problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

sbt · 2023-11-14 17:00

Any help is appreciated!

I have an old mac mini 2.1 2007 which I want to use. I replaced the HHD with an SSD, bought the fastest possible processor and added maximum possible RAM.

I first installed lubuntu 22.04 on it and everything worked OK. Then I ran an 'unexpected' upgrade which deleted Pulse Audio and replaced it with PipeWire which screwed up my sound. (At the beginning I also had a problem of my mac mini 2.1 not seeing my external monitor (just black screen). I needed to use my old monitor (+- 10-12 years old) to complete the installation process and then manually add the resolution of my new monitor into the GRUB software and put some extra tick-marks for the monitor to be seen at boot). After the PipeWire sound problem (which I was not able to fix) I decided to have a clean install of another Linux OS (lubuntu was a bit too heavy for the hardware). Created 2 bootable USB's with Q4OS (Trinity and Aqarius desktops). They both caused problems during installation (no EFI partition was present, no booting possible etc.). First, I found out that there is a conflict between BIOS and EFI. Wiped the SSD and created the GPT partition table (instead of MBR). Did not help. At the end of the installation I still get the message "Bootloader installation error" (The installation command grub-install --target=x86_64-efi --efi......returned error code 1). I tried to create manual partitions instead of automatic ones during the installation process. Formatted /dev/sda1 as /boot/efi partition (FAT32). Flagged the partition as 'boot'. Did not help either. I tried everything possible (I am not an IT person, so there was a lot of trial and error. But nothing helped and I ran out of options).

Just saw on the forum somewhere some smart person asked to present the output of the inxi -F command. Here it is below (command ran in the Terminal from mac mini 2.1 booted from the Q4OS Trinity live USB, using old monitor).

My questions are:

1) Is it technically possible to install Q4OS on my mac mini 2.1 (having those problems as I describe above and the hardware as is)?
2) If yes, did I do the right thing to wipe the disk clean and create the GPT partition table? Or I need to return back to MBR? Still do not really understand the problem between BIOS / EFI etc. and compatibility issues.
3) Why can't I complete the installation getting this bootloader installation error? What do I need to do to fix it?

root@debian:~# inxi -F
System:
Host: debian Kernel: 6.1.0-13-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64 Desktop: Trinity
Distro: Q4OS 5.3.1-n1
Machine:
Type: Desktop System: Apple product: Macmini2,1 v: 1.0 serial:
Mobo: Apple model: Mac-F4208EAA v: PVT serial: 1 UEFI: Apple
v: MM21.88Z.009A.B00.0706281359 date: 06/28/07
CPU:
Info: dual core model: Intel Core2 T7600 bits: 64 type: MCP cache: L2: 4 MiB
Speed (MHz): avg: 1000 min/max: 1000/2333 cores: 1: 1000 2: 1000
Graphics:
Device-1: Intel Mobile 945GM/GMS 943/940GML Express Integrated Graphics
driver: i915 v: kernel
Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: intel
unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa dri: i915 gpu: i915
resolution: 1920x1080~60Hz
API: OpenGL v: 2.1 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: i915 (: 945GM)
Audio:
Device-1: Intel NM10/ICH7 Family High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-13-amd64 status: kernel-api
Server-1: PulseAudio v: 16.1 status: active (root, process)
Network:
Device-1: Marvell 88E8053 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet driver: sky2
IF: enp1s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac:
Device-2: Qualcomm Atheros AR242x / AR542x Wireless Network Adapter
driver: ath5k
IF: wls1 state: down mac:
Bluetooth:
Device-1: Apple Bluetooth HCI type: USB driver: btusb
Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 state: up address: bt-v: 1.2
Drives:
Local Storage: total: 291.48 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 870 EVO 250GB size: 232.89 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB model: N/A size: 58.59 GiB
Partition:
Message: No partition data found.
Swap:
Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 62.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
Processes: 166 Uptime: 3m Memory: 2.88 GiB used: 615.8 MiB (20.9%)
Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.26

bin · 2023-11-15 08:06

I tried to create manual partitions instead of automatic ones during the installation process. Formatted /dev/sda1 as /boot/efi partition (FAT32). Flagged the partition as 'boot'. Did not help either. I tried everything possible (I am not an IT person, so there was a lot of trial and error. But nothing helped and I ran out of options).

Would need to be flagged boot/efi not just boot. You should be seeing both options in the installer.
This might help - or not
https://wiki.debian.org/MacMiniIntel#In … a_Mac_Mini
Firmware seems to be the issue - there were no EFI/SMC updates for the Mini 2,1

q4osteam · 2023-11-15 11:44

At first, we can recommend you to use Q4OS install-cd instead of live-cd for installation. Download install-cd https://q4os.org/downloads1.html

The issue is hardware dependent. Unfortunately, we are not able to answer your questions (1-3) as we don't have the mac mini, so we cannot perform any testing. Maybe someone could give an advise ?

It would be also helpful, you would make a testing attempt to install Debian Bookworm from the official Debian live Calamares installer, and post back the result. If Debian installs fine, we could compare logs and possibly fix the issue for Q4OS.

sbt · 2023-11-15 14:20

Thanks a lot for the replies. Thought no one will bother...

I will create the bootable CD. Any recommendation in terms of which burning software to use? Sometimes there are specific requirements.

q4osteam · 2023-11-15 14:50

sbt wrote:

Any recommendation in terms of which burning software to use?

https://q4os.org/dqa011.html#install.1

sbt · 2023-11-18 11:46

Reporting the results: nothing worked. I tried using the installation disk and it was the same problem. I have some pictures but have no idea how to attach them here.

I found one site which explains the problem: https://mattgadient.com/linux-dvd-image … 06-models/. Mac mini 2.1 has 64-bit CPU but 32-bit EFI

I downloaded Fedora 39 and it worked as a charm. I checked the /EFI/boot folder and Fedora had a bootia32.efi file.

Thanks for help anyway. I liked the Q4OS distro but...

Q4OS Forum

#1 2023-11-14 17:00

problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

#2 2023-11-15 08:06

Re: problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

#3 2023-11-15 11:44

Re: problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

#4 2023-11-15 14:20

Re: problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

#5 2023-11-15 14:50

Re: problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

#6 2023-11-18 11:46

Re: problem installing Q4OS on mac mini 2.1 2007

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