Triple Boot 2010 Macbook Pro with Dual Drive

I have a 2010 Macbook pro running Mavericks and Windows 7 on a 250gb SSD. I just removed the cd drive and installed my old 250 gb hard drive. So now I have two drives. I would like to make the hard drive purely for a linux distribution.
How should I go about doing this?
Some things to note/ consider:
1.   I have no CD drive so I would like to boot up from a USB.
2.   I read that Mavericks has issues with dual booting. So I can't trust many sources?
3.   What file format should I erase the new drive to.
4.   Also should I use rEFInd for booting purposes?
5.   I am aware there are plety of tutorials that walk you through installing linux but I want to have
     A second hard drive JUST for linux.
My current plan is:
Reformat drive with Mac OS Extended (journalized).... Install rEFInd.... Burn ubuntu ISO to flash drive... install ubuntu though rEFInd?
I have no clue if this is at all correct
Thanks in advance...

First the scratch. Like you said, most everyone has a different take on scratch discs but I'd guess you're wasting one heck of a lot of hard drive space using all 500 GB for Scratch, did I read that right? If I did read it correctly YES, partition it and get some use out of it!!
I've got a unibody MBP 2.93GHz, OS 10.5.8, CS3 & PS 5 (running in 32bit mode), and 8 gigs of ram. I've partitioned the one 300 GB drive so 50GB is scratch, the other partition is for OS, & Apps, and documents (images).
I use LR 2 first than export to PS 5 to finish up. My photos get to be 300MB to 500MB in size and both versions of PS work on this setup just fine. Using PS 5 in 64 bit mode is faster opening files but NON of my plugin's are 64 bit yet, that's why I'm still stuck in 32 bit mode.
Not knowing what size or kind of files you work on makes giving advice a bit tough but try setting the status indicator (don't know the right name for it) in the bottom left corner of any PS open file to "Efficiency" and watch what happens when you process your files. I rarely see mine drop below 90%, I've got the usable RAM in PS Prefs set to it's max suggested, cut way back on History and Cache.
Can't wait for NIK and others to offer their plugin in 64 bit, later this year is what I was told.
There used to be an old "rule of thumb" with old version of PS about Scratch disc size. I don't remember exactly but it may have been 3 to 5 times the size of your biggest file??
Good luck, Alan

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Hello, this is my first post.
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First the scratch. Like you said, most everyone has a different take on scratch discs but I'd guess you're wasting one heck of a lot of hard drive space using all 500 GB for Scratch, did I read that right? If I did read it correctly YES, partition it and get some use out of it!!
I've got a unibody MBP 2.93GHz, OS 10.5.8, CS3 & PS 5 (running in 32bit mode), and 8 gigs of ram. I've partitioned the one 300 GB drive so 50GB is scratch, the other partition is for OS, & Apps, and documents (images).
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Not knowing what size or kind of files you work on makes giving advice a bit tough but try setting the status indicator (don't know the right name for it) in the bottom left corner of any PS open file to "Efficiency" and watch what happens when you process your files. I rarely see mine drop below 90%, I've got the usable RAM in PS Prefs set to it's max suggested, cut way back on History and Cache.
Can't wait for NIK and others to offer their plugin in 64 bit, later this year is what I was told.
There used to be an old "rule of thumb" with old version of PS about Scratch disc size. I don't remember exactly but it may have been 3 to 5 times the size of your biggest file??
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Last edited by User0 (2012-02-06 00:06:24)

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Courcoul wrote:
Given that the stumbling block to more flexible power options is the infamous patent-protected MagSafe connector
The funny thing is, I've seen loads of cheap "replacement" MagSafe adapters on eBay, Amazon and in local shops. On eBay, they cost (new) about $26, on Amazon I've seen them as cheap as $17!!, against the $80 that Apple charges. And apparently, it's not worth it to pursue the matter, it's been going on for more than a year now.
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I really dig that unobtainium reference :-)
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__________ All Hail The King _________

Triple Boot 2010 Macbook Pro with Dual Drive

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