Group Adds Linux To Boot Camp

The open source project that came up with the first way to dual-boot an Intel-based Mac in Mac OS X or Windows XP has added the Linux operating system to the mix.

Triple Boot, as the instructions at the OnMac.net Web site call it, relies on Boot Camp, Apple's utility that created a major stir when it debuted two weeks ago, allowing Mac users to boot up Windows.

There likely isn't much business value, but it's fun that someone's doing this. The process of getting Linux running isn't for the technically faint of heart. Users first boot the Mac into Windows XP, which in turn activates other software, including the Lilo bootloader, from which they can choose to run the open source operating system.

OnMac.net was established in January by Colin Nederkoorn, a Texan who solicited donations for a prize to be awarded for the first Mac-Windows dual-boot solution for an Intel Macintosh computer. In mid-March, three weeks before Apple released its beta of Boot Camp, Nederkoorn revealed a solution and awarded about $14,000 to a pair of California developers (see story, "High Five: Jesus López, Bay Area software architect").

Though OnMac.net's work was eclipsed by Boot Camp, Nederkoorn said he was interested in maintaining the site--and now has the Linux effort to show for his persistence.