Linux icon at boot up

[streetspirit909]

Hi, so I installed Ubuntu onto my system along with Leopard and Vista. It installed fine. However, when I start my system up and hold down option I only see Windows and OS X like before.

In order to access Ubuntu I select Windows and then I get the DOS like screen you usually get on dual boot systems with Linux and Windows. So my question is how do I get a Linux option at the initial boot? Or is it not possible as I have done it all the wrong way?

I installed Linux using the Ubuntu partitioner which wouldn't partition the Mac section which I wanted to do, only from the widows portion which I assume is why it's doing this?

 

[Jocelyn84]

I obviously can't answer whether or not you did it the right way, but you might wanna try http://refit.sourceforge.net/

It has a partition inspector, I've used it for triple boot before, and it looks cute at start up

http://files.fosswire.com/2009/03/refitdemo.png

 

[carnegie0107]

Looks like you used WUBI

I don't know about adjusting your MBR, but if the Windows boot manager is showing Ubuntu, it probably means you haven't done a *real* install of Ubuntu. You seem to have put the disc in while booted in Windows, and clicked install. This creates a file within Windows that pretends to be a disk when you boot from it. It's slower than a full install, though (having to decompress everything from that file as you go), and is only bootable from the Windows boot manager. To really use it, do a full install. Pop in the disc, and reboot. Choose boot from cd/dvd drive, and you will be taken to a desktop where you can repartition your hd and insall for real. Use ext3 filesystem (ext4 is better if you're installing Ubuntu 9.04), and make sure you add on a decent SWAP partition (about 1.5-2x as large as your RAM is good). After it finishes (takes a loooong time, be patient!), reboot, and you should have Ubuntu in your boot menu. And, it will be faster (and in almost every way better than Mac OS, and free from Apple's restrictions/DRM....).

 

[streetspirit909]

Hi, thanks for the replies.

I'll give that bootvmanger a try thanks Jocelyn84.

I think I did do it the right way carnegie0107. I booted the disk from the start, and I partitioned within the Unbuntu live CD. It wouldn't allow me to take from the Mac side, so I took from the Windows partition. I think the boot manager is a Linux one as it seems to give me all the safe boot and all sorts of other stuff and just one boot option for Vista. Could it be that Linux partition manager doesn't understand mac journal and I would have needed to make that free space first?

 

[streetspirit909]

Hmm Perhaps I won't try that boot manager, you get used to no warrentry warnings but this one seemed a little more scary then usual!

No Warranty

rEFIt is distributed in the hope that it will be useful. EFI is a powerful environment, but it also makes it easy to destroy your data or disable your computer altogether. rEFIt comes with absolutely no warranty of any kind. Use at your own risk. You have been warned.