Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on a macbook, not working...

Hello, I found a couple guides to installing Intrepid on my macbook. I tried dual boot, and single boot. I used gParted to create an msdos boot partition, installed as normal, but when it reboots, I just get to a grey screen with a flashing question mark.
Any ideas? I'm sure it should work as others have reported it works fine.

 

Ok I found the solution, to the single boot problem any way.
I found an article online, that says the Ubuntu partition must be "blessed". So, by booting from the OS X install disc, go to Utilities -> Terminal and type "diskutil list", which should bring up a list of the partitions on your hard drive. The Ubuntu install should be listed as disk0s1. Then in the terminal, type "bless -device /dev/disk0s1 -setBoot -legacy -verbose". I did that and rebooted, and it worked.
Hopefully someone may find this useful some day.

 

It's great to see people who look for answers even after they've asked the question. Hope you enjoy ubuntu!

 

I am so far, but had to toast OS X to get it to work. I'm still searching for articles on dual booting leopard/ubuntu, but they all suggest refit. Is there any way to do it without refit?

 

Usually it's easier to make dual boot when you install Linux second, as its grub automatically detects other operating system you've already installed on the hard drive. Although you can still make dual boot by booting into Live CD to configure grub, it'll save you some steps.

Does grub detect OSX though?

 

Well, I've been reading about it. Apparently, it's a problem with Grub not able to deal with the hybrid GPT/MBR of apple computers, and Grub clears the MBR after partitioning, so the EFI can't see the ubuntu partition. Refit supposedly fixes that by resyncing the GPT and MBR partition tables. So I guess without refit, a dual boot is a no go. Also, apparently this has been a known problem since atleast mid 2006, so I cannot imagine why 2.5 years later it's still not been fixed.

Here's to open source software.

 

Cause people donate their expertise to make this happen. They schedule's a little more flexible then if you're getting paid.

 

I understand that, but as I understand it, it's been listed as a critical bug for 2.5 years, and I can't see why something so critical (as in, completely unbootable system) would go so long without being fixed. Ok granted, it's just on apple computers, and that's still a small % of the OS marketshare. Linux is a good concept, but I'm disappointed (again) by how buggy this release is (just like the last). Completely broken bluetooth in ubuntu 8.10, incomplete kde4 on kubuntu, unbootable system and forced to use a third party app like rEFIt. Plus I was getting some strange app crashes, just doing random things, it said something about the sound system. 8.04 was pretty buggy too from my experience, and it's unfortunate that it seems the OSS community can't seem to get it together. I'm just surprised by how much developement and time has gone into it and it still seems to not be ready for the masses.
Guess I'll be waiting for jaunty...

 

The only problem I've ever had with Ubuntu is the WiFi not working out of the box and it gets less battery life than Windows out of the box. I can do most everything I can do in Windows with it, except maybe watch Blu-Rays. I don't know, it's a free OS. Take it as such.

 

I'd like to take it as my primary OS. I like OS X, but I like k/ubuntu a bit more, I just wish it was a little more polished. I might install it again and give it a real chance. Now that Canonical is offering Powerdvd Linux for sale, I'd feel much better watching movies in linux so I can forego OS X. Unfortunately, my digital camera is not recognized in OS X (on intel macs), and there are no drivers available to download (thanks Canon! ), but it's recognized out of the box in ubuntu, which is important to me for when I go on my trip.
[/ramblings]

 

Well this is an interesting update. I was able to borrow a friend's internet connection for awhile, and downloaded the Ubuntu 8.04.2 ISO. I installed it, and not only did I not have to "bless" the drive with the OS X disc, but it's not as buggy as 8.04/8.10 was for me, and bluetooth actually works again.
So it's a pity that 8.10 has so many bugs, perhaps they'll get fixed with an 8.10.1 update.

 

No they won't. Only LTS releases get point releases, and 8.10 isn't an LTS.

 

So for those that run 8.10, they have to run updates from within Ubuntu?