@RM:
Jumping in here, back at the beginning . . . I’m a fairly long term linux on mac guy, just added a TW install to my '12 Mac Pro . . . it can be very simple, but maybe not “easy.” There are basically two points of “failure” in the procedure that you described here: 1.) Using the windows app to create the USB drive of the iso; 2) The iso you downloaded isn’t “friendly.” I had to try several versions of the TW iso before I found the one that worked . . . network install iso didn’t “work” perhaps from memory doing what yours did . . . i.e., not loading the installer.
What you described here in the first post is what we in PPC used to run into when the boot params weren’t entered properly in the Yaboot log in screen, the correct phrase had to be entered to handle the video card . . . usually it was a “better” sign if the cursor was flashing rather than not.
But, these days with the “EFI” boot option most of those problems are behind us in the Intel Mac world . . . but I see that this am you have now gone “non-EFI” as well as wiped the OSX . . . which just makes the emotions go up w/o actual benefit. Since you now have a single boot disk it should be easier to run an install . . . perhaps there is even an “automatic” option that will set up the “proposed” install and run it . . . but, if you choose “custom” as I had to do for my 5 partition disk . . . the EFI partition is labeled “/boot/efi” . . . .
Personally I think you should snag another “snapshot” . . . start fresh, try to use a liinux based USB writer, or burn to DVD, traditionally we use “Slowest speed” or “slower” than the fastest . . . select “EFI boot” and try the install again.
n_s
PS: If you re-install OSX, do it first, before the linux install, and then you can simply change the file name from .iso to .dmg and use DU to burn the DVD. Enjoy the games . . . .