circa 2007 Mac Mini with MX linux running previously.
Using PC Windows keyboard.
I have tried cold booting while holding ALT, windows key, CTRL and ALT, windows key and ALT.
On boot w endeavor live boot, first time install, I only see the mouse cursor (if I hold ALT on boot) which I can move but I can’t get to the first installation screen.
On MX:
Usually I’d delete all files from hard disk and MX would recognize there is no OS and the installation screen would come up.
I was running 64bit MX (based on debian) before.
It’s about getting to the installation screen.
It is about triggering EFI to somehow get to the installation screen.
On MX I would bork the whole system so there would be no disk to boot from instead of the flash drive.
On Endeavor this does not happen.
Using PC Windows keyboard.
I have tried cold booting while holding ALT, windows key, CTRL and ALT, windows key and ALT.
On boot w endeavor live boot, first time install, I only see the mouse cursor (if I hold ALT on boot) which I can move but I can’t get to the first installation screen.
I think your machine has a 64 bit CPU, but a 32 bit EFI boot. Most of the MAcs from that time period have that. This means you can run a 64 bit system, but you have to tinker a bit to make the ISO pass through the 32 bit EFI boot.
The reason why MX Linux does pass is because Debian still supports 32 bit, Arch doesn’t.
appears to have 64 EFI, but 32* boot ( * These models are believed to be hardware capable of booting MacOS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” in 64-bit mode, but it appears that they have been blocked in EFI from doing so. Unauthorized hacks are available."
I think the boot EFI applies before the MacOS/OS-X is even installed. Remember Macs are not just software, they are hardware too unlike Windows or Linux. The Apple boot thing is in the firmware I think. It’s been along time since I hacked around with one of my old MacBooks so I’m not sure. Refind is a good thing though, and there is even it’s old predecessor Refit although that might only handle 32-bit only.
My MacBooks are 2006 (32-bit) & 2010 (64-bit). I’ve only hacked the first one with Refit. The second one runs Sierra and I’m leaving that one alone
This used to work on my old MacBook Pro 2006, it has been a few years ago since I last used it but the “mod your own ISO” chapter worked like a charm with every distro I ran.
I followed the procedure at mesom.de
created the usb boot disk.
there is an error followed by grub editor appearing with various options.
I’ll have a look at it again tomorrow.
On boot an error briefly flashes: “error reading…”. It quickly disappears.
grub edit starts. If I use ‘boot’ command, I get “you need to load kernel”.
If I exit grub edit, system starts booting from hard drive.
Trying refind. Installed 0.13 .deb
It’s not active at boot. Attempted to use
sudo refind-mkdefault and got
“rEFInd is already the first entry
No changes saved.”