MP 1,1-5,1 Simpler Solution ... ?

[20220804-1a]

I used MyBootMgr to install OpenCore and RefindPlus. RefindPlus and MyBootMgr appear to be made by the same person.

I already have macOS High Sierra installed. So far, I have only "soft blessed" my RefindPlus installation, via MyBootMgr's BootBlesser.app.

I want to install Linux openSUSE in a "multiboot" configuration. When I reboot my Mac Pro, and the "RefindPlus boot manager" main menu displays, I want Linux OpenSuse to be an option for one of the operating systems into which I can boot.

A) en.opensuse.org/SDB:Installation_on_a_Mac says, "openSUSE Leap 42.3 and 15.0 overwrite the default EFI boot manager, leaving impossible to load MacOS. Therefore it is necessary to install rEFInd after installing Linux." that webpage was "last edited on September 2021, at 09:44"

B) en.opensuse.org/Install_openSUSE_on_a_Mac seems to say I will need to "Reinstall macOS" after installing Linux openSUSE. that webpage was last edited on September 2021, at 13:19"

Can you point me to instructions for installing Linux openSUSE on the Mac Pro system I have described that does not require overwriting "the default EFI boot manager, leaving impossible to load MacOS" and does not require me to "Reinstall macOS"?

I know "simpler" is a relative term, but, for lack of another word, can you point me to a much "simpler" method of installing Linux on the Mac Pro system I have described?

I am aware of dortania.github.io/OpenCore-Multiboot/oc/linux.html "Method A: OpenLinuxBoot", but it just says, "Install Linux as you normally would ... by booting from an .iso image burnt to a removable USB drive". "Install Linux as you normally would", I guess, means the method described in A) and B) on opensuse.org.

If you do not know the answer, just disregard my thread; no problem.

 

[Dayo]

Can you point me to instructions for installing Linux openSUSE on the Mac Pro system I have described that does not require overwriting "the default EFI boot manager, leaving impossible to load MacOS" and does not require me to "Reinstall macOS"?

What the openSUSE site is telling you is that installing it will result in a boot coup by openSUSE. A boot coup is when something takes over the boot process. This is part and parcel of most OS installation. All this means is that you will have to take steps to reassert control afterwards.

Options from the MyBootMgr guide:

1. You can implement the steps under the "HINTS AND TIPS" section for reasserting control after a Linux boot coup.
2. You can implement the "Full System Reset" steps under the "STAGE 1 - PREPARATION" section.
   • This will reset Mac OS as your default boot item and you can proceed from there to bless RefindPlus.
   • The guide advises against installing RefindPlus|OpenCore on a disk containing any OS for such reasons.

 

[20220804-1a]

Thx. It is nice of you to reply.

1) The physical disk (hard drive) that is my default boot disk.

2) I added a partition on a physical disk (hard drive) that is not my default boot disk.

When MyBootMgr's ConfigFactory asked me to designate a "DEFAULT MacOS VOLUME ... This should be a MacOS volume that you will like to boot to if you need to reset things." I highlighted (selected) the name of the drive in 1).

3) Later, when ConfigFactory asked me to "SELECT EITHER ONE OF: ... For ESP Type", I highlighted the name of the partition in 2). The physical disk (hard drive) where that partition is located does have an OS on it, but the disk, itself, is not the default boot disk for the machine and I never want that OS to be the default OS for the machine. My assumption was that choosing 2) meant that RefindPlus|OpenCore would not be installed on my aforementioned default boot disk.

4) However, ultimately, the MyBootMgr folder, which contains the folders Docs, EFI, MyTools, and DebugLog_ConfigFactory.log, is in the /Users/Shared folder of 1), my default boot disk. I do not know if that means RefindPlus|OpenCore got installed on my default disk, despite the fact that I thought I was not installing there, or not.

What confuses me about the opensuse.org Linux installation webpages I quoted is why the author's of those instructions did not just indicate how to avoid having the default EFI overwritten and how to avoid having to reinstall macOS ... after installing openSUSE? Confused how, exactly? Confused as to whether or not the "normal" Linux openSUSE installation process will give me the choice of avoiding a "boot coup", or not, by choosing an install disk, or partition, that is not my default mac operating system boot (startup) disk. Remember, in 3) and 4), I was under the impression my choices meant I would not be installing Refind|OpenCore to my default mac operating system boot disk; so, if they still got installed there, anyway, then, I am even more confused.

I really, really, do not want to do all that, but, if I clone my default mac operating system boot disk to a usb drive (microsdcard), then, remove the default mac operating system boot disk from the machine, then, put only a physical disk (hard drive) in the machine onto which I want to install openSUSE, then, boot from the aforementioned clone usb drive, then, install openSUSE to the aforementioned physical hard disk ... will I then be able to simply shut the machine down, put my default mac operating system boot disk back in the machine, reboot, softbless RefindPlus, again, reboot to the "RefindPlus boot manager" main menu and see the aforementioned disk onto which I installed openSUSE as an operating system choice into which I can boot?

With the RefindPlus|OpenCore installation provided by MyBootMgr is it preferred to have ReFindPlus or OpenCore load (boot) Linux ... if that question makes sense ... ?

I did not make this post in the https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/mybootmgr-refindplus-opencore.2231693/ thread, because it says, "Spoiler: How do I Install 'XYZ' Linux? ... Such installations and upgrades are out of scope here and you should ask on a more appropriate thread"

 

[Dayo]

Can't address most of what you wrote in detail save to say I have already given you two options for reasserting control in the event of a Linux boot coup. You simply need to choose one of them and execute. What I can do however, is to clarify your confusion about MyBootMgr, RefindPlus and OpenCore.

MyBootMgr is not RefindPlus/OpenCore. It is a set of Mac OS tools for installing the latter two. RefindPlus and Opencore on the other hand, are UEFI applications. UEFI applications are independent of, and do not run on, operating systems. They work out of EFI partitions (ESP) well before an operating system is loaded. ESPs are not partitions you create yourself.

Where you install the MyBootMgr apps is of minor relevance but where you install RefindPlus/OpenCore can be significant. The guide says not to install, or perhaps better, deploy, them to the ESP of a disk containing any OS.

You run MyBootMgrSetup which installs the MyBootMgr apps to a Mac OS folder. You run ConfigFactory to configure RefindPlus and OpenCore in a staging folder under the MyBootMgr folder. This is not an installation of RefindPlus/OpenCore (which are not OS based tools in the first place). It is just somewhere ConfigFactory stages things prior to actual installation.

To install RefindPlus/OpenCore, they need to be deployed to an ESP and activated there. You use DeployConfig to deploy them to an ESP of your choosing and BootBlesser to activate. The disk holding the ESP where they have been deployed to is where they have been installed. This disk is what the guide says should not hold an OS, if possible, for reasons it explains.

Installing Linux is a not related to the MyBootMgr guide and is best in other locations indeed. Thanks for that.
You can run Linux via RefindPlus or OpenCore. It is your choice to make. Only thing of note is that out of the box, RefindPlus will detect and display available Linux options while OpenCore needs additional items for Linux that have not been added by MyBootMgr. You will need to do this yourself to run Linux via OpenCore.

 

[20220804-1a]

Can't address most of what you wrote in detail save to say I have already given you two options for reasserting control. You simply need to choose one of them and execute. What I can do is clarify your confusion about MyBootMgr. installation.

MyBootMgr is not RefindPlus/OpenCore. It is a set of tools for installing the latter two which are UEFI applications. UEFI applications are independent of operating systems and work out of ESP partitions; which are not partitions you create yourself.

Anyway, where you install MyBootMgr is of minor relevance but where you install RefindPlus/OpenCore can be significant. The guide says not to install, or perhaps better, deploy, them to the ESP of a disk containing any OS.

So, the MyBootMgr installer installs it to a Mac OS folder. You run ConfigFactory and it configures RefindPlus and OpenCore in a staging folder in the same location. This is not an installation of RefindPlus/OpenCore (which are not OS based tools in the first place). It is just somewhere ConfigFactory outputs things prior to actual installation.

To install them, they need to be deployed to an ESP and activated there. You use DeployConfig deploy them to an ESP of your choosing and BootBlesser to bless, activate, them. The disk holding the ESP where they have been deployed to is where they have been installed. This disk is what the guide says should not hold an OS, if possible, for reasons it explains.

Installing Linux is a not related to the MyBootMgr guide and is best in other locations indeed. Thanks for that.
You can run Linux via RefindPlus or OpenCore. It is your choice to make. Only thing of note is that RefindPlus will detect and display available Linux options out of the box while OpenCore has not had the additional items needed for Linux added by MyBootMgr and you will need to do this yourself to use Linux via OpenCore.

I do appreciate the reply; although, I think you might have misunderstood a key part of my post.

I do not, yet, need to use any "options for reasserting control". I have not lost control, at least, not to a Linux "boot coup"; I have not installed Linux openSUSE on the machine. There is virtually no reason for me not to appreciate your reiterating "options", though; thank you for that ...

I started this thread in an effort to learn more about that which I do not understand or am confused about, before attempting to install LInux openSUSE as described, from other human beings who might know, and, also, want to share that knowledge with me. If anyone reads my post, and knows the answers, but does not want to share their knowledge with me, for whatever reason, no problem. The only thing I have done is use MyBootMgr to install RefindPlus and OpenCore on the machine, then, use the "softbless" procedure to, upon next restart, get to the "RefindPlus boot manager" main menu and "look around".

I definitely do not believe MyBootMgr is RefindPlus/OpenCore. However, I certainly am likely to use the word "installation", for lack of a better word, or not use the word "deploy', or the phrase "staging folder", in relation to this subject matter, the same as other human beings lacking knowledge, and, thus, the vernacular, of this subject matter.

Thx for reiterating; based upon what you wrote about deploying to an ESP, then, I have not installed RefindPlus and OpenCore to the machine's default boot disk. Although, I cloned the machine's default boot disk to a seperate physical disk, a long time ago; I have more than one installation of the machine's default operating system on separate media.

"What confuses me about the opensuse.org Linux installation webpages I quoted is why the author's of those instructions did not just indicate how to avoid having the default EFI overwritten and how to avoid having to reinstall macOS ... after installing openSUSE? Confused how, exactly? Confused as to whether or not the "normal" Linux openSUSE installation process will give me the choice of avoiding a "boot coup", or not, by choosing an install disk, or partition, that is not my default mac operating system boot (startup) disk."

RefindPlus will detect and display available Linux options out of the box while OpenCore has not had the additional items needed for Linux added by MyBootMgr and you will need to do this yourself to use Linux via OpenCore.

To me, the aforementioned quote of what you wrote seems to indicate the following, quoted from what I wrote, will work:

if I clone my default mac operating system boot disk to a usb drive (microsdcard), then, remove the default mac operating system boot disk from the machine, then, put only a physical disk (hard drive) in the machine onto which I want to install openSUSE, then, boot from the aforementioned clone usb drive, then, install openSUSE to the aforementioned physical hard disk ... will I then be able to simply shut the machine down, put my default mac operating system boot disk back in the machine, reboot, softbless RefindPlus, again, reboot to the "RefindPlus boot manager" main menu and see the aforementioned disk onto which I installed openSUSE as an operating system choice into which I can boot?

Am I right or wrong, @Dayo?

 

[Dayo]

Whether OpenSUSE has already taken control or not is not the key issue and I understood that you had not yet installed it.

What is important is that once you install it, it will take control regardless of what you clone where or what you connect/disconnect while installing it. In other words, the boot coup will always happen.

The point I have been making, possibly not as explicitly as was needed, is to simply install it and execute the steps to reassert control afterwards. Reinstalling Mac OS is just one way of reasserting control. It is less hassle for a dev to just tell users to do this as it is guaranteed to work (as with most such installations, the Mac OS installation will result in a boot coup with this being actually wanted in this case). Importantly from the dev's perspective, this option comes with zero support burden.

---

The words you are likely to use were what were used in the guide. Phrases like "staging folder" were just introduced in this thread in an attempt to clarify the apparent confusion manifested by thinking the presence of files in the Mac OS folder was potentially an installation of the UEFI applications but it is just somewhere they are kept (staged) ahead of the actual installation on an ESP.

I have since updated the guide to use such potentially clearer phrases to avoid such confusion in future.