Unable to chainload OS X Clover bootloader from GRUB

[polmes]

So I have a triple-boot setup in which I have just updated OS X (Hackintosh) to the newest version and a new bootloader (from Chimera to Clover). It looks something like this:

• Ubuntu 14.04 LTS on /dev/sda (hd0)
• Windows 10 Pro on /dev/sdb (hd3)
• OS X 10.11 El Capitan on /dev/sdd (hd2), with the following partitions:
  • gpt1 for the EFI Clover bootloader (67E5-17ED is the UUID for this volume)
  • gpt2 for the main OS X disk

Everything is working fine, and I can boot into each OS from the BIOS with no problem. However, I like to use GRUB as my main bootloader.

Previously, by having something like this:

[FONT=arial]menuentry "OS X 10.10" {[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod hfsplus[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    set root=(hd2,gpt2)[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    multiboot /boot[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]}[/FONT]

I was able to chainload to the Chimera bootloader from GRUB with no issues, and from there boot OS X.

However, with the new UEFI-based Clover bootloader, no matter wheter I try:

[FONT=arial]menuentry "OS X 10.11" {[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod chain[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod part_gpt[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    set root=(hd2,gpt1)[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    chainloader /efi/boot/bootx64.efi[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]}[/FONT]

or

[FONT=arial]menuentry "OS X 10.11" {[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod part_gpt[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod search_fs_uuid[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod chain[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    search --fs-uuid --no-floppy --set=root 67E5-17ED[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    chainloader ($root)/efi/boot/bootx64.efi[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]}[/FONT]

as has been suggested here and here, I keep getting an invalid signature error from GRUB when I select "OS X 10.11".

I even tried:

[FONT=arial]menuentry "OS X 10.11" {[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod chain[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    insmod part_gpt[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    set root=(hd2,gpt2)[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]    chainloader +1[/FONT]
[FONT=arial]}[/FONT]

which leads to a blank screen with some random characters on the top.

The problem appears to be the same as this. However, I have Secure Boot disabled in the BIOS preferences.

Anyway, my question is if there's anything else I can try to chainload these bootloaders together to work like Chimera, or if there's another way to boot directly into OS X from GRUB.

Thanks in advance,

Note - I first posted this question over here, but also being related to the Clover bootloader, I decided asking here might help

 

[Going Bald]

Double check UEFI/BIOS and make sure Secure Boot is disabled.

Is Win10 installed Legacy Mode?
Is Ubuntu installed EFI mode?
How is Grub2 installed? To HDD MBR/PBR? or to root?

 

[polmes]

Thanks for answering!

So yes, that seems to be the issue. Ubuntu --despite being installed on a GPT disk-- boots in Legacy mode, just like Windows (which is indeed installed on an MBR disk).

Once I can back up all the data, will try to move those installs to UEFI boot, and let you know if I can get it working then,

 

[Going Bald]

Thanks for answering!

So yes, that seems to be the issue. Ubuntu --despite being installed on a GPT disk-- boots in Legacy mode, just like Windows (which is indeed installed on an MBR disk).

Once I can back up all the data, will try to move those installs to UEFI boot, and let you know if I can get it working then,

Before going to all that trouble (and not getting Ubuntu to play nice with UEFI), try mount EFI partition of OS X drive, delete folders to remove Clover boot loader.

Download http://www.tonymacx86.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=294 and run the Clover Legacy-root.
This is essentially the same as having Chimera with /Extra folder.

 

[polmes]

Before going to all that trouble (and not getting Ubuntu to play nice with UEFI), try mount EFI partition of OS X drive, delete folders to remove Clover boot loader.

Download http://www.tonymacx86.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=294 and run the Clover Legacy-root.
This is essentially the same as having Chimera with /Extra folder.

Yeah, I thought about that. Still, I would like to move everything to the more modern UEFI standard... fingers crossed that everything goes well!

I'm getting a new backup disk next week and will let you know how it goes,

 

[Going Bald]

Yeah, I thought about that. Still, I would like to move everything to the more modern UEFI standard... fingers crossed that everything goes well!

I'm getting a new backup disk next week and will let you know how it goes,

Good luck with Ubuntu EFI - I had no luck getting Ubuntu/Mint/Debian booting UEFI reliably and gave it up as a lost cause until better developement work has been done on the boot loader. Might be able to use rEFInd instead, but I have not had time to try it.

 

[polmes]

Alright then! I finally got it all working. If anyone is interested, I followed this guide to switch Windows from MBR Legacy to GPT UEFI, and most of this one to make the switch on the Linux (Ubuntu) side.

And then, after adding:

menuentry "OS X 10.11" {    insmod chain
    insmod part_gpt
    set root=(hd2,gpt1)
    chainloader /efi/boot/bootx64.efi
}

to the GRUB config file, I managed to load Clover from GRUB, just as I had expected!

Thanks for your help,