Installing Ubuntu Lucid Lynx 10.04 on an Apple iMac 11,1 27"

[supidupi]

I successfully got the Ubuntu Desktop running on my iMac 11,1 27" using the following steps.
Maybe there is a better and easier way to install Ubuntu on the iMac 11,1 27" but finally it worked.

I use the minimal Ubuntu ISO image to install a commandline system. So you will need an internet connection.
Any other way to install a commandline system should also work (alternate CD or server CD).
If you choose any of the other ways to install a commandline system start with step 3.) instead of step 1.).

I am neither explaining the installation of a commandline system nor the special things about a Ubuntu installation on a Mac.
Please look at the official Ubuntu installation documentation of a commandline system:
https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/instal...d64/index.html
To get a general idea how to install Ubuntu on a Mac look at:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Intel_iMac

Look at the following thread how to get the rest of the iMac 11,1 27" hardware to work:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...highlight=iMac


1.) Download the minimal Ubuntu installation image and burn it onto a CD.
(e.g. http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dis...tboot/mini.iso)
2.) Boot from the CD.
3.) Install a command line system.
4.) After finishing the installation do not reboot
and go back to the "Ubuntu installer main menu" and select the option "Execute a shell".
5.) Add "radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset" to the linux kernel parameters using the following commands:
# sed -i 's/quiet/quiet radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/boot/grub/grub.cfg
# sed -i 's/single/single radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/boot/grub/grub.cfg
# sed -i 's/quiet/quiet radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/etc/default/grub
# sed -i 's/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset"/g' /target/etc/default/grub
6.) Reboot into the new installation.
7.) Update the Ubuntu installation:
# sudo apt-get update
# sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
# sudo apt-get autoremove
# sudo apt-get autoclean
# sudo apt-get clean
8.) Install the build essentials:
# sudo apt-get install build-essential
9.) Install the Ubuntu(Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Lubuntu) Desktop
# sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop
or
# sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop
or
# sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop
or
# sudo apt-get install lubuntu-desktop
(I tested it with kubuntu and lubuntu, but ubuntu and xubuntu should also work!)
10.) Put the latest ATI driver on the iMac (either via wget or via usb stick, ...).
(e.g. https://a248.e.akamai.net/f/674/9206...x86.x86_64.run)
11.) Start the driver installation:
# sudo sh ati-driver-installer-10-4-x86.x86_64.run
12.) Follow the instructions of the installer and execute the following command after a successful installation:
# sudo /usr/bin/aticonfig --initial
13.) Reboot the system:
# sudo reboot
13.) After a reboot of the system the desktop manager should be shown
and you are ready to start working with your new Ubuntu installation.

[Daddazio]

To solve restart issue append:

"reboot=pci"

in the line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="... reboot=pci"

of the file:

/etc/default/grub

then do

sudo update-grub

Someone get the bluetooth to work exept from the apple wireless keyboard and mouse?

Ciao, Matteo!

[MountainX]

3.) Install a command line system.

I'm stuck here.

I know you said:

I am neither explaining the installation of a commandline system nor the special things about a Ubuntu installation on a Mac.

supidupi, could you just tell me if you installed grub to sda3 or to sda4? Did you delete sda3 as suggested here?

I'm trying to figure out how to get past errors like this one:

Status: MBR partiton table is invalid, partitions overlap.
Error: Not Found returned from gptsync.efi

[MountainX]

I worked around the GPT/MBR problems by just using the "Single Boot: Linux Only" option (see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ma...elInstallation).

But after a successful install and performing your step 5

5.) Add "radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset" to the linux kernel parameters using the following commands:
# sed -i 's/quiet/quiet radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/boot/grub/grub.cfg
# sed -i 's/single/single radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/boot/grub/grub.cfg
# sed -i 's/quiet/quiet radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset/g' /target/etc/default/grub
# sed -i 's/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""/GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset"/g' /target/etc/default/grub

I get the black/blank screen on reboot. I tried several times and I checked the files for correct editing. No mistakes.

I also tried GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="reboot=pci" (and running update-grub) -- same bad result.

Any advice?

[boutil]

Hi,

What video driver are you using? If you use the free radeon driver, you might want to try something NOT newer than 6.12. On Debian, with 6.13, I am getting a black screen not because of KMS problems, but because the video is directed automatically to the extern DVI output (instead of the screen )

[ragoster]

Thank you, this worked fine for me. I was using the 10.10 ubuntu release though, and thus I used the

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/at...x86.x86_64.run

driver installer instead.

/Ragnar

[MountainX]

Thank you, this worked fine for me. I was using the 10.10 ubuntu release though, and thus I used the

http://www2.ati.com/drivers/linux/at...x86.x86_64.run

driver installer instead.

/Ragnar

Can you tell me which model iMac you have?

One way to do that is to check the serial number.

On the bottom of your iMac stand, you'll find a label with the serial number printed on it, or from the Apple menu, choose About This Mac. Configure To Order (CTO) models are designated with an asterisk (*). Check the last three characters on the serial number:
iMac (Mid 2010)
DAS, DNM* iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010)
DB7, DNN* iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010)
DB6, DNP* iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)
DB5, DNR* iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010)
iMac (Late 2009)
5PC, B9U, CY8* iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)
5PK*, B9S* iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009)
5PE, 5PJ, CYB* iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)
CYC*, 5PM*, 5RU* iMac (27-inch, Late 2009)

[MountainX]

I finally found it. Here's my problem. It's a known bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ux/+bug/597070

I hooked up an external monitor and booted into a Linux LiveCD and verified that this is indeed the issue I'm having.

Using options - radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset and installing via the Alt CD do not work around the issue for me. I gave up installing Linux on my particular iMac model (for now).

[timblack]

Just wanted to confirm another case of successfully working around this little bug by following the critically important steps of:

* install refit
* use a text installer
* install grub on linux root partition, not separate boot partition
* sync MBR/GPT using refit's partition tool
* booting the kernel with "radeon.modeset=0 nomodeset" into a recovery shell
* install proprietary ATI drivers, unload the open radeon drivers and update xorg.conf accordingly.

In my case, I have a late 2009 27" iMac with ATI Radeon 4850 (ser. no. ends in 5RU), and am actually running Debian Squeeze. To install the ATI drivers, I followed the instructions at http://wiki.debian.org/ATIProprietary#Squeeze.

[MountainX]

Just wanted to confirm another case of successfully working around this little bug ...

In my case, I have a late 2009 27" iMac with ATI Radeon 4850 (ser. no. ends in 5RU)

Thanks for confirming. Your machine is just one serial number group different from my late 2009 27" iMac. So maybe this blank display problem is limited to a very small group of iMacs. My bad luck to be a Linux user and get one of those incompatible iMacs.