...
the only way get the two grub.efi executables which are on the stick is to choose reboot from the rEFIt screen, and let it come back with the three previous options plus the two grub.efi files, both starting up properly.
...

That is a variable result, hard to understand, but sometimes it works?

Which version grub.efi are you using, I assume you are using ubuntu 904-amd64.

Have you tried the bootx64.efi from the tarball in post above.
It should also give you an EFIboot icon for an Option key restart from the USB stick, without using rEFIt.

I also find that if rEFIt will not show the grub.efi icon, I have to restart with the Option key, and then go to refit. That is on MBP41. Your MBP51 seems to give different results.

Regarding the loop iso configuration, Ubuntu and Slax are the only full linux distro's I have found to support it (others are grml, parted magic, and a test version of gparted live... ).

[buntuLo]

That is a variable result, hard to understand, but sometimes it works?

till now it worked two times over ten :~(

Which version grub.efi are you using, I assume you are using ubuntu 904-amd64. Have you tried the bootx64.efi from the tarball in post above.

correct: u904-desktop-amd64 with bootx64.efi (actually i'm still using the one from the other thread (Live-USB-Stick), i assume it is the same file). all files are on a fat32 stick.

It should also give you an EFIboot icon for an Option key restart from the USB stick, without using rEFIt.

need to check it, don't remember about it..

Regarding the loop iso configuration, Ubuntu and Slax are the only full linux distro's I have found to support it.

i'd be already very happy to try karmic on usb, and compare the latest gnome and kde. the alpha5 livecd runs pretty good on this macbook, lots of mactel stuff went upstream.. thanks :~)

[produnis]

It should also give you an EFIboot icon for an Option key restart from the USB stick, without using rEFIt.

Tested it with my colleague's MacbookPro1,1 and Macbook1,1
Both won't see the EFI-Usb without having rEFIt installed.
After an installation of rEFIt, the USB-Stick shows up while booting with option-key...

strange

[pxwpxw]

Tested it with my colleague's MacbookPro1,1 and Macbook1,1
Both won't see the EFI-Usb without having rEFIt installed.
After an installation of rEFIt, the USB-Stick shows up while booting with option-key...

strange

That is strange, unless you mean rEFIt is installed on the USB stick.

For 32bit efi it would need rename bootx64.efi to bootia32.efi to get boot without refit. (mb2,1 works with bootia32.efi).
Dont know if the MBPro1,1 is 32bit EFI or 64 - 'About refit' should show it.
Also Option key boot might not work for earyly versions of Apple EFI, I have only checked the later UEFI spec about booting
/efi/boot/bootia32.efi or bootx64.efi. (Some refs in post#992 above).

[pxwpxw]

till now it worked two times over ten :~(

correct: u904-desktop-amd64 with bootx64.efi (actually i'm still using the one from the other thread (Live-USB-Stick), i assume it is the same file). all files are on a fat32 stick.

Yes, the same tarball. I dont know what to suggest there. 2/10 is better than 0. Are there any Apple EFI/firmware updates, or maybe another USB stick as you suggested.

i'd be already very happy to try karmic on usb, and compare the latest gnome and kde. the alpha5 livecd runs pretty good on this macbook, lots of mactel stuff went upstream.. thanks :~)

Yes, a good way to check new versions. Unfortunately there seems to be a bug with EFI booting the live desktop karmic with 2.6.31 kernel ( was ok for 2.6.30 alpha2 I think). That is my result for MB41 and IMAC81 amd64. Waiting to see kernel 2.6.32.

[buntuLo]

It should also give you an EFIboot icon for an Option key restart from the USB stick, without using rEFIt.

need to check it, don't remember about it..

right, booting up with the Option key pressed, i can select the gru .efi executables, and bypass rEFIt. great.

Are there any Apple EFI/firmware updates

i really don't know osx, but i'd guess that efi updates would simply shouw up in the general system updates.. if this is the case, everything is up-to-date here.

or maybe another USB stick as you suggested.

as i hoped, let's say :~) testing a 2gb kingston stick, new download of the same iso: it boots up the first time, it does not the second and the third. same result, unless we want to say that 1/3 is better than 2/10 :~)

Unfortunately there seems to be a bug with EFI booting the live desktop karmic with 2.6.31 kernel (was ok for 2.6.30 alpha2 I think). That is my result for MB41 and IMAC81 amd64. Waiting to see kernel 2.6.32.

indeed, i didn't succeed in booting up karmic alpha5 from usb.