Has anyone had luck installing Ubuntu on this machine. I've tried the default x64 ISO, the amd64+mac ISO and both give me an error about initramfs being unable to find a live filesystem. I've also tried to boot Fedora Linux in live-mode but it too fails to boot.
I read somewhere that I should try boot from the CD while a thumb-drive with the ISO 'burned' on it is also inserted in the machine. That didn't work for me.
I'd appreciate any help.
I have a late 2011 Macbook Pro 8,1. What worked for me was indeed using a usb pendrive alongside the physical CD. I should also note that I used the 64-bit Mac image (http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/11.10/release/) (edit: I read that you already are aware of it) (I honestly have no clue what the differences are, if it makes any.)
I created a live bootable usb drive using unetbootin from the ISO, then inserted the drive after Ubuntu booted from the CD to its menu. Press a key once that Human logo comes up, then insert the drive when the menu pops up.
After that, select to boot into the live desktop. It will fail to find the image on the disk, but will search the pendrive, and continue to load the desktop. From here, you should be able to install Ubuntu normally, although your woes of getting Ubuntu to work perfectly on the MBP are far from over :) (It is well worth the work, though!)
I have really case for sucsesful boot use legasy mode in grub2 with two usb-flash.
Step 1. Insert flash with uefi grub 2 and boot grub use macbook`s boot menu.
Step 2. Use command chainloader into second usb flash with only legasy mode grub2, because on uefi mode was block.
Step 3. Boot Ubuntu.iso with grub2.
After that you can install OS. MacBook that model have problems with legasy boot.
