27 FEB 2008 GEEK & COMPUTER 3 min read

MacBook install: triple boot: linux, windows, Mac OS

This details the installation of a MacBook white, shipped in the beginning of 2008.

Set up Mac OS X

Updates

First before anything, update to the latest MacOS X.5.2, and all the necessary downloads… Reboot as many times as needed

Software

Then, install VLC, Firefox 3 béta, Adium and Xcode if you need it.

Done.

Quite easy, so far, no ?

Install Windows XP

Be sure to have your Windows XP SP2 CD and a legit license number.

Bootcamp

Go to spotlight, look for Boot Camp assistant or find it from your Applications folder.

  • Run it.

  • Prepare a disk space for Windows ( 16GB is ok, I think )

  • Quit and re-run it.

  • Install Windows with your CD Rom inside.

  • Reboot and wait during all the Windows installation that is long and needs a couple of reboots. Mine did fail once, for no obvious reasons.

Windows XP

Once you have your complete Windows XP installation, you will see a Boot Camp icon on your task bar. Keep it.

  • Put the Apple OS X CD-ROM in, and let it do all the installation of the drivers. It may require some reboots, but at the end, you have a very new and completely functional Windows XP!

  • Reboot

  • Do your Windows Update and reboot and again, and reboot, and again… Until nothing appears there.

  • Launch the Boot Camp assistant and Default Mac OS HD

Mac OS again

Reboot to mac OS. Be pleased.

Linux

This should work with any distribution and was tested with Debian and Ubuntu

Resize

  • Go to Applications/Utils and launch Disk Tool

  • Split and resize the main partition in order to have a new partition that you name Linux and format in HFS. (16GB here)

  • Check everything.

Reboot on linux

  • Put your linux live CD and reboot

  • Press C to boot on the CD

  • Launch your live-CD and install linux.

Install

During the install I deleted the new partition and added two in place:

  • One root partition /

  • One swap 1GB

  • Finish everything, reboot

You should be careful to install your grub in your linux partition and NOT in the MBR, to let reFit do it correctly.

rEFIt

On Mac OS X, install rEFIt and configure it quite quickly.

Reboot and use rEFIt to boot on linux using the “option” key.

Configure linux

You have all you want working except the wireless… Which is a Broadcom BCM4328

sudo apt-get install ndiswrapper-utils-1.9

Find in your Windows partition your wireless drivers:

sudo su

cp -r /media/Windows/WINDOWS/DRVSTORE/bcmwl5_**/ /root/

mv bcmwl5_*** bcmw

cd bcmw

ndiswrapper -i bcmwl5.inf

ndiswrapper -l

ndiswrapper -m

modprobe ndiswrapper

ifconfig

Updates

Uncomment what is needed in your sources.list.

Reboot.

Problems

If you have any issues, like not having the linux partition shown anymore, reinstall grub on your linux partition with a live-CD.