Mac Linux USB Loader v3.1 Beta Released w/ Kali Linux Support

Hello, everyone. Long time no see. I am happy to announce the release of the Mac Linux USB Loader 3.1 beta. This is strictly pre-release, and I do not recommend upgrading unless you have some experience dealing with beta software.
The pre-release contains the following changes from the current version:

• Updated to include version 0.3.0 of Enterprise, also a pre-release

• Added support for two languages, Spanish and Dutch

• Removed unnecessary menu options from the menu bar

• The Enterprise source location editor in the Preferences dialog now shows localized paths to the Enterprise source

• Enterprise sources can now be renamed (except the default)

• Write the new Enterprise configuration file format

• Fixes for users with case-sensitive file systems

• Updated Ubuntu and Elementary OS version support (mirrors for these distributions will be available upon the final release of this version)

• Kali Linux support

And finally (drumroll please)…
The final version should be shipping very soon. Please take this opportunity to try and report any bugs which you might find.
Note about Kali: There are bugs in the current version of Kali which stop it from working on older Macs with nVidia graphics cards. I am in touch with the Kali developers and we are working to fix the problem.
Click here to download the beta and feel free to contact me and donate to the project.

Localizers Wanted

Hello, everyone.

So, you all are probably wondering when Mac Linux USB Loader’s rewrite will be out. Well, fear not, because it will be out by Christmas, that is, assuming that you all have been good this year. ;)

But there’s one thing that I really need right now, and that’s people who can help localize Mac Linux USB Loader. Right now, Mac Linux USB Loader supports a few languages, and while that certainly isn’t bad, it precludes a lot of people from being able to use it, because it is difficult to use a program in a language that you cannot speak. Even worse is the fact that the rewrite hasn’t been translated yet - it’s only available in English!

So, this is where I’d like to solicit the help of the community. If you’re fluent in a language other than English, and you have a little bit of spare time, I’d appreciate it if could could translate Mac Linux USB Loader into your native language. All you need is some spare time and a Mac or Linux machine (you don’t even need Xcode).

If you’re interested in helping, please send me an email with the following information:

• Your name or online alias (so that I can credit you)
• The language that you’d like to translate Mac Linux USB Loader into (you must be fluent enough for an accurate translation)
• How long it will take to translate

Thanks so much. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Enterprise v0.2.1 Beta Released

I am launching on the blog-o-sphere today a post to discuss Enterprise.

Yes, Enterprise. A long overdue topic, I'm sure.

I am happy to announce that Enterprise has a 0.2.1 beta release. If you hadn't download it yet from the Enterprise website, I urge you to do so. Why? Well, for starters this new version fixes a number of key issues which have been plaguing users of Mac Linux USB Loader, namely, the infamous "booting in blind mode" error.

This beta also introduces preliminary support for both Kali Linux and Tails - two highly requested distributions. Although you need to set Enterprise up manually for these because support isn't yet integrated into Mac Linux USB Loader, it is easy to do so; see the official instructions for more.

Questions, thoughts, or concerns? As always, drop me a line, comment on this post, and feel free to donate to the project.

Adding Startup Disk Support to Mac Linux USB Loader

Hello all. Here's a long-awaited Mac Linux USB Loader update.

I've made a number of small changes to Mac Linux USB Loader, but perhaps the biggest new feature that I'm working on is making USB drives created with Mac Linux USB Loader compatible with OS X's startup disk selector. Here is the screen I'm referring to:

In order for this to work, a few prerequisites have to be met:

• You must enable support for HFS+ drives in Mac Linux USB Loader's preferences, under the Experimental section
• You must be willing to have files placed outside of the EFI folder on the root of your USB drive, as OS X must find certain files in certain places (essentially, we're tricking it into thinking that your USB has an install of OS X on it)
• You must use a distribution which includes drivers for the HFS+ file system in its initrd. Otherwise, your distribution will not be able to load properly. You may need to disable journaling.

More information will be forthcoming. In the mean time, feel free to comment, email me, or donate to the project.

Donations Accepted

I just want to announce that, starting today, I will be accepting donations to my work. You can donate any amount of money that you wish, and you can even pay by credit card.

This is the best way to help contribute to my projects if you are not a developer. Additionally, you can always help by contributing source code or by localizing resources into your native language.

Like what you see? Feel free to drop me a line or even donate to my work.