Advanced 2: Multi-Boot Configuration

This is not really a step-by-step guide, since there are so many ways to go about multi-booting. At the end you will find what is most likely the easiest ways to install Windows XP or Windows 7 with your Mac OS X installation, but you will need to tweak according to the guidelines you find here. Always remember that you can find help either through my Contact page or on the MyDellMini forums if you run into issues.

This will describe what needs to happen in order to install multiple operating systems on your netbook including Mac OS X. You could technically avoid this by installing to an external drive, but sometimes you just have your computer, and external drives can be a hassle. Since this is not as simple as merely installing Mac OS X by itself, I will first detail what happens in a multi-boot configuration, and describe how to migrate your current installation to a multi-boot configuration.

How Multi-Boot Works

Mac OS X, in conjunction with NetbookInstaller/BootMaker, are very specific in how they like to be installed. On the Mac OS X side, under a normal setup the Installer will only allow you to install on a disc with a GUID (also called GPT) partition scheme. Mac OS X is the only mainstream OS to actually use this partition scheme, so other operating systems are not so friendly. On the NetbookInstaller/BootMaker side of the coin, it automatically assumes that your Mac installation is installed on the second partition, since the GUID scheme includes a (rather useless) hidden EFI partition first. While Mac doesn't have to be on the second partition, it makes life easier if it is.

So there are three options to solve this mess. First is to modify the Mac OS X Installer to allow installation to a Master Boot Record (MBR) partition scheme. (Currently I am only aware of a modification for 10.5 Leopard, as detailed in Advanced 3. If anyone can tell me of a way to enable MBR on 10.6 Snow Leopard, I would appreciate it.) This allows other operating systems to install natively without any compatibility issues. The second option is to install another operating system that will accept GUID. Supposedly Windows 7 supports this but many users have difficulty getting it to do so. The third option is to use a tool called gptsync, which is now included in NetbookBootMaker, to create a hybrid GUID/MBR partition scheme similar to what Boot Camp does on Apple Macs. That way Mac can be happy without modifying the Install DVD, and Windows can be happy as well.

As of 3 October 2009, there is one caveat to using the third option. NetbookBootMaker 0.8.3 RC2 can automatically run the gptsync software, but so far only Windows XP is able to install correctly. meklort is working on a Windows 7 fix for that option to be more functional.

The most reasonable of these options are one and three. I will try my best to guide you on how to accomplish either method.

Migrating Your Mac OS X Installation

Since most of you have an installation of Mac OS X currently running that you don't feel like setting up again, WE'll talk about that first. There is a way to convert it into a multi-boot with reinstalling everything.

Let's look at how to repartition the drive, both on GUID and MBR. You can simply back up your installation to an external drive before setting up your other operating systems. This is actually more simple than it sounds. First, boot into the Mac OS X Installer and run Disk Utility. (You need to do this because you can't back it up while it is running.) Click on the Mac partition on your main drive, and then click the little grey bubble at the top-right of the window. This will enable a menu, where you will select New Image, and save the image to your external drive. However you name it does not matter, but I typically save it as <name of partition><date>.img. (i.e. If I were making a backup on 3 October 2009 and my partition were named MacBookMini, I would call it macbookmini10032009.img) This may take some time, so make sure to let it finish. Eject your external drive before closing Disk Utility.

(For more information on backup and restoration, please see Advanced 1.)

Now partition your drive. If you want to select which partition scheme you will use, you need to press the "Options..." button on the bottom the Partition tab. Partition according to the following guidelines:

Now that we've got the partitions set up, you should restart the computer and install the other operating system(s). (If you simply resized the Mac partition on GUID, this next step is not necessary.)

Once that is done, boot into the Mac OS X Installer once more, and restore the Mac OS installation. Select the partition that Mac needs to be on (GUID will be the first visible partition, MBR will be the second visible partition), click the Restore tab and drag the partition into the Destination field. Click "Image..." next to the Source field and find the image file on the external drive. Click Restore, confirm the decision, and wait until it is done. You'll need to reinstall the Chameleon bootloader, so either use you NetbookBootMaker-enhance USB drive to run NetbookInstaller directly from the Mac OS X Installer, or restart and use NetbookCD to boot into your newly-restored installation and run NetbookInstaller from there.

Fresh Install

Doing a fresh install (meaning you don't currently have Mac OS X installed) in a multi-boot setup is almost as easy as migrating an installation, which we just described above. The key difference is you don't have to worry about backing up, which honestly takes a while. Also, you can choose which partition method you want from the get-go. Basically, skip the part above about backing up and restoring, and simply partition the drive then install Mac OS X. In some cases when I use the MBR scheme, I have found it easier to just partition in Disk Utility, quit and install my other operating system, and then go back to the Mac OS X Installer to complete the Mac installation. Your mileage may vary, so think it through beforehand.

For GUID Only

Since you will be more than likely installing Windows for your multi-boot, you will need to wait until you are done either restoring or installing Mac OS X before installing Windows. The reason for this is that your need to execute the gptsync command so that you can get the hybrid GUID/MBR scheme that you need. For a fresh install using a NetbookBootMaker enhanced drive, this will automatically be done at the end of the installation process, so no worries there. meklort has defined what curretnly needs to take place after you install Windows as of NetbookBootMaker 0.8.3 RC2. I quote from his blog:

  1. Boot to the NetbookBootMaker usb drive
  2. Open up Terminal from the Utility menu
  3. Run the following command, hitting enter after each line (this will be done automatically by NetbookInstaller in RC3). Note that i'm assuming you installed OS X to the first partition (partition number 2), if it's different, change the 2 to that partition number.

    fdisk -e /dev/disk0
    f 2
    w (pres y if it asks you to confirm)
    q

That's it. You can now reboot and you'll be able to select either installs using Chameleon.

If you are using NetbookCD, migrating an installation, or used some other method to install, you will need to run gptsync yourself. I have to do a bit more testing before I can post instructions, though. Sorry!

Examples

These are examples of how one might go about installing Windows as well as Mac OS X. Tweak whatever you need to. They are based off my NetbookInstaller 1 guide.

Example 1: MBR Multi-Boot

This will work for either Windows XP or Windows 7.

On Mac

  1. Insert DVD and USB drive
  2. Open Disk Utility (Applications/Utilities).
  3. Click on USB drive icon that states the capacity of the drive (i.e. 7.1 Gb, 7.6 GB, etc.).
  4. Open the Partition tab.
  5. Set:
    • Volume Scheme: 1 Partition
    • Name: OSXDVD
    • Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    • Options...: Master Boot Record, then click OK.
  6. Click Apply.
  7. Click Partition.
  8. When Partition is finished, open the Restore tab
  9. Drag "Mac OS X Install DVD" from the left pane into the Source field in the right pane.
  10. Drag OSXDVD from the left pane into the Destination field in the right pane.
  11. Click Restore, then click Restore in the popup window.
  12. Enter your password, and then wait approximately 25 minutes to 2 hours.
  13. When restoration is finished, close Disk Utility and eject the DVD.
  14. Open the NetbookBootMaker application.
  15. If a warning prompt shows up asking, "Are you sure you want to open it?" click Open.
  16. For USB Partition, select OSXDVD.
  17. Press "Prepare Boot Drive".
  18. Enter your password, then click OK.
  19. On the popup window that says done, click OK, then exit the NetbookBootMaker app.
  20. Open the Combo Update disk image you downloaded, and copy the package inside to your USB drive. (If space is not available, download to another USB drive or wait until Mac OS X is installed and clear space on the drive.)
  21. Eject the Combo Update disk image.
  22. Modify the OSInstall.mpkg file on the USB drive following the instructions from Advanced 3.
  23. Eject the USB drive.

On the Netbook

  1. With the netbook off, insert the USB drive into an available port.
  2. Turn the netbook on.
  3. Depending on your BIOS settings:
    • If you have it set to boot from the HDD/SSD first, press the one-time boot key before the manufacturer logo disappears. (more info)
    • If you have it set to boot from USB first, then just let it boot normally.
  4. A grey screen with your USB drive name, icon, and a five second time will appear. Just let the timer run out.
  5. The Apple logo, then a spinning wheel, will appear. (If the spinning wheel does not appear, try power cycling the netbook and booting again. Otherwise, check the Troubleshooting guide.)
  6. Once loaded, select your language and press Continue.
  7. Press Continue on the Welcome screen.
  8. Press Agree.
  9. Go to Menu Bar>Utilities>Disk Utility....
  10. Select your internal drive.
  11. Go to the Partition tab.
  12. Configure:
    • Volume Scheme: 2 Partitions
    • Format:
      • Partition 1: MS-DOS (FAT)
      • Partition 2: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    • Options...: Master Boot Record, press OK.
  13. Press Apply, then Partition.
  14. When finished, closed Disk Utility.
  15. Quit the Mac OS X Installer.
  16. Begin installing Windows to the first partition. You should reformat it, NTFS is typical but you can also use FAT32.
  17. When Windows installation is finished, restart the Mac OS X Installer.
  18. Press Continue on the Welcome screen.
  19. Press Agree.
  20. Select the second partition, press Continue.
  21. Press Customize, deselect (as necessary):
    • Additional Fonts
    • Language Translations
    • Printer Drivers
    • X11
  22. Press Done, then Install.
  23. When successful, machine will automatically restart when finished installing.

Post-Install

  1. Depending on your BIOS settings:
    • If you have it set to boot from HDD/SSD first, just let it boot normally.
    • If you have it set to boot from USB first, either change the BIOS setting to boot from HDD/SSD first or press the one-time boot key before the manufacturer logo disappears and select to boot from the internal HDD/SSD. (more info)
  2. A grey screen with your HDD/SSD name, icon, and a five second timer (blue progress bar) will appear. Just let the timer run out.
  3. The Apple logo, then a spinning wheel, will appear. (If the spinning wheel does not appear, try power cycling the netbook and booting again. Otherwise, check the Troubleshooting guide.)
  4. The first-time setup video will play, this lasts about a minute.
  5. Select your Country, then press Continue.
  6. Select you Keyboard Language/Nation, then press Continue.
  7. The Migration Assistant box will appear. Unless you are trying to transfer information from another Mac, select "Do not transfer my information now" and press Continue.
  8. Select your wireless network, enter any applicable passwords, and press Continue.
  9. If you have an Apple ID, you may enter your e-mail and password. Whether you have one or not, press Continue.
  10. You may enter your Registration Information, but it is not required. Press Continue if you entered your info, if you did not you will need to press Continue twice.
  11. Create Your Account: enter a name (usually your own), a short name (similar to a username). A password is not required but is suggested. If you decide to use a password, fill it in twice and create a password hint if desired. Press Continue. (If you did not create a password, you will also need to press OK.)
  12. You can either take a picture with the internal webcam or select from a library of pictures for your account. Once you hace selected one, press Continue.
  13. You will be given an offer to try out MobileMe, Apple's information syncing service. Choose one of the options (most choose "I don't want to try MobileMe for free right now.") and then press Continue.
  14. At the Thank You screen, press Go. This will take you to the Desktop.

Installing the Combo Update

  1. Close any other programs and save all work (if necessary).
  2. Open the Combo Update package on the USB drive.
  3. Press Continue three times, and then press Agree.
  4. Press Install, enter your password, and then press "Continue Installion.
  5. After installation is finished, press the Restart button.
  6. At the grey screen with the blue progress bar, press any key before the timer runs out.
  7. Type "-x" so that is looks like "boot: -x" in the bottom-left corner.
  8. If successful, it should boot into Mac OS X Safe Mode. Enter your password to login.
  9. Go to the Applications folder and run NetbookInstaller.
  10. Select the following settings:
    • Volume: <your internal drive>
    • Install Chameleon 2 RC3 bootloader
    • Install <your model name> Extensions
    • Generate a system specific dsdt.aml file
    • <Any other options you would like, the above are necessary.>
  11. Press Install.
  12. Enter your password and press OK.
  13. When installation is complete, press OK.
  14. Restart your computer.

Example 2: GUID Multi-Boot for Windows XP

Since there is currently an issue with installing Windows 7 with this technique, this will only work for Windows XP. If you need Windows 7 right now, use Example 1.

On Mac

  1. Insert DVD and USB drive
  2. Open Disk Utility (Applications/Utilities).
  3. Click on USB drive icon that states the capacity of the drive (i.e. 7.1 Gb, 7.6 GB, etc.).
  4. Open the Partition tab.
  5. Set:
    • Volume Scheme: 1 Partition
    • Name: OSXDVD
    • Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    • Options...: Master Boot Record, then click OK.
  6. Click Apply.
  7. Click Partition.
  8. When Partition is finished, open the Restore tab
  9. Drag "Mac OS X Install DVD" from the left pane into the Source field in the right pane.
  10. Drag OSXDVD from the left pane into the Destination field in the right pane.
  11. Click Restore, then click Restore in the popup window.
  12. Enter your password, and then wait approximately 25 minutes to 2 hours.
  13. When restoration is finished, close Disk Utility and eject the DVD.
  14. Open the NetbookBootMaker application.
  15. If a warning prompt shows up asking, "Are you sure you want to open it?" click Open.
  16. For USB Partition, select OSXDVD.
  17. Press "Prepare Boot Drive".
  18. Enter your password, then click OK.
  19. On the popup window that says done, click OK, then exit the NetbookBootMaker app.
  20. Open the Combo Update disk image you downloaded, and copy the package inside to your USB drive. (If space is not available, download to another USB drive or wait until Mac OS X is installed and clear space on the drive.)
  21. Eject the Combo Update disk image.
  22. Eject the USB drive.

On the Netbook

  1. With the netbook off, insert the USB drive into an available port.
  2. Turn the netbook on.
  3. Depending on your BIOS settings:
    • If you have it set to boot from the HDD/SSD first, press the one-time boot key before the manufacturer logo disappears. (more info)
    • If you have it set to boot from USB first, then just let it boot normally.
  4. A grey screen with your USB drive name, icon, and a five second time will appear. Just let the timer run out.
  5. The Apple logo, then a spinning wheel, will appear. (If the spinning wheel does not appear, try power cycling the netbook and booting again. Otherwise, check the Troubleshooting guide.)
  6. Once loaded, select your language and press Continue.
  7. Press Continue on the Welcome screen.
  8. Press Agree.
  9. Go to Menu Bar>Utilities>Disk Utility....
  10. Select your internal drive.
  11. Go to the Partition tab.
  12. Configure:
    • Volume Scheme: 2 Partitions
    • Format:
      • Partition 1: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
      • Partition 2: MS-DOS (FAT)
    • Options...: GUID, press OK.
  13. Press Apply, then Partition.
  14. When finished, closed Disk Utility.
  15. Select your newly-formatted drive, press Continue.
  16. Press Customize, deselect (as necessary):
    • Additional Fonts
    • Language Translations
    • Printer Drivers
    • X11
  17. Press Done, then Install.
  18. When successful, machine will automatically restart when finished installing.

Post-Install

  1. Depending on your BIOS settings:
    • If you have it set to boot from HDD/SSD first, just let it boot normally.
    • If you have it set to boot from USB first, either change the BIOS setting to boot from HDD/SSD first or press the one-time boot key before the manufacturer logo disappears and select to boot from the internal HDD/SSD. (more info)
  2. A grey screen with your HDD/SSD name, icon, and a five second timer (blue progress bar) will appear. Just let the timer run out.
  3. The Apple logo, then a spinning wheel, will appear. (If the spinning wheel does not appear, try power cycling the netbook and booting again. Otherwise, check the Troubleshooting guide.)
  4. The first-time setup video will play, this lasts about a minute.
  5. Select your Country, then press Continue.
  6. Select you Keyboard Language/Nation, then press Continue.
  7. The Migration Assistant box will appear. Unless you are trying to transfer information from another Mac, select "Do not transfer my information now" and press Continue.
  8. Select your wireless network, enter any applicable passwords, and press Continue.
  9. If you have an Apple ID, you may enter your e-mail and password. Whether you have one or not, press Continue.
  10. You may enter your Registration Information, but it is not required. Press Continue if you entered your info, if you did not you will need to press Continue twice.
  11. Create Your Account: enter a name (usually your own), a short name (similar to a username). A password is not required but is suggested. If you decide to use a password, fill it in twice and create a password hint if desired. Press Continue. (If you did not create a password, you will also need to press OK.)
  12. You can either take a picture with the internal webcam or select from a library of pictures for your account. Once you hace selected one, press Continue.
  13. You will be given an offer to try out MobileMe, Apple's information syncing service. Choose one of the options (most choose "I don't want to try MobileMe for free right now.") and then press Continue.
  14. At the Thank You screen, press Go. This will take you to the Desktop.

Installing the Combo Update and Installing Windows

  1. Close any other programs and save all work (if necessary).
  2. Open the Combo Update package on the USB drive.
  3. Press Continue three times, and then press Agree.
  4. Press Install, enter your password, and then press "Continue Installion.
  5. After installation is finished, press the Restart button.
  6. At the grey screen with the blue progress bar, press any key before the timer runs out.
  7. Type "-x" so that is looks like "boot: -x" in the bottom-left corner.
  8. If successful, it should boot into Mac OS X Safe Mode. Enter your password to login.
  9. Go to the Applications folder and run NetbookInstaller.
  10. Select the following settings:
    • Volume: <your internal drive>
    • Install Chameleon 2 RC3 bootloader
    • Install <your model name> Extensions
    • Generate a system specific dsdt.aml file
    • <Any other options you would like, the above are necessary.>
  11. Press Install.
  12. Enter your password and press OK.
  13. When installation is complete, press OK.
  14. Restart your computer.
  15. Install Windows XP to the other partition. You should reformat it, typically NTFS but you can use FAT32.
  16. Boot back into the Mac OS X Instaler.
  17. From the Utilities menu, run "Terminal...".
  18. Enter these commands, pressing Enter after each line:
    • fdisk -e /dev/disk0
    • f 2
    • w >press "y" if you need to confirm<
    • q
  19. Quit the Mac OS X Installer and restart your computer.

Helpful Links

These are for a better understanding of multi-boot procedures and some general troubleshooting.

mechdrew Advanced 2 Version 3.10