If you want to use your USB stick with an Apple Mac, you will need to restart or power-on the Mac with the USB stick inserted while the Option/alt (⌥) key is pressed. This will launch Apple’s ‘Startup Manager’ which shows bootable devices connected to the machine. Boot Mac from USB Option 2: Safe Mode/Recovery Mode As an alternative, you can start your Mac in Safe Mode (Recovery Mode). This will allow the system to automatically detect and repair directory issues. Safe Mode will only allow required kernel extensions to load, preventing login items and startup items to load automatically. Set your bootable USB as your startup disk for the next boot in “Apple Menu - System Preferences - Startup Disk,” then click “Restart” to reboot your Mac. Your Mac will reboot from the USB instead of your default startup disk. Alternatively, you can also use the Startup Manager to select your boot drive when you start macOS.
Starting in 2018 the Macbook Pro includes a secure boot chip that prevents your Macbook from booting windows, linux, BSD, gentoo, Fedora, Atlas Supervisor, other Mac O/S/s on a usb, etc.
You CAN boot a 2018 2019 or 2020 Macbook Pro from USB!
But it does take a few steps to get there.
Step One
Boot into Recovery Mode
To access Recovery Mode, turn off your Macbook, turn it on and hold the Command (⌘) and R keys. Keep holding them through the chime sound until you see the Recovery Screen below…
Yaaay! You entered a secret level with hidden powers!
Step 2
Click on Utlities (on the menu bar at the top of the screen, don’t click on Disk Utlities in the middle of the screen)
Select ‘Startup Security Utility’ and you’ll get this screen…
Change the settings for both to the same as the image above.
Secure Boot to No Security
External Boot to Allow booting from external media
Exit out, shut down the laptop.
Step 3
Plug in your bootable USB device and boot up your 2018 2019 Macbook Pro from USB, hold the Command (⌘) key and you’ll see the startup disk screen, select the USB and boot it up.
Caveats, notes and disclaimers.
You need an uefi bootable image. (we’re uncertain of other workarounds for grub at this time)
You may not have any access to the internal drive. Not sure if it is a linux driver issue or some sort of on chip security, but so far, no access.
Leaving ‘external boot allowed’ is a risk that if stolen, someone might be able to access the internal drive.
The law of unintended consequences. Apple rarely supports playing around with bootable O/Ss, you could brick an extremely expensive device.
Apple does have further detail on the T2 security chip and how to use it. Read more before playing around too much in there.
The better option
If you are looking for a great laptop to run NinjaStik we recommend getting an IBM Lenovo T430i for ~$140 and using it. The T430i is one of the best value for $ deals to run a daily use linux based personal laptop. It’s ugly but it is a solid machine. Bookreader 4 12 – reader for non drm e books.
Boot Mac To Usb Drive
Using a $140 laptop for linux and not risking your $5000 Macbook Pro is our recommendation.
With a bootable Ubuntu USB stick, you can:
Install or upgrade Ubuntu, even on a Mac
Test out the Ubuntu desktop experience without touching your PC configuration
Boot into Ubuntu on a borrowed machine or from an internet cafe
Use tools installed by default on the USB stick to repair or fix a broken configuration
Creating a bootable USB stick is very simple, especially if you’re going to use the USB stick with a generic Windows or Linux PC. Iffmpeg 6 1. We’re going to cover the process in the next few steps.
Apple hardware considerations
Apple Mac Boot From Usb Flash Drive
There are a few additional considerations when booting the USB stick on Apple hardware. This is because Apple’s ‘Startup Manager’, summoned by holding the Option/alt (⌥) key when booting, won’t detect the USB stick without a specific partition table and layout. We’ll cover this in a later step.