[SOLVED] LMDE 201108 RC Macbook install fails

[glutamate]

Hello,

I'm having problems installing LMDE XFCE 201108 RC on a Macbook (1st gen intel, about 2007). I can boot from the CD from rEFIt, partition the hard drive with GParted as generally recommended, and install proceeds with no problems. But when I reboot into rEFIt with the CD removed i see two linux options, both labeled "boot linux from HD" and selecting either of them gives me a blank screen with a blinking cursor.

The previous LMDE liveDVD (201104 or so) installed fine without this problem, but the installed system was so broken that GCC wouldn't compile anything. I really like the idea of the update packs. Xubuntu 11.04 also installs fine on the same computer (and is just as buggy as on any other system on which I have installed it).

Here are my questions:

1) Is this a bug in 201108 RC? Should I report it?

2) Is GRUB2 to blame? I notice that "mount /dev/sda4 /mnt && sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt hd0" from the livecd fails with complaints about a GPT formatted hard drive

3) how can I install from the 201104 livecd and activate the new update pack system? Can I copy the sources.list from the newly installed system (accessed from the liveCD) to a 201104-installed system and then apt-get update && upgrade away?

[zerozero]

Q 2)- i know nothing about GPT, but the command is not correct, should be

Code: Select all

mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda 

see this tutorial for full info about grub2 http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/grub-2.html

Q3)- if the 201104 iso was installing with no issues, you can use it, but bare in mind that full update that iso today would be a lot of trouble and some terminal kung-fu. In the end of the day is doable, but i only advise this route to someone with some patience (and at ease with the terminal)

- anyway, you can start reading though these topics
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=79619
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 22&start=0
http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 27&start=0
(and browse also some of the links in there - there's useful extra info) - you should have enough for a nice evening and in the end be prepared for the jump.

- to start using the new update-packs with the old iso's refer to this topic http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 56&start=0
(specially pay some attention to the known issues)

well, i think it's all

[glutamate]

Thanks. Haven't tried your answers to Q3 yet. But Q2 unfortunately doesn't work:

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mint@mint ~ $ sudo grub-install -v
grub-install (GRUB) 1.99-8
mint@mint ~ $ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partitionless disk or to a partition.  This is a BAD idea..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

same error if I use /dev/sda4 instead of sda

Here's fdisk in case anyone is interested:

Code: Select all

mint@mint ~ $ sudo fdisk -l

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000003f6

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1          26      204819+  ee  GPT
/dev/sda2              26        7075    56623104   af  HFS / HFS+
/dev/sda3            7075        7206     1048576   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4   *        7206        9730    20273152   83  Linux

[glutamate]

Here's an update in case anyone runs into the same issue.

I was able to install 201108 RC by following these steps:

1) delete all linux related partitions in GParted from the LiveDVD
2) Boot into Mac OS X, uninstall and reinstall rEFIt
3) reinstall 201108 RC. In install wizard, install GRUB to the entire HD (/dev/sda)
4) on reboot, sync partition tables ("Partition Tool") in rEFIt menu

I still have two linux icons in the boot menu but at least now one of them works, giving me a working Mint!

[zerozero]

well, glad you got it sorted out
had to be GPT related, i think, because that warning, grub spits it up when we try to install it onto a partition, but it doesn't hurt, we can ignore it;
but this was not your case, sda is the mbr, so it shouldn't complain, and above all, shouldn't fail
anyway, good it's sorted