[gentoo-user] Gentoo on MacBook

[gentoo-user] Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

Hi There,

I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
(the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
knows how to do it.

Thanks,
Moshe

Re: [gentoo-user] Gentoo on MacBook

[covici]

Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:

> Hi There,
> 
> I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> knows how to do it.

What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.

-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici
         covici@ccs.covici.com

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

* covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [08/09/11 23:18]:
> Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> 
> > Hi There,
> > 
> > I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> > have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> > (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> > knows how to do it.
> 
> What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
> holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.
> 

That helped, thanks!

Moshe

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

* Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> [08/09/11 23:30]:
> * covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [08/09/11 23:18]:
> > Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > Hi There,
> > > 
> > > I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> > > have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> > > (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> > > knows how to do it.
> > 
> > What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
> > holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.
> > 
> 
> That helped, thanks!
> 

I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:

Looking for CDROM

Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
Media not found
Determining root device...
Could not find the root block device in .
Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
for a shell, or "q" to skip

(The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).

Thanks,
Moshe

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[covici]

Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:

> * Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> [08/09/11 23:30]:
> > * covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [08/09/11 23:18]:
> > > Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Hi There,
> > > > 
> > > > I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> > > > have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> > > > (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> > > > knows how to do it.
> > > 
> > > What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
> > > holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.
> > > 
> > 
> > That helped, thanks!
> > 
> 
> I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
> layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:
> 
> Looking for CDROM
> 
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
> Media not found
> Determining root device...
> Could not find the root block device in .
> Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
> for a shell, or "q" to skip
> 
> (The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).

Why not install it as a virtual machine under the OSX?  Much easier and
you can have both working at once and the performance is not bad at all.

-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici
         covici@ccs.covici.com

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

* covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [09/09/11 02:15]:
> Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> 
> > * Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> [08/09/11 23:30]:
> > > * covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [08/09/11 23:18]:
> > > > Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > > Hi There,
> > > > > 
> > > > > I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> > > > > have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> > > > > (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> > > > > knows how to do it.
> > > > 
> > > > What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
> > > > holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > That helped, thanks!
> > > 
> > 
> > I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
> > layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:
> > 
> > Looking for CDROM
> > 
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
> > Media not found
> > Determining root device...
> > Could not find the root block device in .
> > Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
> > for a shell, or "q" to skip
> > 
> > (The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).
> 
> Why not install it as a virtual machine under the OSX?  Much easier and
> you can have both working at once and the performance is not bad at all.
> 

I didn't consider it, since I don't really need the OSX, but I might 
give it a try. Is there a particular VM you recommend?

Thanks,
Moshe

Re: [gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[covici]

Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:

> * covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [09/09/11 02:15]:
> > Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > * Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> [08/09/11 23:30]:
> > > > * covici@ccs.covici.com <covici@ccs.covici.com> [08/09/11 23:18]:
> > > > > Moshe Kamensky <moshe.kamensky@googlemail.com> wrote:
> > > > > 
> > > > > > Hi There,
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > I am trying to install Gentoo dual boot on a MacBook Pro (17 inch). I 
> > > > > > have refit installed, but the problem is that I cannot boot from the CD 
> > > > > > (the option is not available in the menu). I was wondering if someone 
> > > > > > knows how to do it.
> > > > > 
> > > > > What happens if you hold the c key  when you hear the chime -- keep
> > > > > holding for a minute or so and it should boot from the cd.
> > > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > That helped, thanks!
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
> > > layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:
> > > 
> > > Looking for CDROM
> > > 
> > > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
> > > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
> > > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
> > > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
> > > Media not found
> > > Determining root device...
> > > Could not find the root block device in .
> > > Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
> > > for a shell, or "q" to skip
> > > 
> > > (The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).
> > 
> > Why not install it as a virtual machine under the OSX?  Much easier and
> > you can have both working at once and the performance is not bad at all.
> > 
> 
> I didn't consider it, since I don't really need the OSX, but I might 
> give it a try. Is there a particular VM you recommend?
Vmware fusion is good, and I have heard good things about parallells.
Also remember they use a different BIOS on the MAC and this may be part
of the problem you are having.


-- 
Your life is like a penny.  You're going to lose it.  The question is:
How do
you spend it?

         John Covici
         covici@ccs.covici.com

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

> > > Why not install it as a virtual machine under the OSX?  Much 
> > > easier and
> > > you can have both working at once and the performance is not bad at all.
> > > 
> > 
> > I didn't consider it, since I don't really need the OSX, but I might 
> > give it a try. Is there a particular VM you recommend?
> Vmware fusion is good, and I have heard good things about parallells.
> Also remember they use a different BIOS on the MAC and this may be part
> of the problem you are having.
> 


Thanks for the suggestion. As I wrote in the other post, I started using 
VirtualBox, and it works perfectly, and is actually better than the dual 
boot option.

Thanks,
Moshe

Re: [gentoo-user] Gentoo on MacBook

[Stroller]

On 9 September 2011, at 04:50, Moshe Kamensky wrote:
> ...
> I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
> layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:
> 
> Looking for CDROM
> 
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
> Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
> Media not found
> Determining root device...
> Could not find the root block device in .
> Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
> for a shell, or "q" to skip
> 
> (The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).

What CD are you trying to boot? I would try different LiveCDs until you find one that works.

The Gentoo wiki suggests that an older version of the Gentoo Minimal CD might work (2008.0 or earlier), otherwise try SystemRescueCD, Knoppix, Ubuntu and others.

I appreciate that Google may not easily distinguish between 8 or 12 completely different hardware configurations all called "macbook", but the information is out there.

http://www.google.com/search?q=gentoo%20install%20macbook%20pro

If yours is a newish model then click on the "more search tools" link on the left hand side and choose "past year".

This discusses booting a MacBoo Pro in some detail:
http://myhumblecorner.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/gentoo-and-a-little-ubuntu-on-a-macbook-pro-53/
It probably won't be your model, but it's worth checking.

When installing Gentoo the important thing is getting booted from LiveCD to a command prompt. If you can achieve that then you know that you can surely install Gentoo, because from then onwards you're only unpacking a tarball and setting up a bootloader. 

Stroller.

[gentoo-user] Re: Gentoo on MacBook

[Moshe Kamensky]

* Stroller <stroller@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> [09/09/11 12:27]:
> 
> On 9 September 2011, at 04:50, Moshe Kamensky wrote:
> > ...
> > I was happy to soon... It now boots, but after asking me about keyboard 
> > layout, it tries to find the cdrom and fails, with messages like:
> > 
> > Looking for CDROM
> > 
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda1
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda2
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda3
> > Attempting to mount media /dev/sda4
> > Media not found
> > Determining root device...
> > Could not find the root block device in .
> > Please specify another value or: press Enter for the same, type "shell 
> > for a shell, or "q" to skip
> > 
> > (The /dev/sda* are partitions on my HD).
> 
> What CD are you trying to boot? I would try different LiveCDs until you find one that works.
> 
> The Gentoo wiki suggests that an older version of the Gentoo Minimal CD might work (2008.0 or earlier), otherwise try SystemRescueCD, Knoppix, Ubuntu and others.
> 

Thanks for the help. I was using the latest LiveCD version (Sep 8, I 
believe). I also tried a recent grml, no luck. I could probably make it 
work, but I have no time right now. I am now running Gentoo within 
VirtualBox, which works fine and is actually better, because some people 
are using the osx. Anyway, thank for the help.

Moshe