Upgrading to Ubuntu 12.04

Here are a few notes regarding upgrading to Ubuntu 12.04:

• Use a separate user for running the upgrade (I've had problems in the past whereby user settings were somehow modified and I was unable to restore them and had to resort to deleting and re-creating my user)
• Remember to show the terminal during the installation, as it prompts for input sometimes
•  Following the installation, you may encounter this bug relating to permissions on ~/.config/nautilus-actions. The simple fix is to run the following:
  chmod u+r ~/.config/nautilus-actions
  

Ubuntu on Mac Grey Screen on Boot

Some time ago, I posted what I believed was a fix for my Mac hanging on boot before booting Ubuntu. Unfortunately, this did not completely resolve the problem and I still occasionally experience problems. However, I am happy to say that I have found a solution which is yet to fail!

Next time you encounter the Mac sitting on the grey boot screen rather than booting Ubuntu, plug something into one of the USB drives (I normally plug in my usb thumb drive or a usb mouse). I don't know exactly what the Mac is trying to do when it waits on this screen rather than booting Ubuntu, but plugging something into a USB drive seems to make it break out of its looping state and start booting Ubuntu.