Install openSUSE on a Mac

Jump to: navigation, search
Backup all your data in external drive or cloud storage. All data can be lost in some steps.

Create installation media

  1. Download openSUSE Leap or Tumbleweed ISO.
  2. Create a LiveUSB stick

Prepare for dual-boot system

If you want to install openSUSE as the only OS, this step can be skipped.

On a Macbook 2017 (not air nor pro), I didn't have to do the first three lines. Simply boot your OS (Ventura for mine). Tumbleweed, December 2024.

  1. Boot/reboot your Mac.
  2. Press and hold Command + R key. (Meta + R key in PC keyboard)
  3. Wait Recover Mode loading.

So start here:

  1. Disk Utility is what you need. Start it.
  2. Choose the main disk, add new partition for openSUSE and shrink partition of macOS. Check the name of the new empty partition.
  3. Reboot.

Boot from Live USB

  1. Plug the usb stick with openSUSE...
  2. Boot/reboot your Mac.
  3. Press and hold Option key. (Alt key in PC keyboard)
  4. You should see a list of OS boot options.
  5. Choose EFI Boot.

Next...

Other installation steps are similar to PC installations.

You should have three partitions, four if you have a recovery.

  1. Check what is the free partition and erase it.
  2. Choose EFI partition and mount it at default place.
  3. Make a reasonable swap partition
  4. make a reasonable partition for root (BTRFS is OK)
  5. make the rest of the free space as /home, XFS is OK
  6. choose whatever desktop you want
  7. accept and let the install go

Note, here is a recovery partition for mac (not on all macs). If you want dual-boot macOS and openSUSE, you better keep this partition.

Recover macOS if lost

If your recovery partition is not removed:

  1. Reboot.
  2. Press and hold Command + R. (Meta + R key in PC keyboard)
  3. Choose Reinstall macOS.

If your recovery partition has been removed:

  1. Reboot.
  2. Press and hold Option + Command + R. (Alt + Meta + R key in PC keyboard)
  3. Connect to WiFi or wired network.
  4. Wait downloading recovery system from the internet. This step may take hours.
  5. Choose Reinstall macOS.

Recover with usb pen

You can pretty easily find an ISO with your preferred MacOS, donwload it and write it to an usb pen. Boot with option key and install. Mac OS is incredibly easy to install (no option apart your name).

Troubleshooting

Problem: trying to boot the Leap 15.3 Installation media on EFI mode (on Mac Hardware) results in it hanging or crashing.

Not on macbook 2017 in 2024 Tumbleweed. No problem.

Solution:

  1. flash ISO to USB Media
  2. mount EFI partition of flashed USB Media
  3. go to EFI/BOOT
  4. execute cp grub.efi bootx64.efi
  5. umount and reboot

It is recommended to install with online repositories activated. This way the updated shim can be installed and the installation can boot.

If you can ONLY use the offline media, install with Secure Boot disabled, it will boot automatically (but it won't appear on the Boot Selection screen). Update Leap a few times (zypper up) until there's "Nothing to do" and then you can enable Secure Boot on YaST boot loader (it will ask to install the updated shim). This way you'll get the "EFI Boot" option on the Boot Selection screen. Reboot.

Aftermath

After install, openSUSE can't read Ventura Mac file system (APFS), so no Mac OX boot option in GRUB. Use option key after the bell ring.

On Mac OS, system, there is an option to choose the boot disk. Choose Mac or openSUSE.

You can probably install libfsapfs and apfsprogs to access Apple File System.

Retrieved from "https://en.opensuse.org/index.php?title=Install_openSUSE_on_a_Mac&oldid=192463"