Installing Debian on iMac 17" (Late 2006)

Preparation

Reading

I started to read this:

• https://wiki.debian.org/iMacIntel
• https://www.neontribe.co.uk/crunchbangplusplus-install-on-imac-52/
• https://mattgadient.com/2016/07/11/linux-dvd-images-and-how-to-for-32-bit-efi-macs-late-2006-models/
• https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu-cdimage/+bug/1298894/comments/16
• https://wiki.debian.org/MacMiniIntel#Macmini_2.2C1
• https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/release/current/amd64/iso-cd/

Then I downloaded Debian Linux for AMD64.

Attempt #1: USB-stick

FAIL: Preparing the USB-stick

bash-3.2# mount | grep UNTIT
/dev/disk7s2 on /Volumes/UNTITLED (msdos, local, nodev, nosuid, noowners)
bash-3.2# umount /dev/disk7s2
umount(/Volumes/UNTITLED): Resource busy -- try 'diskutil unmount'
bash-3.2# diskutil unmount /dev/disk7s2
Volume UNTITLED on disk7s2 unmounted
bash-3.2# dd if=debian-9.8.0-amd64-netinst.iso of=/dev/disk7      
598016+0 records in
598016+0 records out
306184192 bytes transferred in 630.153914 secs (485888 bytes/sec)
bash-3.2# sync
bash-3.2# diskutil eject /dev/disk7
Disk /dev/disk7 ejected
bash-3.2# 

Okay. That didn't work out. Booting the iMac with Option-Key down doesn't show the stick. This might not have to do with the USB-stick, but with the ISO itself. See below.

Attempt #2: CD-ROM

FAIL: Preparing the boot CD

Burning a CD? Oh well..

Okay. That was another fail. Obviously, the standard ISOs can't be read by this Mac's 32bit EFI. Okay, starting over. Again.

Attempt #3: Modifying ISO & burning CD-ROM

FAIL: Preparing an ISO

Get isomacprog.c from https://mattgadient.com/2016/07/11/linux-dvd-images-and-how-to-for-32-bit-efi-macs-late-2006-models/ .

WroDos-MBP13-AC3L:Debian 9 heiko$ gcc isomacprog.c -o isomacprog
WroDos-MBP13-AC3L:Debian 9 heiko$ ./isomacprog debian-9.8.0-amd64-netinst.iso
done
WroDos-MBP13-AC3L:Debian 9 heiko$ mv debian-9.8.0-amd64-netinst.iso debian-9.8.0-amd64-netinst_Mac.iso

FAIL: Preparing the boot CD, again...

Again. This CD doesn't show up on boot. Dang.

Had trouble burning? Read this: Catalina: Burning Image to CD/DVD

Attempt #4: Downloading a Mac-ISO from debian.org

You might have heard the sound of my hand slapping my forehead.

There's an easier way. Get the Mac-Image here: https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/release/current/

That didn't work either. Oh man, this is really annoying.

What I learned:

• 64bit is not working with this Core2Duo, probably because of the 32bit EFI
• 32bit installs just fine, but then...
  • Hangs immediately on boot (right after checking /)
  • Keyboard does not respond, so no chance of removing quiet-option in grub
    • egg-hen-paradox suck!
  • WiFi/BT-Chip needs extra "firmware"
    • https://packages.debian.org/de/jessie/firmware-b43-installer
    • https://wiki.debian.org/bcm43xx
    • https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/drivers/b43
    • http://linuxwireless.sipsolutions.net/en/users/Drivers/b43/#firmware
    • https://askubuntu.com/questions/730799/installing-firmware-b43-installer-offline
• USB-Sticks won't work, since the mac is refusing the disk format for some reason

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• More…
  • Catalina: Burning Image to CD/DVD
• Footnotes: