How to install Linux on a 2011 mac mini

I tried following many reviews until I found one that worked. I even tried a few that got me close, where just the GRUB screen would pop up.

So far it appears that you have to create the linux USB installer on a mac, because it appears that the you must be using the the “GUID Partition Table” as partition scheme. This can be found in the application “Disk Utility”. To change and check the partition scheme, under the USB disk select “Partition” then “Options”. You might have to slice up the disk first for the option to be ungrayed. Please note  YOU WILL LOOSE ALL YOUR DATA ON THE USB STICK. This method also makes it so that Linux will be the only OS on the mac mini.

 

[][2]

 

silver:~ root# diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *121.3 GB   disk0
1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
2:                  Apple_HFS ;)                      121.0 GB   disk0s2
/dev/disk1
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:     Apple_partition_scheme                        *242.0 GB   disk1
1:        Apple_partition_map                         32.3 KB    disk1s1
2:                  Apple_HFS bab                     242.0 GB   disk1s2
/dev/disk2
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *8.0 GB     disk2
1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk2s1
2:       Microsoft Basic Data UNTITLED 1              7.8 GB     disk2s2

 

silver:~ root# diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2
Unmount of all volumes on disk2 was successful

 

 

 

silver:~ root# diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *121.3 GB   disk0
1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk0s1
2:                  Apple_HFS ;)                      121.0 GB   disk0s2
/dev/disk1
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:     Apple_partition_scheme                        *242.0 GB   disk1
1:        Apple_partition_map                         32.3 KB    disk1s1
2:                  Apple_HFS bab                     242.0 GB   disk1s2
/dev/disk2
#:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *8.0 GB     disk2
1:                        EFI                         209.7 MB   disk2s1
2:       Microsoft Basic Data UNTITLED 1              7.8 GB     disk2s2

silver:Downloads root# dd if=CentOS-6.3-x86_64-netinstall.iso  of=/dev/disk2 bs=1m
200+0 records in
200+0 records out
209715200 bytes transferred in 283.815574 secs (738914 bytes/sec)

 

silver:Downloads root# diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2
Unmount of all volumes on disk2 was successful

 

Then stick the USB stick into the mac mini, and you will see it appear as a Windows disk, because that is what Apple thinks all disks formatted as

[2]: http://www.hacktopia.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Screen-shot2.png