Is it good practice to remove my mac's hard drive before installing ubuntu?
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I want to install Ubuntu on an external drive, but I dont want to risk damaging the contents of my mac hard drive, so I am planning on taking it out of the computer before installing. Is this good to do? What problems could arise?
16.04 usb mac macbook
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
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asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
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up vote
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I want to install Ubuntu on an external drive, but I dont want to risk damaging the contents of my mac hard drive, so I am planning on taking it out of the computer before installing. Is this good to do? What problems could arise?
16.04 usb mac macbook
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
up vote
0
down vote
favorite
I want to install Ubuntu on an external drive, but I dont want to risk damaging the contents of my mac hard drive, so I am planning on taking it out of the computer before installing. Is this good to do? What problems could arise?
16.04 usb mac macbook
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
I want to install Ubuntu on an external drive, but I dont want to risk damaging the contents of my mac hard drive, so I am planning on taking it out of the computer before installing. Is this good to do? What problems could arise?
16.04 usb mac macbook
16.04 usb mac macbook
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
edited Nov 29 at 17:03
Elder Geek
26.2k951124
26.2k951124
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
asked Nov 24 at 3:14
Noah Cain
333
333
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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oldest
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0
down vote
An install (UEFI) to an external disk with the Ubuntu installer will put grub on the first EFI partition (ESP) it finds (the internal disk's). This simply writes the grub files into a new directory, /EFI/ubuntu, and overwrites /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi, so grub boots if selected from the nvram or from the device. Bug 1173457
Problems:
1)The host wont boot without the external disk (some grub files are on that disk).
2)The external disk wont boot when selected as a boot device (It's ESP was left empty).
Those two problems are easy to fix, copy the internal ESP to the external ESP, and it's boot should work (no changes at all to any files). Boot the external first in order, and grub should run, offering you the choice of Ubuntu or Windows. You can optionally delete the nvram entry and the ubuntu directory, and rename the backup bootx64.efi back to the bootx64.efi.
It is reported that removing (temporarily) the ESP (and boot?) flag on the internal ESP will also allow the Ubuntu installer to correctly use the external disk's ESP. Then replace the internal flag, and you should be able to boot the external device without having touched the internal disk.
If it is easy to unplug the disk, that also works, but effort depends upon how hard/easy the disassembly is.
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
0
down vote
An install (UEFI) to an external disk with the Ubuntu installer will put grub on the first EFI partition (ESP) it finds (the internal disk's). This simply writes the grub files into a new directory, /EFI/ubuntu, and overwrites /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi, so grub boots if selected from the nvram or from the device. Bug 1173457
Problems:
1)The host wont boot without the external disk (some grub files are on that disk).
2)The external disk wont boot when selected as a boot device (It's ESP was left empty).
Those two problems are easy to fix, copy the internal ESP to the external ESP, and it's boot should work (no changes at all to any files). Boot the external first in order, and grub should run, offering you the choice of Ubuntu or Windows. You can optionally delete the nvram entry and the ubuntu directory, and rename the backup bootx64.efi back to the bootx64.efi.
It is reported that removing (temporarily) the ESP (and boot?) flag on the internal ESP will also allow the Ubuntu installer to correctly use the external disk's ESP. Then replace the internal flag, and you should be able to boot the external device without having touched the internal disk.
If it is easy to unplug the disk, that also works, but effort depends upon how hard/easy the disassembly is.
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
An install (UEFI) to an external disk with the Ubuntu installer will put grub on the first EFI partition (ESP) it finds (the internal disk's). This simply writes the grub files into a new directory, /EFI/ubuntu, and overwrites /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi, so grub boots if selected from the nvram or from the device. Bug 1173457
Problems:
1)The host wont boot without the external disk (some grub files are on that disk).
2)The external disk wont boot when selected as a boot device (It's ESP was left empty).
Those two problems are easy to fix, copy the internal ESP to the external ESP, and it's boot should work (no changes at all to any files). Boot the external first in order, and grub should run, offering you the choice of Ubuntu or Windows. You can optionally delete the nvram entry and the ubuntu directory, and rename the backup bootx64.efi back to the bootx64.efi.
It is reported that removing (temporarily) the ESP (and boot?) flag on the internal ESP will also allow the Ubuntu installer to correctly use the external disk's ESP. Then replace the internal flag, and you should be able to boot the external device without having touched the internal disk.
If it is easy to unplug the disk, that also works, but effort depends upon how hard/easy the disassembly is.
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
An install (UEFI) to an external disk with the Ubuntu installer will put grub on the first EFI partition (ESP) it finds (the internal disk's). This simply writes the grub files into a new directory, /EFI/ubuntu, and overwrites /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi, so grub boots if selected from the nvram or from the device. Bug 1173457
Problems:
1)The host wont boot without the external disk (some grub files are on that disk).
2)The external disk wont boot when selected as a boot device (It's ESP was left empty).
Those two problems are easy to fix, copy the internal ESP to the external ESP, and it's boot should work (no changes at all to any files). Boot the external first in order, and grub should run, offering you the choice of Ubuntu or Windows. You can optionally delete the nvram entry and the ubuntu directory, and rename the backup bootx64.efi back to the bootx64.efi.
It is reported that removing (temporarily) the ESP (and boot?) flag on the internal ESP will also allow the Ubuntu installer to correctly use the external disk's ESP. Then replace the internal flag, and you should be able to boot the external device without having touched the internal disk.
If it is easy to unplug the disk, that also works, but effort depends upon how hard/easy the disassembly is.
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
An install (UEFI) to an external disk with the Ubuntu installer will put grub on the first EFI partition (ESP) it finds (the internal disk's). This simply writes the grub files into a new directory, /EFI/ubuntu, and overwrites /EFI/Boot/bootx64.efi, so grub boots if selected from the nvram or from the device. Bug 1173457
Problems:
1)The host wont boot without the external disk (some grub files are on that disk).
2)The external disk wont boot when selected as a boot device (It's ESP was left empty).
Those two problems are easy to fix, copy the internal ESP to the external ESP, and it's boot should work (no changes at all to any files). Boot the external first in order, and grub should run, offering you the choice of Ubuntu or Windows. You can optionally delete the nvram entry and the ubuntu directory, and rename the backup bootx64.efi back to the bootx64.efi.
It is reported that removing (temporarily) the ESP (and boot?) flag on the internal ESP will also allow the Ubuntu installer to correctly use the external disk's ESP. Then replace the internal flag, and you should be able to boot the external device without having touched the internal disk.
If it is easy to unplug the disk, that also works, but effort depends upon how hard/easy the disassembly is.
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
answered Nov 24 at 5:18
ubfan1
9,12141527
9,12141527
add a comment |
add a comment |
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