Cannot boot Window virtual machine on OSX when dual booted with Linux

Question

I am a web developer experienced in the .Net environment but also in other web technologies. In order to get the work done I use a Macintosh Macbook Pro (4,1) with a Boot camp partition running Windows 7. This allows me to use my favorite OS (OSX) with my required work environment (Win7 & .Net) when ever I need them. To allow me smooth usage I use Parallels 5 to virtually boot my Win7 machine from within OSX but whenever I want to do some heavy lifting I reboot into Windows 7 (on boot camp) which allows me to use my laptop's entire resources for my work.

My problem is this: I am now about to begin work for a company in Tel Aviv which uses Linux desktops for development and I need to follow suit. So I've given my self a new Quest: Set up the ultimate web development platform. My goal is this- 1. Install the three operating systems one along side the other - OSX, Ubuntu & Windows 7. 2. Set each one of them up in such a way that allows me to boot into it (meaning I can have any one of these OSs running on its own when I want. 3. Use parallels to virtually boot my Win7 partition - this allows me to keep using Office 2007, which I use often. 4. optional! Use parallels to virtually boot the Ubuntu OS also.

Sadly, I am simply failing at this... And I need your help.

I have managed to complete goal 1 & 2. But I simply can't get 3... In theory it isn't a problem to install windows & OSX along side each other and virtually boot the windows under OSX using parallel's bootcamp virtualizer- BUT - the moment I install Linux along side the other two it break's parallel's virtualizer and it can't boot.

I think it is due to parallel's in ability to use GRUB but I'm not actually sure about that.

Has anyone managed to do what I'm trying? Does anyone have a solution?

I am considering compromising and going for a system like this: 1. Install OSX and Ubuntu on the laptop - which means I can boot into each of them. 2. Create a virtual machine for Win7 using parallels.

But that will be a real compromise as far as I'm concerned and I hope to find a way to set up the machine as I described earlier (three OSs which can be booted independently and also loaded in VMs).

Just to make sure I'm clear - I HAVE MANAGED to install three independent OSs on the same machine - but that always prevents me from booting them as VMs using parallels...

Answer 1

You could try installing Ubuntu via wubi (Windows Ubuntu Installer). Wubi creates a disk image file on your Windows filesystem, installs Ubuntu to that image, and configures the Windows bootloader to boot Ubuntu from that disk image. If grub really is the issue this might resolve it.
To install Ubuntu via wubi just download the latest Ubuntu disk image (the Live installer, which should be the default option on their download page) and put it in your drive while booted into Windows 7.

Answer 2

An interesting conundrum. I too use an OSX/Win7 virtualized bootcamp solution, and have set up triple boot in the past, though I have never attempted to virtualize a Linux install on a physical partition. I think it should be possible, but I have many more questions than answers for now :-) .

Question A: What is the order you set things up? I would assume:

1. OSX
2. Bootcamp 7
3. Virtualize 7
4. "Bootcamp" Ubuntu
5. Virtualize Ubuntu

Is this correct?

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Question B:

1. How did you set up your Partitions?
2. What application did you use to setup the partitions, and in what OS?
3. Did you set up all the partition at once, or in stages?

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Question C: Are you using rEFIt for the triple native boot? If not, what boot-loader are you using? GRUB for all 3? OSX's boot-loader chaining off to GRUB/Windows?