Introduction

Why “Think quadratic.”?

“Think quadratic.” is obviously a reference to Apple’s classic “Think Different” marketing campaign from 1997, but with a twist.  A derisive homage, ultimately, the idea behind “Think quadratic.” says Apple didn’t think different enough, or they’ve simply fallen into the same trap they railed against all those years ago.  Clearly, they have been “big brothering” the user experience more than Microsoft ever dreamed of doing since 1984.

A controlled experience might not be such a bad thing, except when you also take note of the fact: over the last 30 or so years, they’ve made needless market segmentation and forced device obsolescence the norms.  Even those aspects of Apple’s business approach might not seem so bad, until you factor in how they’ve got the FCC in their back pocket, enabling their shady practices and ensuring there’s never a true “all-in-one” device.

We get it, vertical market segmentation – desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, watches, and now goggles – guarantees everyone can choose the form-factor that works best for them, but omitting features just to push users to purchase more than one device . . .year-after-year . . . that’s ridiculous.  And it’s not even a hardware omission.  The hardware is present in all these devices; it’s just locked down via the software that’s running on it.

Think about it, if an iPad Pro could make calls, professional users could probably get away with just that single device.  They would need earbuds, while the iPad was packed away, but otherwise, there’d certainly be no need for a desktop, laptop, smartphone, watch, or goggles.  Or what if their watches could make calls and/or take photos, which would be easily possible.  Even casual consumers would probably just opt for that watch alone.

Hyper-control over market segmentation is also happening horizontally, but rather than create several needless segments, Apple’s clumping very distinct segments together, and focusing on satisfying the most common needs.  Apple wants everyone to believe they can achieve their goals within the ecosystem Apple has created, but that’s only true for those within the “bell-curve,” and not the “misfits” they’ve traditionally exploited in their advertising.

Most superusers not only have to buy multiple devices in order to maximize their productivity, but they also have to buy multiple devices from different manufacturers in order to have access to a wide array of software tools.  Apple has the most complete ecosystem, but it’s not without its gaps.  And the other manufacturers have even bigger holes, such as Microsoft’s lack of a mobile OS and Google’s lack of business class products.

In short, superuser should refuse to abide by Apple’s (and all the other manufacturers’) nefarious tactics and instead use THE device that best balances power, efficiency, versatility, and stability, while configuring it to access the complete suite of tools within each ecosystem – Apple’s, Microsoft’s, Linux’s, and Google’s.  In this way, these “Quadratic Thinkers” will express their demands and demonstrate where our tech should be headed.

What’s next?

If all that seems a bit far-fetched for you and you’re just here to toy around with your Mac and see if you can get it to quad-boot, that’s fine.  Taking on the tech giants is a bit unrealistic, but showing solidarity as consumers isn’t, so why not see just how far we can go?  Maybe they’ll listen or maybe this could turn into something bigger.  Point is, there’s no utility in thinking small and even less in sticking with the status quo.

That being said, if you found any portion of this Compendium or the thinkquadratic.com website useful, please let us know one way or another.  Donating to one of the contributors certainly helps the most, but just signing up for the “Think quadratic.” newsletter, subscribing on YouTube, or joining in on chats anywhere goes a long way too.  The aim really is to establish a community of “quad-minded thinkers,” so if you partake, please consider giving back.

If you wish to get involved in a bigger way, please reach out.  We have a list of planned improvements you could help tackle to immediately improve the “Think quadratic.” experience.  Or, if you’re thinking even bigger, like, “Let’s take on the tech giants!”, that works even better!  Let’s!  How awesome would it be to revive the Ultra Mobile PC market??  At the very least, it would be amazing to have an ultra slim USB-C device.  Let’s talk!

How to Use this Compendium

This document started in Word and because the ToC, headers, and links were already in place, it stayed in Word once thinkquadratic.com went live.  It will eventually be ported over into a better technical authoring tool, but it’s sufficient for now.  The fact it’s in HTML allows you to easily view it on any device or readily print it.  The logo at the top will take you back to thinkquadratic.com and the headers in the purple bars are navigation buttons.

Pictures will eventually replace all of the “/” marks.  If you would prefer not to have the pictures, let us know and maybe we’ll create a separate Compendium without pictures.  Do take note of warnings in RED TEXT.  Orange text is subject to change with further testing and green highlight indicates planned improvements for whatever drawback or hassle is being mentioned.  Other than that, please excuse typos, as this is still a WIP.

Introduction <- Back              ToC               Next -> List of Mac Models

Use-Case Scenarios

In General

Unable to set PDF Converter as the default printer in macOS

Incredibly important with very large spreadsheets that will be printed in sections

Need to utilize all productivity/creativity suites to minimize downtime

Especially in instances where a client has files in a less popularly or outdated file format

Mail merge features?

Someone mentioned this, but needs to be tested

Corporations/Universities

Issuing computers that allow employees/students to choose their preferred OS

Software Developers/Testers

Ability to test software in multiple OS’s on the same hardware natively

Network Administrators

Troubleshooting network issues from different angles

Use-Case Scenarios <- Back                    ToC               Next -> Planned Improvements

List of Mac Models

Best Options

Maxed out 2020 13” MacBook Pro for overall performance and versatility

Maxed out 2017 13” MacBook Air for overall efficiency and stability

Runners-up

Maxed out 2019 13” MacBook Pro for performance and versatility

Maxed out 2015 13" MacBook Air for efficiency and stability

Maxed out 2014 15” MacBook Pro for overall efficiency and stability

Desktop Options

Maxed out 2014 Mac mini for overall performance, versatility, efficiency, and stability

Highest Priority Test Candidates

Maxed out 2018 Mac mini for potential performance boost

List of Mac Models <-Back             ToC               Next -> Prepare Mac for Quad-Booting

Planned Improvements

Below are the items we are focused on improving in order to optimize your Think quadratic. experience.  While “Find a tiny USB-C flash drive” is at the bottom of the list, it is actually the most important improvement, as this would significantly improve the efficiency while using chromeOS, regardless of version – Brunch or Flex.

ThinkQuadratic.com

Transfer all of this content

This Guide

More appealing design with lots of pictures using something like madcap

Videos

Step-by-step videos – forthcoming

rEFInd

Boot time script to always rebless rEFInd

Sort rEFInd icons accordingly – macOS, Windows, Linux, then chromeOS

Allow for same customizations in Think quadratic. theme as with standard version

Model-dependent temes

macOS

Endless updates (perhaps using OpenCore) even after Apple limits

Windows

Windows 11 upgrade

Reactivation when virtualizing

Linux

Less hassle with T-chip Macs

Bypass the timer and emergency mode when virtualizing

chromeOS Flex

Rapid cloning of installation on SD card or flashdrive

Customize installer to include hardware-specific firmware

On 2020 13” MacBook Pro (16,2):

Wifi

Keyboard

Touchpad

Audio output/Microphone input

Camera

Touchbar

Brunch/chromeOS

Include direct boot through rEFInd in installer or create script

Customize installer to include hardware-specific firmware

On 2020 13” MacBook Pro (16,2):

Audio output/Microphone input

Touchpad sensitivity

Hardware

Full disk backup and recovery for T-chip Macs

Find an ultra-tiny USB-C flash drive

Planned Improvements <- Back                         ToC               Next -> Install rEFInd

Prepare Mac for Quad-booting

This guide assumes you have one of the models above with: 1) a working macOS install and recovery drive, and 2) an admin level account already set up.  If you need to wipe the drive, and reinstall macOS and the recovery drive, you can do this by rebooting and holding down “Option + Command + R” and then following the prompts.

After reinstalling macOS, ensure there is a recovery drive by rebooting and holding down “Command + R”.  (Sometimes the macOS installer just refuses to create the recovery drive during reinstallation.)  If there is one, carry-on with the guide.  If there is no recovery drive, you will need to create a macOS USB installer.  Here’s a guide to do so in macOS and here’s one for Windows.

If you have a T1 or T2 Mac, you’ll need to enable USB booting (Step 0 below) just to reinstall macOS from a USB, but Step 0 is required for all T1 and T2 Macs anyway.  Use the USB installer to wipe and reinstall macOS.  If a recovery drive never shows up, you’ll need to take the Mac into an Apple Service Provider in your area and see if they can resolve the issue.

It is NOT recommended to restore from a Time Machine backup, as this can restore some unwanted settings.  It is better to use Migration Assistant once done with the entire quadruple-booting process.  Just create your account with the basics (iCloud, updates, and a few settings customizations), but don’t fully set up your profile, just in case something goes wrong and you have to start from scratch.

Step 0 (for T1 and T2 Macs only):

Power on Mac while holding “Command” + ”R” keys until you see the Apple logo and/or hear the startup chime

Once the Recovery Mode as fully loaded, you should see user accounts; select an admin level account and click “Next”

Type password and hit “Enter”

Select “Utilities” in top menu

Select “Startup Security Utility” in submenu

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Type password and hit “Enter” in popup

In next popup window

Set “Secure Boot” to “No Security”

This process is impossible on any other setting

And if you change it after this process is done, you will be forced to reinstall rEFInd – See Optional Step A

Set “Allowed Boot Media” to “Allow”

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Close popup window

Select “Utilities” in top menu again

Select “Terminal” in submenu

Turn off System Integrated Protection (SIP) by typing:

“csrutil disable” and hit “Enter”

Type password and hit “Enter”

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Restart

Prepare Mac for Quad-Booting <- Back                     ToC               Next -> Install Windows

Install rEFInd

Quadruple-booting would not be possible without incredible bootloaders like rEFInd.  rEFInd is a favorite of Think quadratic. because its developer (Rod Smith) is a great guy.  You should definitely thank him for his work!)

Step 1: Boot into admin-level account

For ease, go into Finder -> Settings and check “External disks” and “CDs, DVDs, and iPods” under “Show these items on the desktop’

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Download the rEFInd CD-R image file from here

Mount iso by double clicking it in the “Downloads” folder

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Open Terminal and type “cd ” (include the space after “cd”)

Drag the mounted iso from the Desktop into Terminal and hit “Enter”

The command should read something like “cd /Volumes/rEFInd_0.14.0.2”

In Terminal, type “sudo ./refind-install” and hit “Enter”

Enter your password and hit “Enter”

Terminal should say, “Installation has completed successfully.”

If it does not, it may be that SIP is still on, in which case, you’ll need to redo the Terminal command in Step 0 for T1 and T2 Macs

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Reboot to test rEFInd

There should only be one option – macOS – go ahead and select it to boot back into macOS in order to begin the Windows installation process.

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Optional Step A: Reinstalling rEFInd

You can skip this step, unless you had a functioning rEFInd, but did something to break it, and reblessing it (Step 3) doesn’t work.  The fix is to simply reinstall rEFInd.

NOTE: resetting the NVRAM won’t help, so don’t bother trying, but if that’s what brought you here, go ahead and do Step 0 first, then Step 3, and this step only if it’s still not fixed..

From off state, press the power button and immediately hold down “Option” key

Choose the internal “macOS” drive (typically “MacHD”) to boot into macOS

NOTE: IF YOU’VE ALREADY INSTALLED WINDOWS AND ARE COMING BACK HERE, NEVER SELECT THE WINDOWS OPTION FROM THIS MENU; IT COULD DESTROY YOUR PARTITION TABLE AND FORCE YOU TO START OVER

Login, open Terminal, and type in the following commands:

Type “sudo mkdir /Volumes/ESP” then your password and hit “Enter”

Type “sudo mount -t msdos /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/ESP” and hit “Enter”

Open the EFI partition from the desktop

Copy the EFI folder to an external location

If you deleted the rEFInd iso you originally used to install rEFInd, that’s fine, just download it again; there may be an update anyway

Mount the rEFInd iso by double clicking it from wherever it is

Open Terminal and type “cd ” (include the space after “cd”)

Drag the mounted iso from the Desktop into Terminal and hit “Enter”

The command should read something like “cd /Volumes/rEFInd_0.14.0.2”

In Terminal, type “sudo ./refind-install” and hit “Enter”

Enter your password and hit “Enter”

Terminal should say, “Installation has completed successfully.”

If it does not, it may be that SIP is still on, in which case, you’ll need to redo the Terminal command in Step 0 for T1 and T2 Macs

Reboot to test rEFInd

If rEFInd shows up, but only macOS boots, you can try simply dragging and dropping all the folders from the “EFI” folder you set aside, EXCEPT for the “refind” folder, since it was just freshly reinstalled there.  If that doesn’t work, you may need to start this entire quad-booting process over because your partition table may just be too whacked to recover it.  Note the possible full disk recovery option as an alternative, though this would only work on non-T-chip Macs and has yet to be tested.

Install rEFInd <- Back                        ToC               Next -> Reblessing rEFInd

Install Windows

The next step assumes you have a Windows Installation iso.  If not, go here.  The link defaults to Windows 10, but you can select the other options in the drop down at the top of the page.  Keep in mind, as of now, Windows 11 is not supported on machines without security features enabled and Boot Camp will immediately refuse to install Windows 11 if you try.  It may be possible to upgrade to Windows 11 once the entire quadruple-booting process is completed, but testing will need to be conducted before recommending going that route.

Step 2: Install Windows 10 via Boot Camp

Log into admin level account and open the Boot Camp app

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Ignore “Secure Boot is not enabled” warning and hit “OK”

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Select your Windows iso (best stored on internal drive) file from dropdown menu

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Reposition size of macOS / Windows (half is generally the best option)

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Click “Install” (be sure battery can hold a charge and is over 50% or plug it in)

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Process will reboot automatically into the Windows installation menu

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If you have a product key, put it in, but…

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…you can bypass this, choose version of Windows to install, then purchase a key later

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Obligatory Licensing Agreement…

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Start the install; it’s surprisingly fast!

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Windows will reboot automatically a few times

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Go thru setup steps and create admin-level account with outlook.com ID – no way around this…sorry

Once Windows installation is finished and you’re at the desktop, Boot Camp support installation will popup automatically; start process

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Another obligatory License Agreement…

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Once logged back in, update Apple Software first, restart again

There will be two small updates and then two big updates to Boot Camp

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Once logged back in, update Windows as much as possible

This could take a while, but important that all drivers are installed

Don’t restart while updates are still downloading or installing – be patient.

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Optional Step B: Adjust size of Windows Partition

If, while installing Linux in Step 4, you are unable to adjust the size of the Windows partition, stop that process and come back here.

Go into Windows’ Disk Partitioner app

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Resize Windows to your desired size and leave the remainder unformatted

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Go back to Step 4; you won’t need to resize Windows; just install Linux

Now, there is a hidden partition at the start of the hard drive named “EFI.”  This is where the boot files for all “Guid Partition Table” or “GPT-based” operating systems are store.  After installation, Windows will take over the EFI partition, bypassing rEFInd, and only allow Windows to boot, but the steps to resolve this are as follows…

Install Windows <- Back                 ToC               Next-> Install Linux

Reblessing rEFInd

Step 3: Rebless rEFInd

From off state, press the power button and immediately hold down “Option” key

Choose the internal “macOS” drive (typically “MacHD”) to boot into macOS

NOTE: NEVER SELECT THE WINDOWS OPTION FROM THIS MENU; IT COULD DESTROY YOUR PARTITION TABLE AND FORCE YOU TO START OVER

Login, open Terminal, and type in the following commands:

Type “sudo mkdir /Volumes/ESP” then your password and hit “Enter”

/

Type “sudo mount -t msdos /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/ESP” and hit “Enter”

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Type “sudo bless --mount /Volumes/ESP --setBoot –file /Volumes/ESP/efi/refind/refind_x64.efi” and hit “Enter”

/

It will seem like nothing happened, but it worked

Reboot

Both the Windows and Apple logos should be options to boot in rEFInd

But there will also be a third option with a Windows logo - “Legacy from NTFS volume” – which can be deleted

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Arrow over to that option and hit the “-“ key

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Arrow up to “Yes” and hit “Enter”

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And just like that, you have a dual-booting Mac.  Unfortunately, it only gets more complicated the further you go into this process, but that’s to be expected when four different operating systems are all using the same area to boot from.  Don’t worry, this guide will walk you through each step, explaining the importance, and offer suggestions fixes on issues that may arise, none of which as detrimental as selecting the Windows icon from the “Option” menu!  Don’t do it!

Reblessing rEFInd <- Back             ToC               Next -> If Windows Boots to Grub

Installing Linux

If you’re on a non T1 or T2 Mac, then you can download the Linux distro of your liking.  If you do have a T1 or T2 Mac, then you must download a distro from t2linux.org.  The process is mostly the same either way; T-chip-specific steps will have a letter designator after the step number and will be emboldened below.  Also note, the instructions will vary depending on your chosen flavor of Linux, especially Arch or Kali Linux.  The guidance below is for Ubuntu, which is the preferred flavor of Think quadratic..

Step 4 & 4a: Preinstallation of Linux – Create bootable USB

In macOS, download your preferred flavor of Linux; T-chips from here

Don’t try standard downloads on T-chips; they won’t work

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Use the iso.sh method to make this process easier

Download the “iso.sh” file

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Open Terminal and type “bash “ including the space

Drag and drop the iso.sh file into Terminal

The command should look something like “bash ~/Downloads/iso.sh”

Hit “Enter” and answer the questions in Terminal

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Keep in mind, future maintenance will depend on which version you choose:

##.04 versions are long term support (LTS)

##.10 are preview versions of the next major release

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You’ll end up with an Ubuntu iso image in “Downloads”

Download balenaEtcher from here

Install balenaEtcher

Plug in an 8GB or higher USB

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Open balenaEtcher

Follow prompts to turn the Linux distro you downloaded into a live USB

Step 4b: Preinstallation of Linux – Prepare WiFi and Bluetooth Drivers

Download the necessary script here, be sure it stays in the “Downloads” folder

Open Terminal, type “bash ~/Downloads/firmware.sh” and hit “Enter”

Enter Password and hit “Enter”

Don’t worry about the commands that appear, We have them rewritten for you in the next section

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Leave Linux Live USB plugged in and reboot

Step 5 & 5a: Install Linux

rEFInd should see the Live USB and show a logo with three circles, select it

If not, hit the “Escape” key

If it still does not show, the creation of the live USB did not work

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Choose to install Linux, not try it

Go through the installation process

Select to install third party software and hit “Next”

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On next screen, click “Something else”

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In the new popup window, select the Windows partition (typically the third one, with NTFS in “type” column

Click the “Change” button, popup window appears

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Shrink the Windows partition to the size of your liking (half the size is ideal)

IF THIS POPUP DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO CHANGE THE PARTITION, GO TO OPTIONAL STEP B

Leave “do not use the partition” as is; just hit “OK”

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Click “Continue” on the warning that appears

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Select the remaining free space and click the “+” sign

START BACK HERE IF YOU HAD TO FOLLOW OPTIONAL STEP B

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In the popup, set its size to half the free space (see sub-item) and format it to EXT4

If <32GB RAM, reserve at least 1GB for Swap partition out of the Linux partition

Choose the “/” option for the “Mount point”

Unless you need to add a Swap partition, leave the remaining free space alone

If Swap needed, select free space, click “+” sign, add 1GB of Swap

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Choose the newly created partition (typical fourth in list) for boot loader installation; DO NOT INSTALL BOOT LOADER TO FIRST PARTITION OR YOU WILL HAVE ONLY A LINUX MACHINE

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Click “Install Now”

Click “Continue” to write changes to disk

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Finish installation setup, including admin-level account creation

Remove the USB drive and reboot when prompted

The EFI drive will be a wreck now, and it will boot into Linux automatically, but don’t bother following Step 3 to rebless rEFInd just yet.  Let your Mac automatically boot into Linux until it is completely set up.  For those without a T1 or T2 Mac, this is mostly a simple matter of getting the additional drivers and software updates through the usual means, but for those with a T1 or T2 Mac, there are several more steps you’ll need to follow before Linux will be usable.  Don’t worry, it will be worth it in the end though!

Step 5b: Install WiFi and Bluetooth drivers for T1 and T2 Macs

Log into the admin-level account in Linux

Open Terminal and execute each of the following:

“sudo umount /dev/nvme0n1p1”

“sudo mkdir -p /tmp/apple-wifi-efi”

“sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /tmp/apple-wifi-efi”

“bash /tmp/apple-wifi-efi/firmware.sh”

No need to restart, you can now connect to WiFi

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Complete all updates

The Ubuntu version of the T1 and T2 installer does not come loaded with the Snapd Store; if you want it, follow these steps:

Step 5c: Install Snapd Store

Open Terminal and type

“sudo apt update”

“sudo apt install snapd”

“sudo snap install snap-store”

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Install “snaps” (apps) to your heart’s content

Reboot when done

The T1 and T2 versions of Ubuntu won’t receive kernel updates in the usual way (from Canonical), until you add this trusted repository maintained by Aditya; be sure to thank them!

Step 5d: Configure Updates for T1 and T2 Macs’ kernel

Open Terminal and paste in command below; if you installed Ubuntu 22.04 then the “Codename” is “jammy” (as seen below), but if you installed Ubuntu 23.10, then the “Codename” is “mantic.”  And commands for future releases will also match the Codename:

“CODENAME=jammy

curl -s --compressed "https://adityagarg8.github.io/t2-ubuntu-repo/KEY.gpg" | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/t2-ubuntu-repo.gpg >/dev/null

sudo curl -s --compressed -o /etc/apt/sources.list.d/t2.list https://adityagarg8.github.io/t2-ubuntu-repo/t2.list

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/t2-ubuntu-repo.gpg] https://github.com/AdityaGarg8/t2-ubuntu-repo/releases/download/${CODENAME} ./" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/t2.list

sudo apt update”

Hit “Enter” then type:

“sudo apt install linux-t2-lts” if using 22.04

“sudo apt install linux-t2” if using 23.10

Don’t close Terminal; need it for next step

Now, whenever you use the built-in Software Updater app, it will update as normal.  But we’re not quite done setting up our T1 or T2 Macs yet because they all came with that pesky Touchbar, which requires special coding to configure.

Step 5e - Setting up the Touch Bar

No matter if you are using an Ubuntu or Debian based distro, add the apt repository for T1 and T2 Macs by typing:

“curl -s --compressed "https://adityagarg8.github.io/t2-ubuntu-repo/KEY.gpg" | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/t2-ubuntu-repo.gpg >/dev/null

sudo curl -s --compressed -o /etc/apt/sources.list.d/t2.list "https://adityagarg8.github.io/t2-ubuntu-repo/t2.list"

sudo apt update”

Then type the following; if you installed Ubuntu 22.04 then the “Codename” is “jammy” (as seen below), but if you installed Ubuntu 23.10, then the “Codename” is “mantic”:

“CODENAME=jammy

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/t2-ubuntu-repo.gpg] https://github.com/AdityaGarg8/t2-ubuntu-repo/releases/download/${CODENAME} ./" | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/t2.list

sudo apt update”

Hit “Enter” and then type:

“sudo apt install tiny-dfr”

Hit “Enter” and Touchbar should activate

If not, it will after restarting

Restart

After restarting, you can run “sudo touchbar” to get a list of options for configuring the Touchbar. Simply follow the on-screen instructions. Note this command is only for Ubuntu or Debian based distros.

Before we can rebless rEFInd, we have to “repair” the Guid Partition Table, otherwise, Windows won’t boot until we do.  This step is the same regardless of the presence of a T-chip.

Step 6: Convert GPT

Reboot into admin-level account in Linux

Open Terminal and type:

“sudo apt-get update -y”

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Hit “Enter” then type:

“sudo apt-get install -y gdisk”

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Hit “Enter” then type:

“lsblk” and hit “Enter” (this gives you a clear name for the entire disk)

Most guides say the disk is “/dev/sdX” but on later Macs it’s “/dev/nvmeXnX”

More than likely, it’s going to be “/dev/nvme0n1”

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Type “sudo gdisk /dev/nvme0n1” and hit “Enter”

Should see four lines with “MBR: hybrid” at the top

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Type “x” and hit Enter

Type “n” and hit Enter

Type “m” and hit Enter

Type “w” and hit Enter

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Type “y” and hit Enter

Type “sudo gdisk /dev/nvme0n1” again and hit Enter

Verify the MBR line now reads “protective” in stead of “hybrid”

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Immediately type “q” and hit “Enter” (to avoid messing anything up)

Close Terminal and reboot

As mentioned, the Linux installation will break rEFInd again…follow Step 3 again.  Note: you don’t need to retype the commands, just arrow up to scroll through history of commands.

All three OS logos should now be visible when you reboot, along with another three circles logo (backup kernel for Linux), which can be removed, simply by arrowing over to it and hitting the “-“ sign, then “Yes”

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Installing Linux <- Back                    ToC               Next -> If Ubuntu Won’t Auto-boot

Optional Step C: If Windows Boots into Grub

Insert the Windows 10 Installation Media (USB) and restart, ensuring the machine (native or virtual) can boot from the media

Once media is loaded, select “Repair Your Computer”

Select “Troubleshoot”

Choose “Command Prompt” from the menu

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Type in the command:

“Diskpart”

Type in the command:

“List disk” and note which is the primary disk, probably “0”

Type in the command:

“Sel disk 0” if the primary disk is in fact “0”

Type in the command:

“List vol” and note which volume is the EFI partition, probably 3

Type in the command:

“Sel vol 3” if the EFI partition is in fact “3”

Type in the command:

“assign letter=V:” or any other letter starting at “Z” and going up

Type in the command:

“Exit”

Type in the command:

“V:”

Type in the command:

“bcdboot C:\windows /s V: /f UEFI”

This will likely cause rEFInd to become unblessed, so follow Step 3 to rebless rEFInd.

If Windows Boots to Grub <- Back                    ToC               Next -> Installing chromeOS Flex

Optional Step D: If Ubuntu won’t Boot Automatically

Boot into Linux and log into admin level account

Open Terminal and type the following in order to install and run Boot Repair:

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair && sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y boot-repair && boot-repair”

Follow prompts to reinstall grub to the partition where your Linux OS is installed – probably the fourth (nvme0n1p4)

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/

/

/

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Close out Terminal and open a new console and type:

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer”

Hit “Enter” and type:

“sudo apt-get update”

Hit “Enter” and type:

“sudo apt install grub-customizer”

A new "Grub-Customizer" snap will appear in your “Activities” menu; open it

Configure grub to bypass the menu and to boot Ubuntu automatically

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Be sure to click “Save” when done

Go back to Terminal and type:

“sudo gdisk /dev/nvme0n1” and hit “Enter”

Verify the MBR is set to “protective;” if not, follow Step 6

/

NOTE: Any time you change grub, you should determine whether your GPT has been converted back to a “hybrid” MBR; if so, complete Step 6 again, but you don’t need to reinstall gdisk.

ALSO NOTE: If you have chromeOS installed already, this step may rename the “boot” folder on the chromeOS partition to “boot_rm”.  Just rename it back to “boot” to fix chromeOS boot loader.

Bingo!  You know have a triple-booting Mac, but it’s not a Think quadratic. Mac until it can boot chromeOS as well!  The installation process depends on the Mac model you have.

If Ubuntu won’t Auto-Boot <- Back                  ToC               Next -> Installing Brunch/chromeOS

Installing chromeOS Flex

In order to get the most from chromeOS’ minimal resource utilization features, it’s best to install chromeOS onto an SD card or flash drive, but it has to be chromeOS Flex – Google’s official build for non-ChromeBooks.  Note: those models notated with “G” are the only ones fully supported by Google, so if you attempt to use chromeOS Flex on an unsupported model, you’re likely to face issues.  You’ve been warned.

Also, you could use a SD card on Macs without an SDXC slot using an adapter (or a USB flash drive in any case), but not only will you have potential compatibility issues, you’ll also have the added difficulty of not losing it and/or keeping it plugged in without breaking it.  We’re interested in testing chromeOS Flex on non SDXC Macs, but there aren’t any USB-C adapters or flash drives that would be flush to the sides of the Mac, effectively avoiding the added difficulties.  Compatibility issues might remain though; we’ll see.

Those who do have Macs with an SDXC slot are best off getting a microSD card and adapter that allows the microSD card to be completely flush to the sides.  That way you can just leave the microSD card in there all the time.  In this vein, the 2014 MacBook Pro is the most ideal option.  It is fully supported by Google and offers the best experience as a “Think quadratic.” machine.  However, due to the 2020 MacBook Pro’s lighter weight and stronger processor, it is the best overall option though.  Whatever your plans, set aside the SD card and adapter because you first have to create an installer USB.

Fair warning now, INSTALLING CHROMEOS FLEX WIPES OUT WHATEVER DRIVES IT DETECTS.  You should only perform this step if you have a Mac with a removable HD, so that the SD card or USB is the only “HD” detected by the chromeOS Flex installer.  The other option is to see if a friend, who’s already done this method, can use cloneZilla or similar to clone their SD card or flash drive to another and then give it to you.  If this option works, we’ll eventually make them available at thinkquadratic.com.  You’ll only need to provide shipping and handling and we’ll get one out to you.

The other option is to use a Linux-based framework called Brunch to install chromeOS (not Flex) directly to a partition on the internal disk.  It’s feasible to say Brunch/chromeOS could also be installed to an external device, but this is really only worth pursuing on T-chip Macs; plus, more testing will have to be done on this. If you’d like to skip to the Brunch/chromeOS method, just jump over Step 7 to Step 7a.

Step 7: Create chromeOS Flex Installer USB

Boot into Windows (or macOS if you can format drives as NTFS)

Install the Chrome web browser and open it

/

Go to the Chrome web store and download the “Chromebook Recovery Utility”

/

At the top right, click “Add to Chrome”

/

When prompted, click “Add Extension”

/

At the top right of your Chrome browser window, click “Extensions //Manage extensions”

/

Next to “Chromebook Recovery Utility,” toggle the switch to the right

/

Launch the “Chrome Recovery Utility” extension

/

With USB inserted, click “Get started”

/

In new popup window, click “Select a model from a list”

/

Choose “Google chromeOS Flex” for the “Manufacturer” field

/

Choose “chromeOS Flex” for the “Product” field

Click “Continue”

/

From the dropdown menu, select the USB drive

Click “Continue”

/

Click “Create now”
Note: During the process, it is normal for “Chrome Recovery Utility” to show unusual percentages

/

Wait for a message that your recovery media is ready

/

Plug in the SD card or flash drive onto which you will install chromeOS Flex

Open Disk Partitioner (or Disk Utility on Mac)

Ensure you have the SD card or flash drive selected/highlighted

Format the SD card or flash drive to NTFS with a GUID partition table

Wait for the operation to complete

Shutdown

Again, Step 7 only created the installer; the only way to install chromeOS Flex to the microSD card or flash drive (so that it is natively bootable) is to do so with the internal hard drive removed; this is because the installer will wipe whatever it sees as the primary drive; so, OPEN YOUR MAC AND REMOVE THE HARDRIVE BEFORE CONTINUING.  IFIXIT HAS TONS OF GUIDES ON HOW TO DO THIS.  WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OF DATA!

Step 7 Continued: Install chromeOS Flex to SD card or flash drive

With all internal HDs removed…This is the last warning…Plug in the chromeOS Flex installer USB

Boot into the chromeOS Flex installer USB by holding down “Option,” since rEFInd is on the EFI partition, which is on the internal drive, which should be REMOVED...last warning for real this time!

Go through the prompts to install chromeOS Flex to the SD card or flash drive

When finished, shutdown and remove the installer USB, but not the chromeOS Flex SD card or flash drive

Reinstall your internal drive into Mac and power up.  rEFInd should now see chromeOS as an option (which is another as of yet unmentioned benefit in going this route; if you use the Brunch method instead, there’s a boatload of trickery involved to get it booting directly from rEFInd).  If it doesn’t show up right away, just hit “Escape” and it will appear.  Once visible, select it to test and configure chromeOS Flex to your liking.  Again, there will likely be compatibility issues if you are using any Mac other than those supported by Google.  For instance, if your Mac has a dGPU, it may just hang on the chromeOS logo…not much you can do in that case, other than use the Brunch/chromeOS method.

Installing chromeOS Flex <- Back                     ToC               Next -> Quick Recap of Boot Issues

Installing Brunch/chromeOS

Later MacBook Pros do not have an SD card slot and while there are multiple USB-C ports on most models, there aren’t any ultra small USB drives on the market, especially not ones that are flush with the sides, ideally about this size, but with actual storage capability . . . not just a crypto key.  This is the closest thing we can find, but it’s not totally flush, and we’re in the process of testing it.  Therefore, the optimal way to get chromeOS running is through a special framework called “Brunch,” which was developed by someone going by the name Sebanc and then fine-tuned for T-chip Macs by ZProLegend007.  Be sure to thank them both!

The process involves first installing the framework and then installing chromeOS, all within Linux.  Though it can also be done with Windows, we just think it’s easier with Linux, especially because of the post-installation process during which we configure the bootloader to but directly in rEFInd.  Much of the Brunch/chromeOS installation guidance was pulled from here, but it’s cleaned up below for ease of following.

Step 7a: Prepare Brunch/chromeOS and the partition

Boot into Linux

If on non-T-chip Macs, go to the Brunch Releases Tab and download the latest tar.gz file

There should be a note as to which chromeOS image is required

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If on a T-chip Mac, go to the ZProLegend007’s T2 fork here

Download the last stable release - 120.2 (as of 05/01/24)

/

Regardless of the T-chip, go to a chromeOS image repository and find the appropriate build

Cros.tech has them linked in a dropdown here

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Or you can go straight to the source and search for “jinlon”

Then find the latest stable build that corresponds with the Brunch build number or close thereto

Note: the numbers might not match up, but will be close – Brunch 117 and chromeOS 118, for instance.

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Prepare Linux Terminal by installing the pv, cgpt, tar and unzip protocols

Type “sudo apt update && sudo apt -y install pv cgpt tar unzip” and hit “Enter”

The above uses apt, a package manager for Debian and Ubuntu based distros. If you use Arch, you will need vboot-utils for access to cgpt and a different package manager may be needed to install the rest

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Some Linux releases (such as Ubuntu 23.04) may require the universe repo to install some of the above dependencies. If you get any errors about a dependency being unavailable, add the universe repo with this command, and then try the previous step again afterwards

Type “sudo add-apt-repository universe” and hit “Enter”

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After all protocol dependencies have been installed, “cd” into the directory where your files were downloaded; for most users this will be “Downloads”.

Type “cd ~/Downloads” and hit “Enter”

Extract the Brunch archive using tar

(In Ubuntu you can just double click the file)

Type “tar zxvf ” including the space

Select and drag the “brunch_filename.tar.gz” file into Terminal

Delete everything before the “brunch_filename.tar.gz” file and hit “Enter”

Once completed, there will be 4 new files from the brunch archive and a recovery bin from the chromeOS image in your Downloads folder.  Create a folder named “Brunch” and drag these files into it.

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Extract the chromeOS recovery using unzip

Type “unzip ” including the space

Select and drag the “chromeos_filename.bin.zip” into Terminal

Delete everything before “chromeos_filename.bin.zip” file and hit “Enter”

Move the chromeOS bn file to the “Brunch” folder as well

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Open the Snapd store (if you installed it) or type “sudo apt-get install gparted” in Terminal and install gParted

Open gParted and select the area of your internal disk to the right of your Linux partition, which should be free, unformatted space

Add a new partition, size it according to your preference (keeping space constraints in mind (you’ll want space for a shared storage partition as well, where you’ll store virtual machines among other things)), and format it as ext4

/

Open Terminal and type:

“lsblk -e7” and hit “Enter”

You should see your newly created partition (nvme0n1p5) appear (in the sidebar in Ubuntu)

Then type:

/

“mkdir -p ~/tmpmount” and hit “Enter”

Then type:

“sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p5 ~/tmpmount” and hit “Enter”

NOTE: simply clicking on the partition that shows up in the sidebar after creating nvme0n1p5 will not suffice; it has to be mounted in this fashion

/

Then type:

“cd ” including the space

Select and drag the “Brunch” folder from your Downloads into Terminal; the command should read something like:

“cd ‘/home/username/Downloads/Brunch’”

Then type:

“sudo bash chromeos-install.sh -src ” including the space

Select and drag the “chromeos_filename.bin” from the Brunch folder into Terminal

Delete the filepath before the “chromeos_filename.bin” file and type “-dst ” including the space

/

Select and drag the tmpmount folder from you Home folder into Terminal, so that it completes the “/path/to/chromeos.img ” including the space

Then type “/chromeos.img -s ###” (the “###” indicates the size of the img file; keep in mind it has to be a whole number and smaller than the fifth partition; for example, if you want a 128GB chromeOS img file, you can put “128,” but you better have made the partition at least 135GB in the steps above, otherwise the install will fail with a sizing error

/

The final command should look something like this:

“sudo bash chromeos-install.sh -src chromeos_filename.bin -dst /home/username/tmpmount/chromeos.img -s ###”

/

Hit “Enter”

If you get an error regarding limited space, lower size by one and try again

If space is not an issue, the script will ask for confirmation; if you're ready to install, type “Yes” into the prompt and hit “Enter”

/

The installation may take some time depending on the speed of your target disk, please be patient.  There may be a couple of GPT Header errors, which can be safely ignored.  The installation will report that chromeOS was installed when it is finished. Before continuing, make sure that there are no additional errors in the terminal. If there are no errors, then you are good to continue by following the instructions in Terminal.

These next set of instructions may not be needed, as we will be setting Brunch/chromeOS to boot directly from rEFInd.  These instructions may actually be what causes Linux’s grub to not work as before.

Copy the lines of code looking something like this:

“sudo cat /etc/grub.d/40_custom /home/startsquad/tmpmount//chromeos.img.grub.txt | sudo tee /etc/grub.d/99_brunch; sudo chmod 0755 /etc/grub.d/99_brunch; sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg”

Paste them into Terminal and hit “Enter”

Type “sudo update-grub” and hit “Enter”

/

You now have Brunch/chromeOS installed; however, it won’t look that way in rEFInd – there will still only be three icons – Windows, Linux, and Apple.  The only way to boot Brunch/chromeOS at this point is to select the Linux icon, then arrow down to “Brunch” in a new grub menu and hit “Enter.”  Sometimes, rEFInd is configured in a way to where you won’t even see the grub menu though.  Thankfully, there is a fix.

This is the only part of this guide that comes purely from Think quadratic. and honestly, while this process could probably be turned into a script, which could run during Brunch/chromeOS’ installation, we haven’t the expertise to make that happen.  It is on the list of improvements for the future though and we’d be grateful for any assistance.  In the meantime, this may be the most difficult part of this guide, but it is worth it to be able to boot all four OS’s directly from rEFInd and have a Quadruple-Booting machine.

Step 7a Continued: Boot Brunch/chromeOS Directly from rEFInd

Open up the Brunch/chromeOS partition and double click the “chromeos.img” file to mount it. Linux should notify you when each partition within the image is mounted; chromeOS has multiple partitions of its own, four or five of which will mount. Now, we’re going to create and/or move files on four different partitions, some visible and some not. For those who don't need the step-by-step, take a Quick Look at the image below for an overview of what needs to be done.

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That's main disk EFI in top left, chromeos.img efi in top right, Brunch/chromeOS partition in bottom left, and Root-C from chromeos.img in bottom right, with most of the files being created or moved pointing to the Brunch/Chromeos partition. For the more kinesthetic people out there, or if you just like the nitty gritty details, no worries, a thorough step-by-step is below. It still helps to organize your Files windows in a visually methodical way, like above. To better understand the process, let's start by listing all the partitions on your disk, including the invisible ones. So…

Open Terminal and type:

“lsblk” and hit “Enter”

/

You’re going to see “loop” followed by a sequential number a lot. How many times depends on how many apps you've installed on Linux and/or how many other images you have open. But the last "loop" will repeat a number and have a “p” followed by another set of sequential numbers. This is the chromeos.img file as a virtually mounted disk.

The 12th one (loop##p12) is the chromeos.img's EFI partition. Files on that partition tell the system to go to “Root-C” (loop##p7) to find the kernel for chromeOS. Further down the list, you’ll see nvme0n1 or sda0 – the primary drive. We’re going to mimic how your Linux OS boots off of the primary EFI (nvme0n1p1 or sda1) and Linux partition (nvme0n1p4 or sdaX; the "X" being the nth partition where you installed Brunch/chromeOS) on the primary drive. To begin...

Type “sudo mkdir ~/ESP” and hit "Enter"

Type your password and hit “Enter”

Type “sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 ~/ESP” (or sda1 instead of nvme0n1p1)

You won’t receive any messages about the drive successfully mounting; and in Ubuntu, if you open a Files window and simply click on the mounted partition in the sidebar, you’ll get an error. But if you click on “+ Other Locations,” “ESP” will appear at the bottom of another list of mounted partitions.

/

Double click on the “ESP” folder in “+ Other Locations”

You will have to enter your password at least once, maybe twice, and you may have to again when you actually move/create files.

Keep this Files window (ESP) in the top left corner of the screen

/

Open the EFI folder inside ESP

Create a new folder and call it “chromeos”

/

Open the folder of your Linux OS (Ubuntu creates an “ubuntu” folder, for instance)

Right click on and copy the “grub.cfg” file

/

Back out of that folder and go into the “chromeos” folder you just created

Paste in the “grub.cfg” file and then open it

/

First thing we need to change is the long chain of letters and numbers making up the “uuid,” but first we have to find the correct uuid of the target partition, the one with Brunch/chromeOS.

Go back to Terminal

Type “sudo blkid /dev/nvme0n1p5” (or sdaX) and hit “Enter”

Type your password and hit “Enter”

You’ll see two possible uuids. We want the one with “UUID” before it, not “PARTUUID” before it. Should be the first one.

Copy that first UUID

/

Go back the “grub,cfg” file

Paste the UUID in place of the existing uuid in the "grub-cfg" file (be careful to paste correctly)

Remove “/grub” on the next line (be sure to leave the apostrophes)

Close the file (entering password to save it)

/

Now you need to mount the virtual EFI partition from the mounted chromeos.img file.

Go back to Terminal

Type “sudo mkdir ~/ESP2” and hit "Enter"

Type your password and hit “Enter”

Type “sudo mount /dev/loopXXp12 ~/ESP2” (the “XX” depends on what you determined from "lsblk" command earlier)

Unlike before, you’ll get a message that the partition was mounted, but as “read-only.” That’s OK. Like before, you will have to open the mounted partition from the “+ Other Locations” section of the Files window. From the first Files window (in the top left corner), click the “hamburger” icon and select the “New Window” option.

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Find “ESP2” in “+ Other Locations,” double click it

Put in your password once, maybe twice

Place the window in the top right corner of the screen.

Open the “EFI” folder inside ESP2

Open the “boot” folder

Select everything EXCEPT the “grub.cfg” file and drag it into the “chromeos” folder you created in “ESP/EFI” earlier (top left window)

/

We are finished with creating/moving files on the EFI partitions, but don’t close the Files windows yet. We still need to open two more windows, but we won’t need Terminal to do so.

Open a new Files window and navigate to the Brunch/chromeOS partition (accessible from the sidebar in Ubuntu)

Drag this window to the bottom left of your screen

Create a folder named “boot and then open it

/

Open another Files window and navigate to the virtually mounted “Root-C” partition (easier to find from “+ Other Locations” in Ubuntu)

Drag this window to the bottom right of your screen

Select and drag everything from “Root-C” (bottom right window) into that newly created “boot” folder (bottom left window)

/

Select and drag the “grub.cfg” file from the chromeos.img efi partition (top right window) into that same “boot” folder (bottom left window)

/

Open the “boot” folder and then open that “grub.cfg” file

Leave the top four lines alone for now (you can change the timeout later; see note at end)

Go back to the Files window for the Brunch/chromeOS partition (bottom left window), where the “boot” folder should still be open, and navigate up one level

/

Open the file named “chromeos.img.grub.txt”

Copy everything

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Go back to editing the “grub.cfg” file and paste over everything starting from “menuentry” down to the end

Remove the lines that read “rmmod tpm” from the menu entries (second line for both entries)

Note: The 2 second timeout in the "grub.cfg" file just above is necessary on the first boot so that you can select the “Brunch settings” option. This is required to patch the Brunch framework according to your hardware before first boot into Brunch/chromeOS. Once you’ve done this, you can edit the "grub.cfg" file to boot Brunch/chromeOS right away by setting that number to “0”.

/

Close both files, being sure to save the “grub.cfg” file

That’s it. No need to unmount any of the partitions.  However, you may wish to clean up your Linux’s grub menu, removing the “Brunch” and “Brunch settings” menu entries, since you can now boot Brunch/chromeOS directly.

If you have Grub Customizer installed already, simply open it; if not:

Open Terminal and type

“sudo add-apt-repository ppa:danielrichter2007/grub-customizer” and hit “Enter”

Then type “sudo apt-get update” and hit “Enter”

Type “sudo apt install grub-customizer” and hit “Enter”

A new "Grub-Customizer" snap will appear in your “Activities” menu; open it

Remove the "Brunch" and “Brunch settings” options

On the next tab, set the default bootloader to your Linux OS

Set the time to “0” and turn off “Look for other OS’s”

Click the “Save” button in the upper left

Wait for the progress bar to complete

Close Grub-Customizer

You can simply reboot and test out your directly booting Brunch/chromeOS partition.  Be sure to select the “Brunch Settings” option for your first boot, as this allows you to implement important features, particularly the ability for chromeOS to read the other internal partitions and external drives.

/

/

/

Installing Brunch/chromeOS <- Back             ToC               Next -> Theming rEFInd

Quick Recap of Possible Boot Loader Issues

If rEFInd doesn’t load, and the Mac boots into the Recovery Mode – reinstall rEFInd with Optional Step A

If rEFInd doesn’t load, but macOS does boot (such as would happen after NVRAM reset) – rebless rEFInd with Step 3

If rEFInd doesn’t load, and the Mac boots into any other OS instead – rebless rEFInd with Step 3

If rEFInd loads, but macOS doesn’t boot (stuck on white screen), which tends to happen when the machine shuts down abruptly, just hold down “Option” and select your MacHD partition – it should be able to boot from rEFInd no problem…until the next abrupt shutdown; AGAIN, NEVER SELECT WINDOWS FROM THE BUILT-IN MAC BOOT LOADER

If rEFInd loads, but Windows won’t boot at all – convert GPT to “protective” MBR with Step 6

If rEFInd loads, but Windows boots to the grub menu – complete Optional Step C

If rEFInd loads, but Ubuntu won’t boot automatically – complete Optional Step D

If nothing but macOS works, but only by holding down “Option,” then you may have destroyed your GPT (possibly after selecting Windows from the built-in Mac boot loader, which we warned you not to do!) and will likely have to start over; we’ll look into alternatives to recover from this in future improvements

A full disk recovery may be the solution, but this only works on non-T-chip Macs as of now

RescaTux might have some tools that can help rebuild the GPT, but we haven’t a tutorial on this yet

Quick Recap on Boot Issues <- Back               ToC               Next -> Virtualizing Windows & Linux

Theming rEFInd

If you reboot and each OS boots as expected, then congrats!  You now have a quadruple-booting MacBook Pro, but it’s STILL not a Think quadratic. Mac, until it has the “Think quadratic.” theme. In rEFInd

Step 8: Configure rEFInd with the QuadBook_Pro theme

Boot into admin-level account on macOS

Open Terminal

Type “sudo mkdir /Volumes/ESP” and hit “Enter”

Enter your password and hit “Enter”

Then type “sudo mount -t msdos /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/ESP” and hit “Enter”

In Finder, go to the “refind” folder inside the “EFI” folder inside the “ESP” partition

If there isn’t a folder in the “refind” folder titled “themes,” create one

Double click on the “refind.conf” file (it should open in the default text editor)

Scroll to bottom and add the line “include themes/Think_Quadratic/theme.conf”

Close the “refind.conf” file, saving changes

Download the appropriate version of the theme from below (depending on which Mac you have just gotten to quadruple-boot)

QuadBook Air

QuadBook

QuadBook Pro

QuadTop Mini

QuadTop

QuadTop Pro

Move the newly downloaded “Think_Quadratic” folder to the “themes” folder

Restart and ensure rEFInd looks like this:

Theming rEFInd <- Back                   ToC               Next -> Miscellaneous

Virtualizing Windows & Linux

Step 9: Virtualize Windows

Install and license Parallels

Start Parallels and follow prompts to virtualize Boot Camp

Customize settings before starting VM

Once Windows is running, allow Parallels Tools to install

Be amazed, ‘cause yeah, it’s that easy

Step 10: Virtualize Linux

Download SuperGrub2.iso

Move the iso to the same place as the VMDK as it just makes things easier

Download and license VMWare

Open Terminal and type:

“cd /Applications/VMware\ Fusion.app/Contents/Library” and hit “Enter”

Then type:

“diskutil list” to ensure you’re creating a VMDK of the correct partition, should be disk0s4

Then type:

“sudo ./vmware-rawdiskCreator create /dev/disk0 # /path/to/file/filename scsi” and hit “Enter”

Notice: there’s no “s” in “disk0s4” – just space over it – and type the partition number in place of “#”

And you have to replace “/path/to/file” with the actual path; we recommend the shared storage location

You can replace “filename” with whatever name you want, but leave off the extension

Right click on newly created .vmdk file at “/path/to/file” and open with VMWare (this auto-detects an SCSI disk, making process easier)

Set the appropriate Operating System

Leave “Create a new virtual disk” as is

DO NOT CLICK FINISH; Click “Customize Settings”

Choose the location for the VM and name it

Settings window pops up

Open the “Hard Disk” option

Drop the file size down to the absolute minimum

Open the “advanced” options

Uncheck the “Split into multiple” option

Click “Apply”

Click “Show All”

Open the “CD/DVD” options window

Check the “CD/DVD” option

Navigate to that iso within the dropdown menu

Click “Show All”

Click the “Advanced” option

Check “Pass power status to VM”

Select “None” under “Troubleshooting” dropdown

Check “Disable Side Channel Mitigations”

Click “Show All”

Click “Startup Disk”

Select “DC/DVD”

Click “Show All”

Change other things like display, as you’d like

Close “Settings” window (everything automatically saves)

Close VMWare completely

In finder, right click on the newly created VMWare file (it may or may not have an extension on it; if it does, it will be “.vmwarevm”) and click “Show Package Contents”

Right click on and open the .vmx file in preferred text editor

Find “scsi0:0.fileName = “filename.vmdk”” line and replace “filename.vmdk” with “/path/to/filename.vmdk” – it should look something like:

“/Volumes/STORE PAR/Virtual Machine Stuff/MBPro1622UbuV.vmdk”

Save .vmx file by just closing it

Open VMWare and start VM

First few boots take some time

Eventually, grub boot screen appears; select first option

Errors will appear as it searches the Linux partition, but can be ignored

Select the same option used to boot in natively, probably first entry after the found Operating Systems list

Wait the requisite 1min 30secs – planned improvement to bypass this

Other entries may boot into emergency mode

Just click “Control + D” or type “exit” as directed

Install “VMWare Tools”

Open Terminal and type:

“sudo apt-get update” and hit “Enter”

Then type:

“sudo apt-get install open-vm-tools-desktop” and hit “Enter”

Reboot

Note: VMWare’s built in “VMWare Tools” installer (via virtual CD/DVD) is way more complicates and doesn’t work very well, so the Terminal method is highly recommended.

Virtualizing Windows & Linux <- Back            ToC               Next -> Full Disk Backup & Recovery

Miscellaneous

Fix macOS Launchpad

On an old macOS with correct LaunchPad, open Terminal

Type: “getconf DARWIN_USER_DIR”

Copy the path that command output

Go to Finder and Click on “Go” in the Menu Bar, then “Go to Folder”

Paste in the path and hit “Enter”

Find the folder named “com.apple.dock.launchpad” and copy it to a storage drive

On the new macOS, open Terminal

Type: “getconf DARWIN_USER_DIR”

Copy the path that command output

Go to Finder and Click on “Go” in the Menu Bar, then “Go to Folder”

Paste in the path and hit “Enter”

Drag and drop the “com.apple.dock.launchpad” folder from the storage drive to this folder

Restart

Miscellaneous <- Back                     ToC               Next -> Major Contributors

Full Disk Backup & Recovery

The great thing about macOS as the foundation for Quadruple-booting Macs is Time Machine because of its power to backup and restore; however, it will only do so with the macOS partition.  The only way to get that kind of recovery power is through a live bootable tool like Clonezilla.  Thing is, such software only works on none T-chip Macs. 

Non-T-Chip Macs

Boot into an admin level account in any OS

Download UNetBootIn

T-Chip Macs

Boot into admin

Full Disk Backup & Recovery <- Back             ToC               Next -> Affiliates                     

Major Contributors

rEFInd

Rod Smith

Linux on T2 Macs

T2Linux Community

Aditya Garg in particular for regular kernel updates

Brunch/chromeOS

Sebanc

ZProLegend007

TBD

TBD

TBD

Major Contributors <- Back                       ToC               Next -> Bottom of Document

Affiliates

BackMarket

TBD

Reebelo

TBD

EveryMac.com

TBD

TBD

TBD

Affiliates <- Back                     ToC