Calling All Linux Gurus..... (Move to correct forum if this isn't the right one)

[Guest]

Hey all,
I just installed Kubuntu Linux 8.10 (upgraded to 9.04) x86_64 to my former internal drive that came with my MacBook (the OEM 120 GB drive). I've now put it back into its external enclosure, with the intention of booting it via USB via rEFIt. When I try to do so, rEFIt refuses to boot it. I've read that if I had installed the OS directly to the USB drive I'd have had better luck. Short of reinstalling, how would I get it booting, if at all? I'd rather not have to swap drives in and out all the time for when I want to mess around with Linux on my good machine here... I installed it on my alternate disc because I don't want to [re]partition this drive until I get the Windows 7 RC that's releasing soon.

Thanks,
Shiggy

P.S. For some reason the grub install won't hold.. when I had the 120 GB installed directly in my MacBook I had to use the install DVD to get it to boot, otherwise I'd get a blinking folder icon endlessly.

[E_Debois]

Re: Calling All Linux Gurus..... (Move to correct forum if this isn't the right one)

This is a bit of a sympathy reply, since I am not too well informed about your problem.

However, generally when booting from USB devices, you need to make sure that the bios is parsing the boot sector in the right manner. Modern bioses usually have a couple of options and may default to floppy disk emulation or something like that. If so, the bios looks at your hard drive, discovers that the bootsector does not look like that of a floppy disk and calls it a day.

Also a quick google produced this:
http://echochamber.me/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20620