[Guide] Triple Boot OSX/Ubuntu/Win7 on GA H55M-USB3+GTX460

Hi Everyone,
I have a triple boot MSI Wind U100plus for about 10 months now.
Thanks to Tonymac and the guides submitted by users in this forum (as well as insanelywind), I have just completed building my triple boot (Snow Leopard 10.6.6, Ubuntu 10.10, Windows 7) desktop.

Desktop Specs
Gigabyte GA H55M-USB3 + Core i7 870
4GB Kingston PC1333 DDR3
500GB WD HDD
MSI GTX460 1GB OC
Samsung XL2370 LED monitor

Preparation
1) Buy a copy of Snow Leopard Retail
2) Download and burn iBoot CD (in OSX, use disk utilities to burn the image)
3) Download and copy combo update 10.6.6, MultiBeast, DSDT, Tonymac Nvidia driver into USB thumbdrive
4) Set the bios according to the instructions here.
(Ref: http://tonymacx86.blogspot.com/2010/04/ ... -x-on.html)
Essentially:
a) Reload "Optimised defaults" in BIOS.
b) Set all available options to AHCI
c) set HPET to 64-bit

Versions Used:
iBoot 2.6.3
MultiBeast 3.2
Snow Leopard Retail 10.6

Mac OS X
1) Boot with iBoot
2) Remove iBoot and insert Snow Leopard Retail Install disk
3) Press "F5" to refresh and select to start Snow Leopard installation disk
4) Start Disk Utility
5) Partition HDD to 3 partitions
(Partition 1 = Mac EXT with Journal > Label volumes as "Mac")
(Partition 2 = Win FAT32 > Label volume as "Linux")
(Partition 3 = Win FAT32 > Label volume as "Windows")
6) Quit Disk Utility
7) Install into "Mac" Volume
8) Once installation is completed, insert iBoot CD and reboot
9) At bootloader, select "Mac" Volume to get into the newly installed Snow Leopard
10) Copy files from thumbdrive to desktop
11) Install combo update 10.6.6 but do not reboot
12) Ensure DSDT is on desktop (in my case "DSDT-GA-H55M-USB3-F11.aml")
13) Run MultiBeast
multibeast.png

14) Remove iBoot CD, Reboot and Chameleon bootloader should start
15) Install Tonymac Nvidia driver
(HDMI video worked perfectly)


Now proceed to install Windows 7

Windows 7
1) Boot into Mac OS X
2) Launch Terminal (i.e. Applications>Utilities>Terminal)
3) Inside Terminal type "sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk0"
3a) type "p" to list partitions
3b) type "f 4" to mark partition 4 as active
3c) type "w" to write changes to boot record
3d) type "y" to confirm that reboot is required for effect to take place
3e) type "exit"
4) Restart system and boot from Windows Installation Disk
5) Open command by using (shift-F10)
6) Inside Command type "diskpart"
6a) type "select disk 0" to select the boot disk
6b) type "list part" to list partitions
6c) type "select part 4" to selection partition 4
6d) type "active" to set partition 4 as active
6e) type "exit"
7) Proceed to custom install and select partition 4 for installation
8) Once installation completes, it will reboot into Windows 7


Now proceed to install Ubuntu 10.10

Ubuntu 10.10
1) Boot Ubuntu Live CD
2) Choose Install (do not need to run the OS in the Live CD)
3) Choose Custom Install
4) Select /dev/sda3 as install location
5) Select /dev/sda3 as bootloader (i.e. Grud) location
6) proceed to install
7) Complete installation and restart machine
(To get graphics working properly, go to Accessories>Appearance>choose "extra" button to install graphic drivers......... you can do this anytime after you get the Chameleon Bootloader back)

**In case you did not insert the iBoot CD into the machine during reboot, it will report a missing operating system.

Now to get back the Chameleon Bootloader

1) Boot with iBoot and select Mac OS X and it will boot into Snow Leopard
2) Launch Terminal (i.e. Applications>Utilities>Terminal)
3) Inside Terminal type "sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk0"
3a) type "p" to list partitions
3b) type "f 1" to mark partition 1 as active
3c) type "w" to write changes to boot record
3d) type "y" to confirm that reboot is required for effect to take place
3e) type "exit"
4) Launch MultiBeast
5) select to install chameleon bootloader
6) finish and restart

After this, the system will boot into Chameleon, and you will be able to choose between stating Mac, Ubuntu or Windows 7.

It may also be useful to sync MBT and GPT
1) Go into Ubuntu and install gptsync (using synaptic)
2) go terminal
3) sudo gptsync /dev/sda
4) Reboot

Hope this is helpful.

*This guide should work for dual boot as well. All that is needed is to change the partition information accordingly.

Thanks I did you multi boot option, it worked. But when I went to run the windows experience I got an error about being unable to start the kernel logger. I even tried to put sp1 on but it would not take. any Ideas could it be the loader? Am I better off using separate drive for windows Also between step 6 and 6a I needed to type "select disk 0"

6) Inside Command type "diskpart"
6a) type "list part" to list partitions

Click to expand...

Rob

Yes looks like I missed out that select disk part will edit and include.

I did not encounter this kernel problem issue in Windows as I had not run windows experience.

boss351 said:

Thanks I did you multi boot option, it worked. But when I went to run the windows experience I got an error about being unable to start the kernel logger. I even tried to put sp1 on but it would not take. any Ideas could it be the loader? Am I better off using separate drive for windows Also between step 6 and 6a I needed to type "select disk 0"

6) Inside Command type "diskpart"
6a) type "list part" to list partitions

Click to expand...

Rob

Click to expand...

I am glad the triple booting worked.

Regarding the "windows experience" kernel issue, it may be related to the issue stated in this link.

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/For ... ab35ed2a82

I don't think it is a triple boot issue.

Hello,
I've tried your method however i have strange problem with PC while doing it.
While installing MAC OS at about 75% computer tends to turn off. When i finnaly made it to install (about 7 tries) same thing happened at about 95% of combo update 10.6.6. I managed to turn MAC OS back, however now i don't feel secure with my programming and data loose at this system.
Firstly i thought that it can be my graphic's fault, however i see that you don't have such problems?

I should also mention that before i used to double-boot uBuntu and Windows and never had such problems with turning down. Anyway, my only possible reaction is that maybe my PC overheats? Processor probably, because it seems to turn down while counting at CPU not GPU.

Do you think it's possible? Or just please let me know if you have similar problems on GTX460 with "cut power supply"- reset or turning down.

Beseides- great help, thanks for sharing your post- it helped me a lot!

---edit---
11) Install combo update 10.6.6 but do not reboot <- that's the point i couldn't do because of a sudden turning off coputer at 95% of combo update. As far (finished installing MAC OS) i don't see any problems

---edit2---
I am forced to reinstall mac os because always at 95% of 10.6.6 update computer turns down (and system after rebooting is 10.6.3- like from my install dvd).
I just wanted to notice that there is new iBoot GF -> support Quadro 4000, but also GeForce 4+5 series:
GT 430, GTS 450, GTX 460, GTX 465, GTX 470, GTX 480, and GTX 580, and give the 2XX series a bit better support

Hi sting and thanks for this guide it worked perfectly for me

I do have one question though, upon completing the last reboot after reinstalling the Chameleon Bootloader from MB, when Chameleon loads it only shows me the Mac OS partition. If i then hit the space bar (or any other key) before the countdown ends it then shows me the 2 partitions/OS installs that i have, which works fine upon selecting an os. Here comes the question:

Do you know how i can change this so both OSes are visible to choose from with or without the timer still using the Chameleon Bootloader?

Not really a huge problem more curious to know. Hey thanks again for the tut!

here's the answer
http://www.tonymacx86.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=9072

Vivelee said:

Hello,
I've tried your method however i have strange problem with PC while doing it.
While installing MAC OS at about 75% computer tends to turn off. When i finnaly made it to install (about 7 tries) same thing happened at about 95% of combo update 10.6.6. I managed to turn MAC OS back, however now i don't feel secure with my programming and data loose at this system.
.............

Click to expand...

Hi Vivelee,
I do not have another system to test or simulate the issue you mentioned. Sorry.
Additional info.... the versions used were iBoot 2.6.3, Multibeast 3.2 and Snow Leopard Retail 10.6

Thanks for reply sting If i find out what's causing my issue i will surely post it here!

hello sting...

i wanna try this one but when i type this in terminal "sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk0" terminal will hangs up then i can't type my password when it says Enter password.

how to fix this? thanks.