Triple-booting Mac to install Linux

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grunze510

join:2009-02-14
Cote Saint-Luc, QC
kudos:1

GParted

Hi guys. So, I'd like to install Linux (either Mint 13 or Solus 1.1) on my mid-2007 iMac. A few weeks back, I partitioned my drive as shown in the screenshot, expecting that I'd need to or be able to create an extended partition (and therefore logical drives) for the linux stuff like Home and Swap. I used rEFIt to create a hybrid GPT/MBR partition table so that I can install the Windows 8 Release Preview. Strangely enough, GParted wouldn't let me create an Extended partition, and I eventually realized that it's seeing the partition table as GPT rather than MBR or hybrid.

Anyway, after a bit of Googling, it turns out that Linux, GParted, GRUB2 etc. can detect and boot using GPT just fine under BIOS compatibility (I'd rather not use EFI because my mac uses UEFI 1.1 and not the more common UEFI 2.0, and I think there are some driver differences as well, for example brightness control doesn't work on the Mint 13 Live USB booted as EFI). I've seen some conflicting info, some say that I should have linux before windows on the drive, some say after. Also, apparently I can install grub on the same partition as the linux distro and rEFIt should point to it.

Has anyone around here had experience with a hybrid GPT/MBR setting on a Mac so that I can fit in a swap and home partition? Comments on whether it will or won't work out?

Thanks.

to forum · permalink · 2012-06-10 20:21:05 ·

OS and Software > All Things Unix > Triple-booting Mac to install Linux

Triple-booting Mac to install Linux