Introduction
This guide will help you with the issue of not being able to install Ubuntu on the internal drive of your MacBook Air 2014. The problem usually occurs when the Ubuntu installer mistakenly identifies the USB flash drive as the drive to install the operating system, instead of the internal drive.
Identifying the Problem
When you boot from your Ubuntu USB flash drive, you'll notice that the installer recognizes your MacBook Air's internal drive as /dev/sda and the USB flash drive as /dev/sdb. However, when you proceed with the installation, the installer incorrectly chooses /dev/sdb (the USB drive) as the target location for Ubuntu.
Why this Issue Occurs
During the installation process, the Ubuntu installer may have a difficult time distinguishing between your MacBook's internal drive and the USB flash drive because of the way Apple configures its firmware. Luckily, there are ways to address this problem.
Manually Selecting the Internal Drive
The most straightforward method to resolve this issue is by manually selecting the internal drive as the target destination for the Ubuntu installation.
Step-by-step Guide:
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Proceed through the Ubuntu installation process until you reach the "Installation Type" step.
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Choose the "Something Else" option instead of the default installation type.
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Find
/dev/sda(your internal drive) in the list of drives and partitions. -
Select the partition that you wish to use for installing Ubuntu, or create a new one if you prefer.
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Ensure that the selected partition is formatted with an appropriate file system (e.g. ext4).
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Set the "Mount Point" of this partition to
/(the root partition). -
Continue to complete the Ubuntu installation, and the system should boot correctly from your internal drive once rebooted.
Updating the Apple Firmware
Another, more involved, solution is to update the firmware in your MacBook Air, which can help the Ubuntu installer correctly detect and install your chosen operating system onto the internal drive.
Preparing the macOS Bootable USB
Before commencing, make sure you have downloaded the macOS installer (usually available through the App Store), and a tool called "createinstallmedia" which Apple provides for free (Download here).
# Assuming the macOS installer was downloaded into the "Downloads" directory
$ sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume
Replace /Volumes/MyVolume with the path of your USB drive.
Installing the rEFInd Boot Manager
After creating a macOS USB drive, install the rEFInd boot manager on your MacBook Air. This boot manager will ensure that your system can boot correctly from the internal drive after the update.
- Boot from the macOS USB drive.
- Download and install rEFInd via these instructions.
Updating the Firmware
Now that rEFInd is installed, update your MacBook Air's firmware using the macOS USB drive we created earlier.
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Once booted from the macOS USB drive, use the Terminal application to update the firmware using the following command:
$ softwareupdate --background-critical
Wait for the firmware update to complete and reboot your system. After rebooting, the Ubuntu installer should now correctly recognize your internal drive as the target location for installation.
Summary and References
This article addressed the problem of a Ubuntu installer attempting to install onto a USB drive rather than the internal drive of a MacBook Air 2014. We provided two solutions: manually selecting the internal drive and updating the firmware.