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I am trying to Install Kali Linux on my MacBook Pro for dual boot with Mac.

Here is the GUI I am talking about (the same is in Debian and Ubuntu, but just to clarify this I found image in google): here is screen of manual partitioning GUI before install where I am stuck

I actually did a single-partition installation already, but it is unencrypted. Suddenly, manual partitioning during install blocked me from performing it the right way with some weird error message.

My SSD is partitioned this way before installation of Kali:

  1. macOS EFI partition (I don’t touch it) - 100 MB
  2. macOS partition (encrypted APFS) - 90 GB
  3. Linux partition (EXT4) - 30 GB (should contain encrypted / root and swap)
  4. Linux boot partition (300 mb)

I’ve tried defining an encrypted partition for / root file system both with and without LVM. It shows an error with exclamation icon and text:

“you’ve selected root filesystem to be stored on an encrypted partition. This feature requires a separate /boot partition ... go back and setup /boot partition."

and blocks installation. Despite the fact that I have partition configured in manual partitioner GUI (#4 in my table) as “BIOS boot area”. There is no option to specify mount point for it though. So this looks weird bug in installer to me.

Notes: on MBP, it is not important to have macOS boot option. You can boot to macOS with Option key that detects macOS partitions regardless Linux bootloader so it is ok to use grub and graphical installer to me.

Can you suggest a step-by-step list of actions for manual partitioning in this case? I cannot find a guide, I always read about “Guided” when people discuss encrypted LVM, but “Guided” wipes all disk and other partitions.

Trying to add LVM is no different:

  1. Choose Manual Partitioning
  2. Create LVM group on top of EXT4 part
  3. Add volumes: root for / fs, and swap, format them properly
  4. Format partition #4 (outside LVM) as EFI boot area (“Use as:”)
  5. Set encryption for partitions swap and root (partitioner GUI has option for cryptsetup configuration listed right after LVM section)
  6. Cannot start installation, complains about /boot which cannot be specified as mount point anywhere)
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    Please click edit and add that weird message to your original question.
    – K7AAY
    Apr 4, 2019 at 18:37
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    @K7AAY please, take a look at updated question
    – Croll
    Apr 5, 2019 at 0:40
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    Nice trolling, but this is not the case. In fact, you just cannot answer the question. I suspect anyone who have ever done encrypted setup with dual boot for Ubuntu or Debian will be able to answer this, and I use Kali Linux for years. I don’t ask “why it is hard”, I just don’t understand is it Debian installer GUI bugged or me stupid
    – Croll
    Apr 5, 2019 at 1:29
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    @nwildner not really, given the OP explained this is the same for Debian and Ubuntu.
    – Chris Davies
    Apr 5, 2019 at 9:11
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    @roaima sure, thanks!
    – Croll
    Apr 5, 2019 at 9:18

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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The answer to question and important clarifications are posted here in more focused question. Voilà!

As it turns out, for an encrypted root setup, there must be two bootloader related partitions:

  • EFI system partition (for Linux boot)
  • /boot partition (ext4) (for Linux boot)
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    Yes, that would make sense (of sorts). The EFI system partition is for the computer to boot; the /boot partition is for the Linux OS to boot. One chains the next.
    – Chris Davies
    Apr 5, 2019 at 9:15
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    Just for clarification, the "BIOS boot area" mentioned in the question is neither an EFI system partition nor a /boot partition. It's only used if you plan to use a legacy BIOS bootloader on a GPT-partitioned disk: in that situation, it serves as the location to embed the GRUB core image. (On a MBR-partitioned disk, the GRUB core image will normally fit in the empty space between the actual MBR and the beginning of the first partition, which usually has almost 1 MiB of unused space.)
    – telcoM
    Apr 5, 2019 at 12:50

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