How to: Mac+usb+reFIT install?...

[.K.S.]

Ok, here's the situation: Running a 2nd gen Mac, (no boot camp or par.) have reFIT so i can dual boot Mac and ubuntu. Decided to go with the usb install.

Mounted, and copied boot and bt3 folders over. NOW: when i try to run ./bootinst.sh (from mac) it tells me:

KS-Box:/Volumes/SlackStic/boot KillaSoundBoy$ ls

bootinst.bat bootlilo.sh dos isolinux mt86p vesamenu.c32
bootinst.sh chain.c32 initrd.gz msramdmp.c32 syslinux vmlinuz

KS-Box:/Volumes/SlackStic/boot KillaSoundBoy$ ./bootinst.sh

egrep: /proc/mounts: No such file or directory
egrep: /proc/mounts: No such file or directory
egrep: /proc/mounts: No such file or directory
Can't find device to install to.
Make sure you run this script from a mounted device.

KS-Box:/Volumes/SlackStic/boot KillaSoundBoy$


But as you can see, it IS mounted because i get to the bootinst.sh file FROM the usb drive (SlackStic). and i've already done a chmod and still no change. ... any ideas? .....

If anyone knows a better way, i'm all game to start over. Also, please keep in mind that i'm using reFIT (boot loader) ...(thinking about switching to grub, just don't want to lose everything by doing so)....i get scared when it comes to switching boot loaders lol. ....and i've have many problems with BT3b on the usb drive while using reFIT. ............


Thanx all.

[Barry]

Have you ever been able to get anything to boot from usb?

[.K.S.]

good question, but really, i never had the need to b4 BT lol. ... Ok, how's this?: Does anyone have a working usb stick of BT3F on mac? AND Q #2, if so is there anyone that ALSO uses reFIT?



Thnx berry, never really thought of that lol.

[Barry]

I've never seen an intel Mac boot from usb. We used to boot the old iMacs with os9 on a thumb drive, but never got the new ones to work.

[.K.S.]

Well, plain and simple, there's got to be a way. lol. .... It's a computer, it follows rules, and even if reFIT won't do it, i think something else like grub might, if not, i'll keep looking..... but i just updated reFIT to the lasted update (yesterday) and i do believe i read something on there about being able to boot from usb, but still, everything seems to be the same, and no change with booting usb stick (sorry if it looks like i'm rambling, i've have 11 shots of tequila and im using DV and down to about 50-45wpm lol) ............point being is that i don't think there's EVER been a thing that the 'nix community hasn't got through like the LRP (Linux Router Project) of the idea of putting 'nix on EVERYTHING possible, like fridge's phone's etc, etc, .....so there simple HAS to be a way to get it on a 2gb stick, and boot (on a mac) using reFIT, or some other boot loader. ............................


but thnx for the insight, now i don't feel like it's JUST me! lol. ;-)

[Reilly]

booting from usb sticks doesn't work on macs. as simple as that :(

[CrispyJones]

I got a macbook and i no it can boot from firewire,

[Barry]

I got a macbook and i no it can boot from firewire,

Is there any more to that sentence or is that a typo? I know they can boot from firewire, I've images a few hundred thousand machines that way. It's usb that the new ones will not boot. Supposedly refit will allow that, but I've never seen it work.

[Barry]

Hey guys, something just hit me. Intel macs can boot from usb. I've got a usb drive sitting right here in front of me that has the 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5 dvd install images "burned" to 5Gb partitions. We used them at work to do quick and dirty os upgrades on macs. Basically you create a disk image of the install disk then make a 5Gb partition on your drive. Then use disk utility to restore the dvd image to the partition. Kept us from screwing up dvds all the time, it's also faster. We also had a school that wanted to save $50 per eMac in their lab and ordered them without optical drives. Pissed us off to no end. Though the problem here is the install disks run a really stripped down osx install.

[gcarlsen]

Intel macs definately can boot from usb. I cloned my osx partition and can boot off of it from reFIT. I've never tried to boot anything off a thumb drive, nor have I tried to boot BT from usb...