Triple Boot Issue - Windows Specific?

Operating Systems & Open Source
1

So, I’m trying to triple boot a Mac and it’s not working. When I boot into Windows, I get the error code 0x000000e after installing Ubuntu. I’ve tried a bunch of things as well, like GPT sync in Ubuntu, setting the Windows partition active, etc… no luck

I noticed that when I attempted the GPT sync in Terminal in Ubuntu (which failed), it said that there are 2 partition tables. 1 GPT, and the other MBR. I don’t know if that’s normal or not. And when I tried to apply/use the GPT sync in Terminal, I got the message “GPT partition of type ‘unknown’ found, will not touch this disk.”

I’m really stumped on this one.

2

Sometimes a biosboot partition is added to a GPT drive for MBR compatibility (for GRUB). That’s what I would expect is going on here.

I have no idea how that affects your situation though.

3

I feel like that might be something to do with it. When I was in the Ubuntu Terminal entering the GPT sync command, I noticed another weird thing. It said something like “NTFS/HPFS”.

My next test is to try and see if simply formatting the free space set aside for the Ubuntu partition, not installing to it, is what’s causing Windows to act like a spastic child. If that’s the case, then it seems like I can safely say that it’s not the Ubuntu installation that’s causing the issue, rather what seems to be a disk management issue.-I’m thinking that maybe the partition needs to be set beforehand - before Windows is installed to it.

I have one older contact that might be able to help, but I don’t know… this might be out of their range.

1 Like
4

So I did the test, and it looks like we’re one step closer.

Simply attempting to format the free space that was set aside in Windows to the Ext4 file system when booted into Ubuntu, results in the 0x000000e Windows boot error. The issue is not Ubuntu’s installation. The issue is using the free space for Ubuntu.

Strangely though, I didn’t have this issue for Fedora, so I really don’t know what’s going on.

5

oh my fucking god I finally got it

I.

Finally.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKING

got it.

6

I’ll post what I did soon. This sucker… oh… my… I can’t even believe the shit that hides, even when using Linux… This is just fucking crazy. It’s making me rethink every personal and private guide I’ve ever made.

I… I… don’t even know…

7

Okay first off, huge credits to this post/page. This helped a LOT. Seriously. If not for this page I would not have solved this disgusting issue.

So in short, for some reason, “apparently”? Ubuntu makes a GPT MBR Hybrid… Which is really really weird considering that Windows and macOS both appear to be recognizing the drive as GUID when booted into their own operating systems. Thus from that, why in the Hell would it-Ubuntu need to go to the lengths of doing crazy shit like that? It just seems so illogical. I mean, I know Windows can do and has done GPT MBR hybrid before, but that’s because of a legacy boot. Ubuntu is EFI booted. Like, I’m glad there’s a solution, but it’s like, really? Are you fucking kidding me?

If someone knows why this is the case, feel free to explain, this just seems really fucking dumb that Ubuntu does this.
Edit: Which doesn’t even make fucking sense, since Ubuntu ALSO recognizes the drive as GUID format. All fucking three of them recognize the OS drive as GUID format, yet Ubuntu does weird shit by doing something to make it a hybrid… what the fucking hell…

8

Sweet fucking christ just buy parallels you nark.

9

Bare metal testing gives better results

10

You realize Parallels can do passthrough right?

11

This method also works for older generations of computers with scarce hardware resources such as lower amounts of RAM. Additionally, hopefully a fairly permanent solution. I’ve had bad experience with VMing as well.

edit: I would love to throw everything into a VM, so I could give easier software control, but unfortunately not everything works that easily. :\

12

Welcome to the opensource community. We are not perfect. We try not to lie or deceive you.

13

So do well people.

14

I’ll try my best mr headroom.

15

-removed

editX: Yeah, each distribution and main platform has their downsides. etc… I’m thankful for distributions like Fedora

eh… with exceptions like open sources malicious code, but yeah I think I understand what you’re saying

16

I finally got around to doing this.

In short, I’ll just say what I did, and if someone needs help, I can try and clarify for future reference. It’s just a rough text follow guide.

Ingredients:

  1. macOS Installer USB
  2. Windows ISO
  3. Ubuntu Installer USB
  4. libicu52 package file
  5. gdisk package file
  6. rEFInd bootloader

Instructions:

  1. Boot into the macOS installer USB
  2. Erase and format the entire OS drive
  3. Install macOS
  4. Once macOS is installed, open BootCamp
  5. Partition in BootCamp and install Windows
  6. Once Windows is finished installing, open Disk Management
  7. Shrink space from the Windows partition that you want to use for Ubuntu
  8. Reboot, and upon rebooting, hold down the “alt” key
  9. When the bootmanager screen appears, boot into the Ubuntu installer USB
  10. When the Ubuntu installation screen appears, choose the “something else” option
  11. Set the device for bootloader installation to /dev/sda1/ (The EFI partition)
  12. Install Now
  13. Upon completing installation, restart, and the system should boot right into Ubuntu
  14. Place the “libicu52” and “gdisk” package files on the Ubuntu desktop
  15. Open Terminal and OnBoard if needed
  16. In Terminal, enter:

sudo -s

(and enter your password)
17. next, type:

dpkg -i ~/Desktop/X

(X = the exact name of the libicu file including the extension)

  1. Next, type:

dpkg -i ~/Desktop/Y

(Y = the exact name of the gdisk file including the extension)

  1. Once the libicu52 and gdisk packages have been installed, enter:

gdisk /dev/sda

p

x

n

w

y

  1. Reboot Ubuntu
  2. Once rebooted into Ubuntu, reboot again, but this time, boot into macOS
  3. Install the rEFInd bootloader

Note: At this point, if you have not already disabled csrutil in Terminal, do so now by entering:

sudo csrutil disable; reboot

  1. Upon rebooting, the rEFInd bootloader should appear and all operating systems: macOS, Windows, and Linux, should all be working/functional

Finish