You can install Linux in BIOS mode, and then set up e grub2 EFI. To be safe, even on non-Mac machines, you can boot the Mac alternate ISO CD, where the UEFI bootloader has been removed. This issue has been resolved in Ubuntu 12.04. This has resulted in the Windows bootloader being deleted for some users of Ubuntu 11.04 & 11.10.

Due to bug 769669 the boot partition will be formatted. Some of the notable UEFI firmwares are Phoenix Secure Core Tiano, AMI Aptio, and Insyde H2O.Ĭaution if you want to dual boot. Many vendors have started adopting UEFI as their firmware. PCs certified for Windows 8 will require UEFI booting by default. UEFI is the firmware that will eventually replace BIOS in commercial PCs. A newer and simpler documentation about UEFI is available here: UEFI. Workaround in case grub cannot determine the graphic properties.Blessing grub.efi (Grub2 as the only bootloader).Using Apple bootloader itself (safest option).Apple Mac EFI systems (both EFI architecture).Make the firmware launch GRUB2 (U)EFI as default.Detect (U)EFI firmware processor architecture.(*) I'll save you from hearing how I got that deep into trouble, but let's say it is because I was trying to fix a problem that I don't know if it war originated by the Phoenix bios itself, but surely I'm bitter about Phoenix not giving us an actual way to reset the firmware status to the default, and Samsung for not giving us the firmware images to reflash.

Probably I'd rather dump the damn thing and buy another with a more sensible efi implementation (*) – and send Samsung to where they belong for good. Using Samsung support would be pricey and very unconfortable (in the meantime they are practically retiring from the european laptop market), So, basically, I'd kind of like to send the firmware in uefi mode at next boot, running a command from linux in csm mode. Since the laptop is in CSM, Windows 8 won't boot, and I cannot reach the 'go in efi firmware setup screen' during restart. Bios recovery key (f4) fires but samsung recovery stalls at bootįiddling around with efibootmgr from linux would be nice to try to fix the setup screen in 2 (prolly it's a missing nvram efi entry, 'Setup'), but since the laptop is in CSM, no efi strings available.Bios setup screen and Bios choose-a-boot-device (f2, f10) don't work anymore.Bios don't see usb storage devices anymore.Still, it is a ugly situation from which I'd prefer to escape. Technically it is 'almost' a bootloop, since I can boot ubuntu on the hard drive, and I could boot from the DVD (breaking ubuntu grub on the hard drive or trying to chainload to the dvd).

Phoenix securecore tiano setup