How to install Ubuntu without a CD (Macbook Air 3,2)

**apoth** · October 29th, 2010

How can I install Ubuntu on a MBA?

I've tried creating USB flash disks and disk partitions but I can't set them as the startup disk in OSX's preferences.

It claims not to even be able to read the disks. I can verify on a separate Linux desktop that at least the USB flash disk is readable and I strongly suspect the partition I tried dd'ing the iso to is fine too. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

**SuperDodge** · October 29th, 2010

Use ReFit

**apoth** · October 29th, 2010

Thanks. I've got it installed but it doesn't seem to see the USB flash drive?

**apoth** · October 29th, 2010

I have two other partitions than OSX - one large ready for Ubuntu, one smaller one with the iso dd'd onto it.

Refit gives me the OSX icon and a legacy hard disk diamond icon - which leads to just the text 'missing operating system' being shown.

**apoth** · October 30th, 2010

So, I've tried using an external USB hard disk to boot from and refit actually gives me a Tux icon now - but choosing it still just says:

Code:

missing operating system

Any suggestions? Thanks.

**apoth** · October 30th, 2010

Why is this so difficult?

**linuxopjemac** · October 30th, 2010

maybe this helps:
http://mac.linux.be/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=88
http://mac.linux.be/content/installa...o-31-usb-stick

**apoth** · October 30th, 2010

Thanks - they offered a slightly different approach, installing rEFIt on the USB disk instead of the computer.

All I got out of it though was a different way to reach the missing operating system error.

Is that actually a grub error? I would have expected grub to show me a menu to pick a boot choice from before it got to a missing operating system error?

**apoth** · October 31st, 2010

Does anyone have any idea if it's likely that I'm doing something wrong?

If I buy an external CD/DVD drive will that make any difference? If it could does it have to be a particular drive? Obviously I don't really want to buy more hardware if I'm going to be stuck in the same situation but if that's what it takes...

**linuxopjemac** · October 31st, 2010

What you could try is to make three partitions from the OSX installation disk. One for OSX and one for Ubuntu (and one for swap later). Create a bootable USB stick with Ubuntu on it (test it on another computer). Then dd that stick to the second partition, like some other guy did:

I just got one of the new MacBook Airs today and I'm trying to install Ubuntu. I've installed refit, resized the Mac Partition, created two new partitions, used dd to image a bootable USB to one of the new partitions and I'm able to boot off of it.

When booting into Ubuntu, the screen is off-center with vertical colored bars that roll on the screen. Has anyone figured out how to get around this yet?

see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1603365