How to Boot from the UD Pocket on Mac mini, MacBook Air 2018, MacBook Pro

Solution Based on Experience from the Field

This article provides a solution that has not been approved by the IGEL Research and Development department. Therefore, official support cannot be provided by IGEL. Where applicable, test the solution before deploying it to a productive environment.

Environment

• Mac devices with an Apple T2 Security Chip, e.g. Mac mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air 2018, iMac Pro

Problem

The secure boot implemented with the Apple T2 Security Chip does not allow to boot Linux on the above-mentioned devices. For details, see the German overview https://www.computerbase.de/2018-11/apple-t2-linux-installation-umgehung/. Therefore, some configuration changes on these devices are required to boot from the UD Pocket.

Solution

Via the recovery menu, it is possible to disable the secure boot option. To do this, proceed as follows:

1. To get into the macOS recovery menu, press and hold the command key [⌘] + [R] during the boot process as soon as the Apple logo appears.

2. Under Utilities, select the Startup Security Utility. 

3. Use an administrator account to deactivate the secure boot option under Secure Boot > No Security.

For more information about the Startup Security Utility on Mac devices, see https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208198.