Install on Late 2013 Mac Pro

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SLES SAP Applications
1

I have a shiny new Late 2013 Mac Pro and am trying to install the SLES SAP build on. The install hangs on boot at the “loading initial ramdisk” spot. I did find a lot of posts on this subject but the one that seemed closest in relation in setting “nomodeset” before letting it start the install ends with the same outcome.

Are there other debugging steps I can perform to figure out what it’s doing/not doing here and get past this part of the install?

2

Hi
Look at the other VT’s (ctrl+alt+F10 or ctrl+alt+F12) for the tailing
log files or it could be a different combination from F2 and up
ctrl+alt+F1 should get back to the install screen. I’m assuming your
booting in UEFI mode?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SLED 11 SP3 (x86_64) GNOME 2.28.0 Kernel 3.0.101-0.8-default
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3

It’s odd. I can’t get the media check to even run past loading initial ramdisk. No function keys work in any combination that I can find. The only thing I can do before I hit install or media check is to edit it to add nomodeset.

4

Hi
Can you select a text only install (ncurses), then hit install?

5

I hit “c” and put textmode=1 on the grub command prompt and hit escape and then install with no luck. I also tried to edit the config after a reboot and added there as well then hit F10 to get it going with no luck either.

Thanks for sticking with me on this Malcom.

6

Hi
No problem, happy to help. It’s ctrl+alt+Fn keys (three in all)? not
just the Fn key?

I’m assuming your system is booting in UEFI mode, is the SAP image UEFI
capable (as in on the image a /boot/efi directory with efi files)?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SLED 11 SP3 (x86_64) GNOME 2.28.0 Kernel 3.0.101-0.8-default
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7

Yes I was able to get the F10 passed with that key combination.

I checked the image (downloaded fresh Saturday) and it does not have /boot/efi within it. That bad?

8

Well AFAIK, you need to boot from an EFI image. Can you download the
openSUSE 13.1 rescue cd and create a bootable USB (or CD) and boot from
that, it’s EFI ready, so would confirm a few things;
ftp://ftp.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/opensuse/distribution/13.1/iso/openSUSE-13.1-Rescue-CD-x86_64.iso

So if that boots we can try from the openSUSE rescue system to create
an efi ready iso image.

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SLED 11 SP3 (x86_64) GNOME 2.28.0 Kernel 3.0.101-0.8-default
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9

Sorry for the radio silence. You know, holidays and all.

I did get openSUSE 13.1 rescue downloaded and got a usb drive bootable. The machine boots ok and I get to the main menu, but every single option starts to boot openSUSE (live, failsafe, mediacheck) and then the machine just reboots itself before anything happens.

I’m wondering if we don’t have to go through your steps you are suggesting on another box to create the image you described outside of the Mac Pro?

10

Hi
Not good at all :frowning: If it’s not booting the openSUSE live image, then my
proposal is moot…

So in the Mac, you can selectively boot, as in able to browse and
select an efi file?

Why not run osX and run SAP in a virtual machine?

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SLED 11 SP3 (x86_64) GNOME 2.28.0 Kernel 3.0.101-0.8-default
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11

That was definitely my backup plan, although I had hoped to run the dual boot scenario. Oh well. Thanks for contributing.

12

I can ask my SUSE contacts about it in the meantime. Is it possible to
give me the hardware specs as well? Since it’s holiday time, it may be
next week before I get a response.

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
SLED 11 SP3 (x86_64) GNOME 2.28.0 Kernel 3.0.101-0.8-default
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13

Sure thing. It’s a late model Mac Pro, quad core xeon E5, 64 GB ram, Dual AMD FirePro D300 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM.

Thanks for the persistence there. The VM went down without a hitch but I’m happy to bag it if I can get back to a dual boot scenario.

14

On 01/01/2014 20:04, evallo wrote:
[color=blue]

I did get openSUSE 13.1 rescue downloaded and got a usb drive bootable.
The machine boots ok and I get to the main menu, but every single option
starts to boot openSUSE (live, failsafe, mediacheck) and then the
machine just reboots itself before anything happens.[/color]

Did you download the 32- or 64-bit version of the openSUSE 13.1 Rescue
CD? I ask because only the 64-bit version includes the EFI stuff - it’s
not in the 32-bit version.

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

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15

I did double check I snagged openSUSE-13.1-Resccue-CD-x86_64.iso.

Thx Simon

16

evallo Wrote in message:
[color=blue]

Sure thing. It’s a late model Mac Pro, quad core xeon E5, 64 GB ram,
Dual AMD FirePro D300 with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM.[/color]

Does this have the 256GB (or possibly 512GB/1TB) PCIe-based flash
storage? I’m thinking this is the cause of your issues.
[color=blue]

Thanks for the persistence there. The VM went down without a hitch but
I’m happy to bag it if I can get back to a dual boot scenario.[/color]

I think virtualisation is going to be your best way to get this
working as I suspect you may hit other issues even after this
current one is resolved - I’ve recently had fun installing Linux
on to an old Intel-based Mac mini.

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://www.piaohong.tk/newsgroup

17

evallo Wrote in message:
[color=blue]

That was definitely my backup plan, although I had hoped to run the dual
boot scenario. Oh well. Thanks for contributing.[/color]

A couple of thoughts:

  • are you using the latest EFI Firmware? I believe 2.0 is latest
    for Pro
  • are you using Boot Camp to handle dual boot?

HTH.

Simon
SUSE Knowledge Partner

----Android NewsGroup Reader----
http://www.piaohong.tk/newsgroup

18

Hi
Yes, knowing which UEFI is in use, or install rEFind, an internal SUSE
person advised they needed a USB boot-able device with openSUSE too on
a MacBookAir 13".

http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 13.1 (Bottle) (x86_64) GNOME 3.10.2 Kernel 3.11.6-4-desktop
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