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I would like to erase the existing operating system and install Ubuntu on my Macbook6.1.

I am following this tutorial to create a bootable USB device. But my USB stick does not appear as bootable device in Apple's 'Startup Manager' on step 7.

I set the format to MS-DOS (FAT) and the scheme to GUID Partition Map when preparing my USB stick on step 3.

I tried with the 18.04.1 and the 12.04.5 releases, and I tried using Etcher (as in the tutorial) and UNetbootin to install the disk image on my USB.

I am using a mid-2014 Macbook Pro to prepare the USB stick.

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  • Welcome to AskUbuntu! When you say it doesn't boot, does the mac attempt to boot it but it gives you a blank bootup screen? I.e., hold Cmd-C on power up and choose usb booting?
    – Bernard Wei
    Aug 28, 2018 at 19:17
  • @BernardWei Thank you! I mean that the USB doesn't appear as a boot option when holding the option key on power up (as seen here). The macbook boots whitout any option when holding Cmd-C.
    – tvoirand
    Aug 29, 2018 at 9:04

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I finally managed to boot from the USB using rEFInd.

I found rEFInd here. I installed it in the original OS on the Macbook6.1 by running the install-refind script.

More information about refind here.

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UNetbootin makes creating a bootable USB straight forward.

Warning: make sure all important data is safe before doing this!

  • In UNetbootin, browse to your disk image, select your bootable drive and click ok and wait for the installer to finish.

  • Turn off your computer and back on again while holding Option. Your bootable USB will appear as UEFI.

  • Boot in and follow the default installer (selecting 'Erase disk and install Ubuntu').

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  • I tried using UNetbootin to create a bootable USB. The USB still does not appear when powering up my Macbook while holding Option.
    – tvoirand
    Aug 29, 2018 at 9:51
  • Same issue here.
    – Flyn Sequeira
    Mar 1, 2020 at 21:14
  • Maybe, your system uses a different key to Option? Can you navigate to the USB in your file directory and see squashfs? Are you sure the installation completed?; it should take about 15 minutes. Did you run unetbootin with su write privileges? There are a few different methods of creating a bootable USB, but I have found Unetbootin to be the most reliable/easy.
    – jackw11111
    Mar 1, 2020 at 22:36

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