Christopher Friedt writes:
Just in case anyone wants to use UNetbootin to create e.g. an Ubuntu Live USB device and it isn’t working, there are two key steps that are not performed by the UNetbootin binary for OS X.
After downloading the ISO, use Disk Utility to partition your USB device. Ensure that you’ve selected Options -> MBR . After formatting the disk…
1) Ensure that you’ve marked the partition active
fdisk -e /dev/rdisk1
f 1
write
exit
2) Download syslinux and write the critical mbr binary your device.
dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/rdisk1
After that, just use UNetbootin as usual.
I got away with just doing the fdisk to activate the partition, otherwise it just comes up with “Missing Operating System“.
This worked for BackTrack5 r3.
Useful to know – I’ve also had a look at BackTrack.
Last I knew, though, you couldn’t boot a Mac from USB. Is this purely about creating bootable sticks on a Mac, for use on some other box?
ya
Dave : This method can also be used in conjuction with rEFIt for Mac OSX 😉
I am getting the following messages below.
UTIs-MacBook-Pro:~ UTI$ fdisk -e /dev/rdisk1s1
fdisk: /dev/rdisk1s1: Permission denied
UTIs-MacBook-Pro:~ UTI$ sudo -s
bash-3.2# fdisk -e /dev/rdisk1s1
fdisk: could not open MBR file /usr/standalone/i386/boot0: No such file or directory
Enter ‘help’ for information
fdisk: 1> f 1s1
Partition 1 marked active.
fdisk:*1> write
Device could not be accessed exclusively.
A reboot will be needed for changes to take effect. OK? [n] y
Writing MBR at offset 0.
fdisk: 1> dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/rdisk1s1
Invalid command ‘dd’. Try ‘help’.
fdisk: 1> exit
bash-3.2# dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/rdisk1s1
dd: mbr.bin: No such file or directory
Kindly tell me if i am doing something wrong …. Thankx
I think you are missing some files?
@XaRuS
First you must cd to the mgr directory: Downloads/syslinux-5/mbr
Then execute:
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
Then:
sudo fdisk -e /dev/rdisk1
Type your password.
fdisk: 1> f 1
fdisk:*1> write
fdisk: 1> exit
dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/rdisk1
Kindly write out instructions to create Backtrack 5 R3 a bootable usb for Mac OS. I will appreciate it
dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/rdisk1s1
dd: mbr.bin: No such file or directory
please hep
Did you read the bit that said: Download syslinux ?
See the original post at http://perpetual-notion.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/unetbootin-on-mac-os-x.html for details.
@Don
1. Download backtrack 5 R3 iso
2. Open terminal
3. Execute diskutil list
Output should be something like: diskutil list
/dev/disk0
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0
1: EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_HFS Macintosh HD 419.0 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3
/dev/disk1
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: FDisk_partition_scheme *7.8 GB disk1
1: DOS_FAT_32 U 7.8 GB disk1s1
4. Identify your USB, mine is /dev/disk1
5. Execute sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
6. Execute sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk1 , then f 1, then write, then exit.
7. Sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk1
8. Download syslinux from http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/syslinux-5.00.zip and unzip it by double clicking.
9. Navigate to the syslinux/mbr folder using terminal:
cd /Users/yourusername/Downloads/syslinux-5/mbr
10. sudo dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=mbr.bin of=/dev/disk1
11. Open Unetbootin and enter your password, select “disk image”, click on the three dots, select the previously downloaded backtrack 5 R3 .iso and click open.
12. Enter the amount of persistence space that you want for your usb. The persistence will be used to store changes after reboot. You can make it as large as you like because unetbootin will round it down to fit on your usb.
13. Select your usb drive in the box, probably /dev/disk1s1 and click ok.
14. Wait for unetbootin to finish. It might take a long time and seem like it’s frozen but it’s not.
15. Exit unetbootin and shutdown your mac.
16. Power on your mac and as soon as the screen turns white, start holding the alt/option key.
17. Choose your usb. (A yellow usb or hard drive icon on the right) There might be two, if one doesn’t work, try the other.
This works fine as long as your mac doesn’t have usb 3.
Remember to replace /dev/disk1 with the number you get but make sure it’s not disk0.
Many many thanks for your help. Jumped to the next steps after your post. Thanks.
This worked for me.
Hello good solution but I have 2 questions I see in the main post:
fdisk -e /dev/rdisk1
and you have here:
fdisk -e /dev/disk1
without the “r” on disk1 what is the diiference is not supposed to be rdisk1 instead disk1 only?
My other question I have a retina macbook pro I tried to burn with unetbootin with windows and YUMI and say Unable to find a medium containing live file system after the backtrack choice menu I’m not tried yet this method but I’ll try but how you know the retina has 2 USB 3.0 ports for sure I don’t have USB 2.0 what you suggest to make run in retina macbook?
Thank you
Carlos,
Unfortunately backtrack does not currently work on laptops that only have USB 3, including the retina MacBook Pro. It’s up to the backtrack developers to update their OS for USB 3 and as far as I can see, this won’t be happening anytime soon. Your best option is to use another OS such as BackBox. BackBox works well on my retina MacBook Pro and comes with many of the same tools backtrack has.
Ok thank you I’ll try BackBox and I’ll try to test backtrack in a mini fire wire external disk maybe works too, there are in Amazon some cases mini and pretty with firewire that fits in the palm of the hand.
Thank you
@4help
Hello,
I followed exactly what you wrote and all worked fine, but when I restart my computer to boot from my usb drive (holding alt button pressed), it doesn’t appear that can boot from it !! I have USB 2.0 port.
Please Help
Holy crap you guys saved my day. The error was a non issue on linux mint for “fdisk -e /dev/disk1” as mint is an EFI install. However, the “f 1” is why unetbootin was not working on my pc machine where the usb was created on my mac.
As soon is a I follow all the steps, my usb get brocken and MacOS X does not let me mount it again. It is a shame…
same for me..
I do the fdisk and dd without trouble but I can’t mount the disk afterwards and can’t use Unetbootin.. it wont let me click “OK” – it clicks but nothing happens.
Computer:recovery user$ sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk1
fdisk: could not open MBR file /usr/standalone/i386/boot0: No such file or directory
Worked though. No other errors. Thanks everyone.
There’s no need to install syslinux as the “mbr.bin” file can be found inside UNetbootin: unetbootin.app/Contents/Resources/mbr.bin
i got this error:
sudo fdisk -e /dev/disk2
fdisk: could not open MBR file /usr/standalone/i386/boot0: No such file or directory
I am wondering you guys have a running Backtrack from USB drive…I followed your instructions point for point many times, tried different USB drives and it is still not working. And without another Bootloader it shouldn’t work for you guys either, because Macs usually can’t boot from any other partition scheme then GUID, since Apple decided to switch to INTEL. So where is my problem….why is it working for you guys and not for me. After copying the files via unetbootin, it tells me, it never would boot from a Mac. And that’s how it is. I really would appreciate every help, cause I always wanted to have a Backtrack booting from USB on my Mac, since I pulled out the SuperDrive. Thanks in advance…Cheers, Fab