Install Linux on Apple XServe (Intel processor)

Chris Snook csnook at redhat.com
Thu May 15 02:57:57 UTC 2008


Jonathan Berry wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I am trying to install Linux on an Apple XServe and am not getting
> very far.  It basically seems to be refusing to boot from the DVD-RW
> install disks I have.  I have tried a CentOS 5.1 and a Fedora 8 DVD
> with no success.  I also tried a System Rescue Live CD (which is a
> CD-R) and it did not do anything with it either.  I did get it to boot
> to an OS X install DVD, so I know it should be able to boot from the
> DVD drive.  When I try to get a boot list with the Linux DVDs (holding
> down Alt on bootup), it only lists the main harddrive.
> 
> Has anyone ever put (or attempted to put) Linux on an XServe?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jonathan
> 

It's certainly been done on the Intel-based Mac Pro boxes, which have 
mostly the same hardware.  The EFI firmware apparently has a feature to 
emulate a BIOS, so you don't need an EFI-aware bootloader.  I suspect 
you need to do something in EFI to make this go.

-- Chris




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