Triple boot - Add Linux

[Dent]

I do believe that we need to add a Linux boot option. A fancy Penguin Logo could be added to the Apple and Windows Logos.

As Linux supports booting from efi, it should be easier to do than the Windows boot. The only trouble will be making sure Windows continues to work after Linux has been added into the mix.


:eek:

[msandersen]

As Linux supports booting from efi, it should be easier to do than the Windows boot.
Linux doesn't currently support EFI. Attempts at booting Linux on the new Intel Macs have similarly failed because the current Linux bootloaders, Grub and Lilo, doesn't support EFI. It is being worked on, however, in particular ELILO, the EFI Linux Loader. Grub2 may include EFI support, it is in Alpha and does support the format used. I haven't looked up the solution for the XP boot, but it's likely to have used Elilo, if not simply hacking the existing OSX loader.

[Dent]

Linux has been booting on the intel macs for over a month.

elilo is the Efi LInux LOader. It's sole purpose is to boot Linux on EFI systems.

It shouldn't be too difficult to add the option to run ELILO along side booting OSX or XP to the xom boot menu.

[chrisp]

If you want triple-boot with Linux right now, you can use rEFIt (http://refit.sourceforge.net/). Make a layout like this:

efi
+- refit
+- linux
+- e.efi
+- ...
+- winxp
+- xom.efi
+- tools

Then set rEFIt as the boot loader. In the rEFIt menu, you'll get entries for Mac OS X, linux/e.efi and winxp/xom.efi. When you choose xom.efi, you'll get the Apple/Windows logo choice from that, i.e. you'll have to choose again, but then it works.

[Dent]

I guess it will work now, but it would be nice to have the cute penguin logo :)

I hope that the source code (and some compile instructions) will be released for xom.efi.

[chrisp]

I guess it will work now, but it would be nice to have the cute penguin logo :)

The just-released rEFIt 0.3 will give you a graphical boot menu with a nice Tux icon. :D

I hope that the source code (and some compile instructions) will be released for xom.efi.

Me too. Right now, when you start xom.efi through rEFIt, you have to select Windows twice. It would be nice to have a version of xom.efi that just boots Windows without asking. Even better, allow parameters to be passed to xom.efi instructing it which volume to boot from (i.e. CD vs. HD).

[forbes]

I have added a page on the wiki http://wiki.onmac.net/index.php/Triple_Boot (Wiki Triple Boot) to collate your progress in conjuction with the onmac project.

Since they changed the domain name from windows.onmac.net to just onmac.net, I hope they will include bits of your project in the final solution. Hopefully both projects can learn form each other and there are no conflicts with license, etc.

Does anyone know when they are going to release the source for XOM? I thought the competition rules included open-sourcing the code.

Great work everyone.

P.S. Any chance of some screenshots of the boot menu? I think this would really help promote your project within the XP on Mac comunity.

forbes

[chrisp]

I've posted a screenshot of the graphical menu on SourceForge: http://sourceforge.net/project/screenshots.php?group_id=161917

The quality is bad, but my phone is the only camera I have...