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[GUIDE] Bi/Tri Boot OSX/Windows 7/Ubuntu Linux on HP Mini 311


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This is a Bi/Tri Boot guide for the HP Mini 311, the greatest little notebook ever. This is an accumulation of knowledge on the subject, mostly a mix of thepronto’s original guide and some GPT hybrid partition magic.

 

This guide is currently only for those using a USB DVD drive with the Mini. If you are really gonna want to Bi/Tri-Boot, getting your hands on one is almost a must.

 

Secondly this is all about clean install from scratch, back up everything first! It assumes you have three disks:

 

1. Mac OSX Snow Leopard 10.6

2. Windows 7 32 bit version

3. Ubuntu 9.04

 

Please note that on the Ubuntu I DID just say 9.04 even though 9.10 is newer. There is a reason for that, 9.10 has trouble installing. If you want 9.10, install 9.04 using my guide and upgrade to 9.10 using the built in Ubuntu Upgrade Manager.

 

Step 1 - Install OSX

 

The first step is to download the “HS4.ISO Bootable” file from here:

 

http://code.google.com/p/hpmini311/wiki/Downloads

 

Burn that to a disk somehow. Stick the disk in your USB DVD drive and plug that into your mini.

 

Now boot you mini and hit ESC, then hit F9 to go to the boot menu. At this menu select your DVD drive. Wait a minute or two. Eventually you should get to a screen with a picture of a disk in the center. At this point eject the disk in the drive and replace it with the retail Snow Leopard disk. Wait 20 seconds then hit F5. Select the disk icon that appears and after a while it boots into the Snow Leopard installer.

 

Select your language, but on the welcome screen select Utilities from the menu bar. Select the Disk Utility. The select the Partition tab. Make the entire drive one large GPT partition. Apply.

 

Then close Disk Utility and continue with the install. Install to the newly created partition.

 

At the end of the install it will “fail.” That is fine, this is normal. Shutdown your system. Plug in an ethernet cable connected to some internet.

 

Reboot the 311 with the burned HS4.ISO cd in. Hit ESC and F9 to boot from that disk. When it gets to the Chameleon boot menu, pick the option that is your OSX install (will be a white Apple).

 

This lets you boot into OSX, and you will have to do the first time setup thing. At this point if you just want OSX skip to Step 5. If you want Windows 7 go to the next step.

 

Step 2 - Prepare Bootcamp

 

When booted into OSX download the HF3.pkg from the above link. Run the installer package you downloaded.

 

When it gets to the screen with checkboxes, make sure ONLY the “Boot Camp Assistant” check box is checked. Continue with the install.

 

Run Bootcamp Assistant under Applications - Utilities. When you are choosing a size for the “Windows” part make sure it is AT LEAST 32 gb, and more is better. Apply the change, but when Bootcamp asks to get going, quit instead. Shutdown the system.

 

Step 3 - Install Windows 7

 

Put your Window 7 disk in the drive. Boot from the DVD drive and be sure to hit a key after the boot menu to get into the Windows installer.

 

When in the Windows 7 installer chose a “Customized” install instead of an upgrade. When it gets to the partitioner, select the partition made by the Bootcamp Assistant and click “Next.”

 

Then install Windows 7. It will reboot at least once to install itself. Be sure to install needed drives and such before moving onto next step- confirm Windows works.

 

If you just want Windows, skip to Step 5. If you want Ubuntu go to the next step.

 

Step 4 - Install and Configure Ubuntu

 

Put a Ubuntu 9.04 CD in the DVD drive and boot from it. Allow Ubuntu to boot into its default option to “try” Ubuntu.

 

When the Ubuntu 9.04 Live CD boots to the desktop, go to System -> Administration -> Partition Editor

 

Select the Windows 7 NTFS partition and hit the resize button. This will create free space Give Ubuntu at least 8 gigs or so.

 

Uncheck the “Round to Cylinder” Box!!!! (very important!)

 

Hit the Apply button. Closes the partition editor when it is done.

 

Click the “Install” program on the desktop. Install as normal, except when you get to the partitioner use the “use largest consecutive free space” option. Install Ubuntu.

 

Now reboot into Ubuntu. Make sure your internet works even if you have to plug an ethernet cable in!

 

Open up a Terminal under Applications - Accessories

 

Type the following:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install gptsync

sudo gptsync -q /dev/sda

 

sudo grub

root (hd0,3)

setup (hd0,3)

quit

Then reboot with your OSX boot disk in the drive. Boot into OSX.

 

Step 5 - Fix OSX

 

Mount the HF4.ISO Only that is downloaded from the hpmini311 Google code page. Click on the installer in the iso and click your way through it. When the installer is done reboot. If you installed Windows 7 go to the next step.

 

Step 6 - Fix Windows 7

 

Put in your Windows 7 CD. Use the “Repair Your Computer” option. Go with “Repair and Restart” when asked.

 

Enjoy a Tri-Booting Mini 311!

 

My non-Standard System Specs:

 

HP Mini 311:

N270 Atom CPU @ 2.3 GHZ

3GB RAM @ 1200 MHZ

64 GB Samsung SSD Drive

Bluetooth- Added by installing Dell 370 card plus using and installer on this forum. Controlled by wireless button in F.14 bios. Had to add single extra internal antenna as well.

Dell 1510 802.11n wireless card - for OSX wireless support.

 

FAQ

 

How do I rename my Windows Partition from "Windows NTFS" in Boot Menu?

 

Go to Control Panel. Search for “disk.” Click the “Create and format hard disk partitions” option.

 

Select your C: drive in the tool once it opens. Right click and select the properties button. What will pop up is a blank “fill in the name” space. I put “Windows 7” Apply.

 

Does overclocking work in all OSes?

 

Bios based overclocking does work in all OSes, but you need Windows 7 to use the OCTuner tool to “test” overclocking speeds to avoid bricking your Mini. You also need the Windows version of CPU-Z to test CPU speeds and voltages, and GPU-Z to test the memory speed.

 

The voltage of your N270 is important. Mine achieves such a massive stable overclock due to it being a 1.20v Atom. You should only overclock in BIOS after reaching that speed in OCTuner. You should only overclock RAM past the 1066 speed if you have good RAM ( I have a 2 GB 1333 MHZ stick).

 

Most should be able to get around 2.0 GHZ or so, if only because the ION cooling is little over-designed in my opinion(yay for us!). There seems to be a wall for most right above 2.3 or 2.4 depending on the voltage. It is better to be careful than to brick a mini if in doubt.

 

How do I use Ubuntu to Play 1080 Content?

 

Use XBMC’s VDPAU function. Install XBMC by using this Repo:

 

https://launchpad.net/~team-xbmc/+archive/ppa

 

More than that will have to wait for later.

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