F9/64-bit on Mac Pro [SOLVED]

[Chris Stark]

Chris Stark wrote:
> Greetings,
> 
> I am trying to install F9 x86_64 on my new Mac Pro workstation (dual 
> Intel Xeon quad-core + 4GB RAM), and it appears that none of the F9 
> installer discs detect its USB hardware correctly.
> 
> When I boot using the DVD or LiveCD, everything proceeds as usual, but 
> once I get to the media check screen, I cannot use my keyboard. From the 
> LiveCD, neither the keyboard nor mouse work. I've tried swapping out 
> different keyboards and mice, and even hot-plugging, but nothing worked. 
> Also, the media works fine; I installed F9/64 on my work Dell from the 
> same disc.
> 
> F9 32-bit works just fine on the Mac Pro, but naturally I cannot use my 
> 4GB of RAM w/ a 32-bit OS. Also, I managed to install Ubuntu 64-bit, and 
> that worked without issue. While Ubuntu is currently working acceptably 
> well, I really do prefer Fedora, so I really want to find a way to make 
> it work.
> 
> Please let me know if there is any information I can provide, or if 
> there are any tricks I can try with GRUB.

Hi All,

With the help of a private email from a fellow named Bryant (much 
thanks!), I was able to piece together the steps to make F9/64-bit work 
on my new Mac Pro. This whole process required access to a working 
F9/64-bit installation. Luckily, my work system fit the bill.

1. Install "livecd-tools" on the working 64-bit box.

2. Copy one of the kickstart files from /usr/share/livecd-tools/ to your 
working directory, then edit the repo lines to match the Fedora Base OS 
and Updates repos. It's critical to include the updates, or the kernel 
(nor anything else) will not be updated to the latest version. The 
latest kernel is vital for a successful installation.

3. Run the "livecd-creator" command using the modified kickstart file. 
If you give the livecd a label, do NOT use a space in the label -- it 
will break the boot process.

4. Burn the resulting ISO and boot the Mac Pro (holding ALT to allow for 
insertion and selection of the bootable CD)

4. My custom livecd sucked -- I based it off the 
livecd-fedora-9-base-desktop.ks file. I probably should have used the 
full livecd-fedora-9-desktop.ks file. Basically, my livecd booted just 
fine, but neither root nor the fedora-user could log in graphically. I 
believe my base image was severely lacking in packages. I ended up 
having to switch virtual consoles and install using text mode via the 
"liveinst" command. The text installer worked fine.

5. Because my livecd was so bad, the resulting system was a bit sketchy 
and lacking in packages too. Again, I couldn't login graphically with 
root or any other local accounts, and I'm sure it was a direct result of 
a severe lack of installed packages. Everything I did to make the system 
work involved switching to a virtual console.

6. I had to do a bit of tweaking to set the networking right, but as 
soon as that was set, I ssh'ed into my work system and output the list 
of installed software using `rpm -qa > mypkgs.txt`, then I scp'ed that 
resulting file back to the Mac and performed a "yum install `cat 
mypkgs.txt`". I ended up having to edit the package list a couple of 
times, but it pretty much entailed removing any packages from the list 
that caused errors, and manually installing them later.

Once all the missing packages were installed, I rebooted, and the system 
worked like a charm. I'm sure I could refine the process, but I really 
just needed a working system (which I ultimately have now).

Aloha,
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