For the last 3 days I've been trying to install Ubuntu on a MacBookPro8-2 running High Sierra, in order to run an IOTA node.
I've tried Ubuntu 18.04 into a VM first and I quite like it. I also can use it when booting from USB drive.
So, I started from a clean install of my MacBook Pro and followed all the tutorials I could find online. The one that appeared to me as the most Beginner friendly was this one, even though its for 16.04. I tried 16.04, but couldn't even install it (from https://www.lifewire.com/dual-boot-linux-and-mac-os-4125733):
- Partitioning the SSD
- Creating Bootable USB Drive with Etcher
- Installing rEFInd
- Booting
- nomodeset to prevent getting stuck on Boot
- Installing from "Try Ubuntu without installing"
- Selecting FAT32 partition
- Installing
All these steps are going flawlessly. Then I Restart, and remove USB Drive. Upon restart I select my Ubuntu install in rEFInd and press Enter. But then I see a black screen with some text in the middle. It does not stay more than a fraction of a second so I can't read it. Then I get the Ubuntu purple background screen, without the logo or login prompt. And it just stays there forever.
I ended up having the same issue regardless which tutorial I was following. I even tried to install Ubuntu as my only OS, removing OS X, ending up with the same problem.
I've tried other post from Stack Exchange saying I should press Shift to access GRUB, but after I select Linux in rEFInd, the purple screen comes instantly. I never managed to get the grub screen.