I just installed openSUSE 11.4 on my mid 2009 MacBook Pro over OS X Lion. I did it by connecting an external USB Mouse, using the NET install DVD and the KDE Partition Tool found at the OpenSuse website in the downloads section.
First I used an old copy of WindowsXP, started the install process, and at about 50% violently CRASH the computer! Hold the Option key down at restart, EJECT XP, and throw it out the window where it belongs. You will not need it again!
Install the KDE Partition Tool which is essentially a Live CD OS in its own right with a Disk Utility like that of GhostBSD. I find it to be a MacBook Pro owners best friend. Partition your HD (or HD’s). Play with it and find anything left on your old mangled HD, which hopefully will be fully empty. Note, when you install openSUSE it will compress any residual “stuff” into about a 20GB partition which theoretically can be fiddled with later sometime when I grow up. Do the partition work, and when it shows a gpt partition map, your done.
Do the Restart. Install the openSUSE 11.4 NET DVD. At the install prompt, change the optional command line to blank, then ADD without the quotes, " nomodeset " . I find this nomodeset thing a must do on every reboot even after installing so far. This seems to force the installation to look for occult and esoteric things not commonly found in Windows Hardware, but seems to be the norm on Apple based Hardware. I warn too, use an external fan to help cool your MacBook. Mine is still installing packages by the 1,000’s (like an idiot, I did the Install Everything shot, which is a MASSIVE DOWNLOAD with MASSIVE DEPENDENCIES possibly 40+Gigs worth). I still have not fully configured everything. So it gets very hot, but useful for keeping my coffee warm for this long process.
When the computer restarts after install. Chances are your DVD will be helplessly stuck in there. Hold the option key down while it reboots if and probably so, it happens. Wait, and the disks will show, right arrow to the DVD and eject. Crash the computer.
Drink some coffee and have a smoke if you smoke. I start eating seeds about now to keep me from grinding my teeth. For the first boot of openSUSE to get the Autoconfigure to work mostly, try to make sure you get that " nomodeset " line in there. Try the boot from openSuse first. If it goes blank, crash, and go into the failsafe mode. After trying several times, you will eventually get openSUSE going. Try to get to the boot configuration in the menu which is somewhat tricky to find after coming from OS X.
I find the more I reboot, the better things get. But I still always have to type " nomodeset " before I boot openSUSE. Like I said, I am still installing since my system is only 12 hours old now, on a SLOW Internet connection getting about 5kbps average download (yes, we have the slowest ISP in the World!!! in Saipan; most bottom ranking on the planet, so if I can do it, you can do it!).
The upside is, in the Novel sponsored openSUSE sites lie repositories such as iSight drivers and apparently everything else needed to absolutely CONVERT the MacBook Pro into a useful computer again after experiencing OS X 7 which in my opinion made Windows seem like a far superior OS for users.
One OS that helped me while my computer was DEAD, was GhostBSD. However, the other night, the developer changed the installer in it, so I am not sure if it still works? It was useful to load GhostBSD and search forums and download/burn disks while trying to get openSUSE figured out. The KDE Partition tool is also very useful for a temporary OS that has a web browser in it; it loads faster than lightening. Another good OS to use as a Disk Manager and Partition Tool on a blank HD is APTOSID. However, it is not as simple to use as KDE or GhostBSD since it assumes a person using it is savvy of all the jargon.
I find 99 out of 100 times the first few restarts with openSUSE, openIndiana, PC-BSD (I suspect is not really FreeBSD but Debian mostly) and GhostBSD & APTOSID require typing in the " nomodeset " command. All you have to do is start typing when the menu shows the boot options. You will see the string form below. delete whats there, unless you know other commands, and simply type nomodeset. Move the up/down arrow to the boot load, safe mode, install, etc… You will get a workable system up.
Note too, that if downloading your ISO from a Windows machine, something inside the system fights your download and will try to give you a bad ISO. I try to always use an older STABLE version of FireFox for ISO downloads. Vendors like OS-DISK and buying the box set can save a lot of headache because getting a perfect ISO these days off the Internet, with the over burdened servers and traffic is getting harder each day. I suspect too that entities like Google with their own OS out, and Apple/Win throw little pieces of trash out (malicious hack) to make getting away from them harder. When in doubt, make sure your ISO/IMG is pristine to begin with, or your foundation will be screwed up like my head is already, and the switch to FREEDOM could have you in the Psych Ward like the VA wants to do to me now. Do not trust the VA, Apple, or Windows. They do not condone FREEDOM.
Tschus.