Installation woe

[jeremy_bloomfield]

Tried downloading the .iso image for Mac today. I used Ubuntu some years ago on a Power PC Mac but todays experience is enough to put me off completely. The .iso image says there are no mountable file systems - and the installer disk can't be recognised. The process for making a bootable thumb drive is so tortuous - surely this could be simplified - after all Macs don't even come with an optical drive these days.

Is there an easy way to get an installer?

[oldfred]

I do not know Macs, and the different versions seem to have different issues.

Fix for making bootable Ubuntu Live USB with persistence using Unetbootin on a Mac
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2174630


http://askubuntu.com/questions/580202/refit-refind-grub2-what-is-the-right-way-for-ubuntu-14-10-on-a-mac
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBookPro
Bugs Ubuntu fails to properly boot on Macbook Air 2013 6,1 & 6,2 - Use UEFI not CSM
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1197451
Post #6 booting Kubuntu 12.10 in EFI mode on my Mac, by trogdor1138
Boot Ubuntu from efi with Mac trogdor1138
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2091257
MacBook Pro 8,2: howto for dual boot Ubuntu/MacOS EFI with rEFInd
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2157775


http://www.rodsbooks.com/ubuntu-efi/index.html

http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/

[jeremy_bloomfield]

Thanks. I can see that there are workarounds. But shouldn't it be easy? If the developers want Ubuntu to be accepted - rather than be the domain of a few geeks - then it needs to be easily installed. And no faffing around with Terminal!

[grahammechanical]

One reason we buy a machine with an OS pre-installed is to avoid all the faffing around that you speak of. Sadly, Corporations like Apple are not inclined to sell their machines with Linux pre-installed. Nor, are they inclined to make it easy for Linux developers to understand their hardware. A fact of life.

[ian-weisser]

Is there an easy way to get an installer?

We are open to suggestions....

[jeremy_bloomfield]

I started all over again with different hardware - managed to get the iso image burnt, but the Mac spits it out at boot time. Any answers anyone? (I know the burn was good and I know the drive is working)