Apple Mac and Boot Loaders for Linux Distributions

 Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Apple Mac and Boot Loaders for Linux Distributions

Apple Mac and Boot Loaders for Linux Distributions.
Boot Loaders both Grub and LiLo can be pain in the ArXXXX if one is installing as many as seven (7) distributions in one computer.
That is what I do .
Each distribution, I use for a particular purpose, for testing and demonstrations.
Sometimes it is the smallest distribution that does it well.
I am going to talk about AntiX in a while, just hold it for a moment.
Because I use so many passwords including my Bank Cards I tend to forget some of them due to lack of use.
I forgot the root password for  PCLinuxFullMonty.
One cannot ROOT without a root password in Linux.
That is my work horse and I use it everyday including for downloading distributions for testing.
I wanted to do some simple task, home keeping task, one may call it BOX keeping task, like what cricketers wear when they go out for batting.
Like cricketers protecting their testicles one has to protect important data when computing and Linux has a way of doing it.
All important tasks are delegated to root user which normal user cannot use unless he is given sudo user privilege.
I could not remember the password and I could not cover my computer genitals.
That speaks lot about Linux.
Once configured I rarely do any household task.
 Once the firewall is properly configured, one can do seamless work day after day.
No complaints.
It is true that Linux computer should run 24/7 day schedule.
.
No hassle of updating too.
I decided to format and install it again since that is what I do in December.
This time because of our industrial action and particularly the laziness acquired during long drawn out strike, this was bit delayed.
I keep entire December for enjoying and the computer also get a rest.
But not this time round, we have to extend the sessions to accommodate for the lost time.
December 1st and second I was busy installing PCLinuxFullmonty.
Only PCLinux.
Others were OK and I could remember their passwords.
Installing went OK but with a hitch.
It did not recognize some of my other distribution in its GRUB file for booting.
I Installed Debian 6.0.6.
It recognized all but but PCLinux failed to start.
The fact of the matter is PCLinux is KDE desktop.
Debian was Gnome.
They do not speak to each other.
That is true as far as GRUB booting is concerned.
Then I re-installed PCLINUX without formatting home partition.
This time Debian did not boot.
Then I go for my magic-wand.
It is called AntiX, a Debian based Mepis derivative, and tiny and install in 10 minutes.
It restored my boot Loader with all in its menu.
I used to do all this manually with Redhat and Mandake and edit the boot partition line by by line.
Mankdrake had LiLo and Redhat had very good GRUB then.
Now of cause Linux does not need a boot partition and all is integrated with root partition and they can be mounted from any partition and MBR has all the details.
Coming back to Apple Mac it is Unix based and it still uses 1 MB bootstrapping partition which none of the partition tools is able to do now.
I installed Debian in the Apple Mac and then mounted Xbuntu and reduced the home partition and installed Xbuntu on the available space.
Now it has two bootstraps but can recognize only one.
that is the last install boot partition.
Apple Mac does not have MBR like in windows and it recognize only one boot partition.
I know one thing I can do is to edit the boot menu in the boot partition using an editor.
I am too lazy to do that now and I have no idea how Apple uses its command to recognize alien distributions.
This is how Apple works and even Windows 8 is trying to emulate Apple very late in its downward trend evolution.
I can use only one Linux distribution in an Apple hardware.
It is an absolute waste of resources as far as hardware is concerned.

This is one reason I never use Apple Mac.

The second hand Apple Globe, I gave it to a young guy along with one of my old computers.

He could never figure out how to boot Apple.

I gave him the Redhat version of set of 6 CDS to install.
 

The core Debian used only 280 MB of hard disk.
That is how powerful Linux is.
Rest of Linux utilities are spread over var and user partitions.