[Gllug] Installing Linux on a Mac Mini - boot sequence

[John Winters]

I'm trying to install Linux on an Intel Mac Mini as the only operating
system - no Mac OS X.  The machine is a redundant one from school which
I intend to use to provide pupils with a programming platform for an
after-school activity.

The installation process went fine up until I re-booted at the end, but
the boot process doesn't seem to want to recognise my Linux
installation.  I can start it manually using the installation CD (Debian
Lenny) but without the CD I just get a flashing question mark on the screen.

The disc originally had two partitions on it (and two small chunks of
free space).  The first identified itself as FAT and seemed to be some
sort of housekeeping partition.  The second one was HFS and took up most
of the disc.  Since I didn't want Mac OS at all I deleted the second one
and installed Linux in the resulting space.  I took the default option
for installing Grub to the MBR.

I now discover (after the event) that the Mac disc layout is a bit
different and I need to learn more to find out how to get it to boot
cleanly.  Most of the web pages I've found start with "Boot into Mac OS
and then..." but that option isn't open to me.  I can almost certainly
get a Mac OS DVD at school on Monday, but currently I don't have one.

I've found rEFit, which claims it can boot a Linux system - indeed it
claims it can boot this one when I start from a rEFit bootable CD, but
if I choose that option there's a short delay and then the machine
resets and starts again.

Does anyone know how you can set up a Mac Mini with no Mac OS at all, to
boot straight into Linux?  Alternatively if anyone can point me to
documentation on how the Mac boot sequence (and disk layout) works I'd
be very grateful.

Cheers,
John
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