#37 Linux identified as legacy OS
For some reason everytime I restart my macbook from linux (Mint Linux), rEFIt recognizes my linux partition as a "Legacy OS." When I select the icon I get the message: Operating System Missing (or somethign v. similar). Bootcamp also recognizes the partition as a windows install. Both fail to boot into linux.
The only way I can get into my linux partition is to re-install GRUB back onto the partition and restart from a LiveCD to my linux partition. But, if I ever restart/shutdown from my Linux partition, I'm back to where I began.
One more unusual aspect to this is that the console in rEFIt locks up / freezes after it loads up.
Not sure what to make of this as the Partitions are synced correctly:
Info from Partition Inspector:
*** Report for internal hard disk ***
Current GPT partition table:
# Start LBA End LBA Type
1 40 409639 EFI System (FAT)
2 409640 88490023 Mac OS X HFS+
3 88490024 157507624 Basic Data
4 157507625 162779177 Linux Swap
5 162779178 312576704 MS Reserved
Current MBR partition table:
# A Start LBA End LBA Type
1 1 409639 ee EFI Protective
2 409640 88490023 af Mac OS X HFS+
3 * 88490024 157507624 83 Linux
4 157507625 162779177 82 Linux swap / Solaris
MBR contents:
Boot Code: Unknown, but bootable
Logged In: NO
Ditto here. I've just tried for the 3rd time to install CentOS-5 64bit onto a Mac Pro. Install works fine. Regardless of whether I choose to install grub onto the MBR or /dev/sda3 (installed partition) I get 'missing operating system' or a locked up blank screen. The partitions were synced up correctly.
Logged In: YES
user_id=1840319
Originator: NO
I have the same problem trying to install Red Hat Fedora 7 x86_64 on a Mac Pro. Is this because the grub version is 64bit for these distros?
Anyway, I have tried it with a separate /boot partition and also all in one partition with the same result. The message is "Missing Operating System".
Logged In: NO
Same here, when running the on-boot "partition tool" to sync gpt & mbr, it says they are synced.
*** Report for internal hard disk ***
Current GPT partition table:
# Start LBA End LBA Type
1 40 409639 EFI System (FAT)
2 409640 42352679 Mac OS X HFS+
3 42352680 84557863 Basic Data
4 84557864 312319623 Mac OS X HFS+
Current MBR partition table:
# A Start LBA End LBA Type
1 1 409639 ee EFI Protective
2 409640 42352679 af Mac OS X HFS+
3 * 42352680 84557863 83 Linux
4 84557864 312319623 af Mac OS X HFS+
MBR contents:
Boot Code: Unknown, but bootable
Partition at LBA 40:
Boot Code: None (Non-system disk message)
File System: FAT32
Listed in GPT as partition 1, type EFI System (FAT)
Partition at LBA 409640:
Boot Code: None
File System: HFS Extended (HFS+)
Listed in GPT as partition 2, type Mac OS X HFS+
Listed in MBR as partition 2, type af Mac OS X HFS+
Partition at LBA 42352680:
Boot Code: None
File System: ext3
Listed in GPT as partition 3, type Basic Data
Listed in MBR as partition 3, type 83 Linux, active
Partition at LBA 84557864:
Boot Code: None
File System: Unknown
Listed in GPT as partition 4, type Mac OS X HFS+
Listed in MBR as partition 4, type af Mac OS X HFS+
Logged In: YES
user_id=1840319
Originator: NO
Apparently, when using grub (as in fedora/centos) you *must* install to the master boot record of the disk (despite all the various warnings not to), not the linux partition, if your linux partition is not the first partition on the disk. This is usually the case, as I understand it, because the EFI GPT partition is placed at the beginning of the disk. So if you've installed already, basically follow the instructions in "info grub" to install to the MBR of the first disk in the system. For me this amounted to the following (having already synchronized the partition tables using the rEFIt partition tool):
Boot from installation disk in rescue mode
get to command prompt (not chrooted)
# grub
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,2)
grub> root (hd0,2)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
Reboot. Now the linux partition on the hard disk shows up correctly in the rEFIt menu (not the Legacy OS icon). From this point forward, things worked for me.
It would be helpful to have some of this information in the rEFIt documentation. According to info grub, grub will only check the first partition on the first disk for a boot loader, so anything else must be chain-loaded anyway:
"If you install GRUB into a partition or a drive other than the first
one, you must chain-load GRUB from another boot loader. Refer to the
manual for the boot loader to know how to chain-load GRUB."
Logged In: NO
I'm using Fedora 7, x86_64 version, with a MacBook.
I had to install Fedora with no logical partitions; that is, no LVM partitions. I deleted the default partition setup and created an ext3 partition on / and a swap partition. Then, after installation, I had to use the install disc in rescue mode to set up GRUB as in the previous post from mhirsch on 8-14-2007. This combination of fixes was the key for me.
Logged In: NO
I've experience this as well; everything is exactly as you describe. I could not use bootcamp due to it giving me an error "Could not move file..." so I tried booting a livecd and used gparted to manually create the partition. Now I'm wishing bootcamp worked, but it doesn't.
Same problem as above. CentOS-5 64bit onto a Mac Pro. rEFIt shows the CentOS logo but recognise it as legace OS. When I select it. It gives me error "Missing Operating System".
HELP!
The problem seems that GRUB is dependent upon fdisk in CentOS 5.3. So fdisk doesn't work and hence grub can't find the partitions other than first EFI one. So when you install grub on hd(0,2) [i.e. /boot] it say device not found or unknown device.
The only solution is to boot from Fedora (or other linux) CD/DVD in rescue mode and install grub i.e. as listed previously:
Boot from installation disk in rescue mode get to command prompt (not chrooted)
# grub
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,2)
grub> root (hd0,2)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
Once booted from CentOs now, one may again install grub from CentOS. It works then.
HTH!
Nitin