[x86-64] Install on MacMini 2012

    Neue Notiz 7

    Hi,
    i want to install LibreElec on an old MacMini 2012 as its only OS, but i have some problems with it.

    I downloaded the LibreELEC-Generic.x86_64-12.2.1.img and flashed it on an SD Card.

    To avoid a hardware defect or flash problem i tried two SD Cards (16 and 32GB) with balenaEtcher-1.18.11-x64 on Linux and the official LibreELEC USB-SD Creator on Windows. Additionaly i inserted the SD card in the SD-Slot of the MacMini and tried it with an SD Cardreader in a USB-Slot. Every Try leads to the exact same problem i will describe now, but with this tried out, i am sure it is no issue with the card, the cardreader or the flash-process.

    After inserting the sd card, i power up the macmini and get to the boot menu.
    I select the "LIBREELEC" option.
    The display went black.
    After ~30 seconds the backgroundlight of the monitor is short switched off and on again.
    After another ~15 seconds the following message appears:

    Quote

    *** Error in mount_flash: mount_common: Could not mount UUID=0111-2509 ***
    ### Starting debugging shell for boot step: mount_flash... type exit to quit ###
    #

    At this point i can use the terminal:

    Quote


    # blkid

    /dev/sda1_ LABEL="EFI" UUID="67E3-17ED" TYPE="vfat"


    I noticed the different UUID. No idea if this is right, but i edited the file syslinux.cfg on the SDCard and changed line 15:


     APPEND boot=UUID=0111-2509 installer quiet systemd.debug_shell vga=current

    to


     APPEND boot=UUID=67E3-17ED installer quiet systemd.debug_shell vga=current


    I started again and got another message:

    Quote


    mount: mounting /flash on /sysroot/flash faild: No such file or directory
    mount: mounting /storage on /sysroot/storage faild: No such file or directory
    *** Error in prepare_sysroot: final_check: Could not find systemd! ***
    ### Starting debugging shell for boot step: prepare_sysroot... type exit to quit ###
    #


    I thought about the "storage" part. The flash-process added two partitions to the card. Libreelec and Storage.
    The storage partiton is `sda2` so i watched for this:

    Quote

    # ls /dev/sd*

    /dev/sda /dev/sda1 /dev/sda2

    So it is there.

    Quote


    # mount | grep sda

    /dev/sda1 on /flash [...]
    /dev/sda1 on /sysroot [...]


    no line for sda2
    Maybe this is the problem.


    I have no idea what to try next, so maybe you can help me.

    Thanks!

    I found something in the dmesg.

    Every 10 Seconds there is something like this:

    mmc0: Timeout waiting for hardware cmd interrupt.

    followed by an SDHCI REGISTER DUMP
    No idea what this means...

    Thread

    Libreelec on Mac Mini 2012 Works but 2 issues

    So I installed the latest stable version of LibreElec on my Mac Mini 2012. It was so easy. BEAUTIFUL! Put new life in my Mac Mini 2012. I love it. However, two annoyances.

    1) If I switch input source of my TV to something else, then come back to the Mac Mini, I hear crackling and flashing on TV. Basically I have to already have switched my TV input source to the HDMI port where my Mac Mini is connected *before* I turn it ON, else I will not get picture. Seems like LibreElec not able to detect…
    griftopia
    February 12, 2023 at 1:26 AM

    Thanks MatteN for your answer.

    The first link is sadly not helping because the installationprocess has somehow worked and the questions are things after the installation.

    The second link suggests installing an older version.

    Did i get it right, that you suggest me to install a old version?

    ok, i try LibreELEC-Generic.x86_64-11.0.6.img and get to the same "Could not mount UUID" - Error.

    I changed the uuid again in the syslinux.cfg to see if this changes anything, but no.

    the error is again:

    *** Error in prepare_sysroot: final_check: Could not find systemd! ***

    Then i tried with LibreELEC-Generic.x86_64-10.0.4.img and its the same. Changing the UUID in the syslinux.cfg has the same effect.

    So all three versions end at the same point.

    I think the problem is that the installationprocess failes to mount the sd-card... the sda that i can see is problably the harddisk of the system and not the sdcard (which i tought it is)

    hi,

    i could install a Linux Mint. But not via SDCard, but with an DVD in an external Player.

    Thats strange but it proofs, that the recognition of the SD Card is the problem.

    After installing Linux Mint, i tried to install Libreelec via SDCard again, and the error is the same.

    Is it possible to install LibreElec via CD/DVD?

    Thanks!

    I got it (somehow)

    Bought some USB Sticks and first tried ventoy. But this did not work.

    Then i flashed one with the 12.2.1 image. This did not work.

    Then i flashed one with the 10.0.4 image. This did work!

    Now i have a 10.0.4 LibreElec running and asking myself how i upgrade this zu 12.2 :D

    Thanks for you help!


    And if someone reads this and has problems to get into the boot menu: You have to press the left "Alt" on the keyboard, after the chime, not to quick and not to late, in my case its when the light of the keyboard turned on. AND! this only works in one of the four USB connectors. The one mostly in the middle of the macmini. Its a gamble, and i missed it in 2 of 3 tries.

    Sorry its me again. After upgrading to 12.2.1 the wifi is not detected.

    Is there a way to install the drivers by hand?

    At my journey installing Libreelec i git Linux Mint working and added wifi support with:

    Code
    sudo apt install bcmwl-kernel-source

    But i cant do this in Libreelec. Any ideas?

    If you’re lucky it’s missing firmware. If you’re unlucky it’s the older Broadcom driver that we dropped. Share the URLs generated by “dmesg | paste” and “lspci | paste” and we should be able to see.