Tell me more ×
Ask Ubuntu is a question and answer site for Ubuntu users and developers. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 0 down vote favorite

I run on an intel core 2 duo late 2009 imac 21.5"

I have rEFIt installed which changes boot camp (efi or w.e) to show a triple os boot, mac, windows, and linux.

I want to install to my WD Elements 2TB external HDD but it never works, i've been through some techniques in the installation to get it to work.

So.. i install boot loader (grub) to sdb like i should, sdb has root, boot, and swap partitions (as well as free space).. dw boot has at least 258mb.

When i reach the end of the setup where it tells me to restart my computer i hit that, then it comes to a black screen showing logging information, closing processes and whatnot, then the mac ejects the installation disc and tells me to hit enter to restart.

EVERY FRICKEN TIME i do this (from installing) it freezes as SOON as i hit enter ;'(! So i have to force-off my mac and reboot. I've tried rebooting with and without rEFIt cd but still (unless i hold alt (or option for you mac users) it goes to the rEFIt treiple boot screen, it shows linux so i click that, and it boots up windows instead.. WTF? Can someone please help, otherwise i'll be turned off linux or ubuntu :(

[EDIT:] Sorry for this being too long for some people, really, it's not that long ;)

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 0 down vote

Did you try this : http://lifehacker.com/5531037/how-to-triple+boot-your-mac-with-windows-and-linux-no-boot-camp-required

share|improve this answer
UNMARK THAT AS ANSWER! I'm sorry, it's not your fault, i've already been through that and nearly every tut on the sun,. that does not help, neither do otehrs, it INSTALLS PROPERLY RIGHT UP UNTIL THE POINT WHERE I HAVE TO RESTART.. then on the black screen like i say in this thread, i hit enter when it asks me to after ejecting the cd it does by tself then it freezes, i already have rEFIt installed; like i said. but when i click on LINUX (which also shows next to it (take a look at the tut) my external hard drive's icon which is different to the internal hard drive icons for my mac and windows – David Robinson Feb 24 '12 at 8:28
and when i hit linux (after it apparently installed correctly until it froze and i had to force my mac off) it boots up into windows... WTF?! – David Robinson Feb 24 '12 at 8:29
up vote 0 down vote

i think your problem may lie in trying to triple boot using an external hard drive. you'll probably have more success triple booting using internal hard drives only as external disks can change directory when peripherals are added and removed.

so maybe try again using internal drives only? i gave the lifehacker article above a quick whirl in my snow leopard vm and had no issues with the procedure. an alternative would be to install ubuntu to your portable hard drive as a normal installation (complete with mbr and all partitions on the hdd) which is possibly a more complicated way , but seems less messy.

hopefully this helps you

share|improve this answer
had no issues? yer but obviously you didn't try one with external hard drive, i have formatted in the right ways and partitioned in the right ways under the sun for ubuntu but ubuntu just refuses to install properly to external hard drive, and about internal hard drives, no, bootcamp on a mac makes only 2 partitions to the mac's MAIN hard drive (mine being 1 tera) so i have 500gb mac and 500gb windows, external hard drive i want to try linux on, seems an impossibility now, they'll need to update it to make a part in the installer separate for external hard drives and perfectly instaling it. – David Robinson Feb 24 '12 at 16:42
oh and if u try to install it to the external hard drive normally (ie: without going to advanced partitionaing tool) it does partition the external hard drive BUT you cannot see where the grub is installing, thus when i tried going through normal install i get the fatal grub error, because it tried to install grub to the internal hdd :( it asks for you to change where to install it, but as soon as you change it to sbd and hit ok; it instantly comes up with anotehr window asking for you to restart whci i know obviously means it did NOTinstall grub to sdb... it failed)..even normally it fails :( – David Robinson Feb 24 '12 at 16:44

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.