[MacBook] Booting to Linux from USB


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I created a bootable USB thumbdrive with a Linux distro on it (the Kaspersky antivirus rescue disk) so I can scan my Windows partition for viruses.

I have Kaspersky 2012 installed on my Windows drive and it is fully up-to-date. Full scans reveal no viruses.

However, I suspect either my OS X Lion install or my Windows install has a virus because a couple weeks back someone got into my Hotmail account and sent out spam emails. I AM NOT stupid enough to fall for a phishing attempt. Seriously.

So, I would like to try booting to the Kaspersky Rescue Disk and see if it finds anything the Windows install missed. The problem is... I can't figure out how to boot to it.

I have tried holding "Option" when the computer turns on. It gives me the option to boot to the OS X recovery partition, OS X, or Windows -- but not my USB thumbdrive. If I select Windows to boot to, it boots to Windows.

How can I boot to my USB thumbdrive? I'm apparently not very good at using Google because I did try, but I found links on how to boot to OS X from a USB drive.

Please help :)

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macs don't like to boot from usb very well

that's about all i can say because I've never successfully booted from usb on my macbook either :/

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What is the partition table set to on the USB drive. If you are using MBR, that could be your problem. I have had a lot of success with USB drives on the Mac that I'm using Guid as the Partition table. Not sure what kind of options you have when creating the linux USB drive.

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macs don't like to boot from usb very well

that's about all i can say because I've never successfully booted from usb on my macbook either :/

misinformed advice, they boot fine from usb. From what i have read is in order to get kaspersky/linux iso to boot from usb you have to set up the partition layout differently. Again macs have no issues booting from usb, brando212 is just misinformed.

http://www.paulmc.or...ve-on-mac-os-x/

http://www.makeuseof...usb-on-the-mac/

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i've even followed guides and failed so I don't know what the crap my macs problem is with booting from usb? :/

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terrible advice, they boot fine from usb. From what i have read is in order to get kaspersky/linux iso to boot from usb you have to set up the partition layout differently. Again macs have no issues booting from usb, brando212 is just misinformed.

...But they do have difficulties booting from USB? You've got to ensure it's GPT not MBR formatted for a start, and then hope your USB is just supported, some just aren't.

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...But they do have difficulties booting from USB? You've got to ensure it's GPT not MBR formatted for a start, and then hope your USB is just supported, some just aren't.

maybe that's been my problem, are sandisk's not supported?

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macs don't like to boot from usb very well

All Intel Macs have the capability to boot from USB drives out of the box and some of the latest PPC Macs after some messing around in their Open Firmware.

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All Intel Macs have the capability to boot from USB drives out of the box and some of the latest PPC Macs after some messing around in their Open Firmware.

yes they have the capability, that doesn't mean it's easy to get working :/
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depends what your trying to boot, in my field i see macs in for service often and never have an issue booting off usb, to say they have an issue is incorrect. They boot just fine, its a matter of the user setting up the usb device properly, which again isnt the fault of the mac but the fault of the user.

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I never ever got to install Windows using bootable USB on my Mid 2010 MBP. However, Lion can install over USB. rEFIt is not compatible with Lion and it seems like abandonware.

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I've never gotten rEFIt working with lion either, I've got an early 2011 macbookpro

I tried the installer, and i've tried the manual way with no success except longer lion boot times until i remove the files again

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try rEFInd. Its a fork of refit currently under development. http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/

Found it in this thread: http://ubuntuforums..../t-1932652.html

Said to be compatible with lion, but the dev says its still in alpha compared to refit which was beta software

will have to check this out, been wanting to set up a tri-boot
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Try to hold the "c" key at boot

Thanks, will try that. :)

To everyone else... Thank you for your feedback. Now that I know it is possible to boot from USB on my MacBook, I will return to Google and keep searching for how to do it. :)

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Thanks, will try that. :)

To everyone else... Thank you for your feedback. Now that I know it is possible to boot from USB on my MacBook, I will return to Google and keep searching for how to do it. :)

but once again, that only works if the flash-drive is formatted correctly

edit: wait, isn't "c" to boot directly into a CD? i thought it was a different button for usb

either way, if you have set up the flash-drive correctly it should show on the list menu when you hold alt/option at boot

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  • 2 weeks later...

but once again, that only works if the flash-drive is formatted correctly

edit: wait, isn't "c" to boot directly into a CD? i thought it was a different button for usb

either way, if you have set up the flash-drive correctly it should show on the list menu when you hold alt/option at boot

Here's what I have tried on an old PowerBook G4 Titanium Model A1025:

If your Power Mac doesn't boot or it has already booted another operating system, reboot and press and hold the 'c' key immediately after the welcome chime. Alternatively you can press and hold the Alt key to get the Power Mac's boot menu.

after chime:

Alt ? works, brings up drives for boot.

c ? doesn't work by itself.

hold c until you see the apple, and then immediately release that and hold apple and v until you get text - works

t ? brings up Firewire logo (wants Firewire drive).

Open Firmware - (it's like a unix command line in ROM). Restart your iMac while holding down Command+Option+O+F. This will place you in Open Firmware. ? works.

non-apple KB with the windows key it was ctrl-win-o-f to get openfirmware up

ctrl-apple-o-f to get openfirmware up ? doesn't work

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I have a late 2006 MacBook Pro and the superdrive wouldn't read disks. I tried installing Windows from a USB stick (using appropiate guides and tested that it worked fine on a PC) and even an External DVD drive. It doesn't work, then I read somewhere that booting from USB only with Mac OS X. I had no problems booting Snow Leopard DVD in an external USB DVD Drive or from a USB stick (using appropiate guide). I ended up fixing the Superdrive (turns out it was just a dirty lens and used a lens cleaning disk to much success even though I was skeptical about then) and was able to boot the Windows disc from the internal superdrive.

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The simplest way to boot from a external drive or a CD is going through System Preferences. Under Startup disk select your desired location and click Reboot.

It's that simple.

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