Ubuntu on an old iMac (don't judge, it was only US$100)

[kalpana]

THIS DOES NOT BELONG IN APPLE HARDWARE - I only mention iMac because it is an all-in-one.

I did have Ubuntu working on this system. I always start with server, and work my way up from there, installing (if I want graphics) lubuntu-desktop, xubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-desktop or other stuff myself.

Anyway, on this 2009 iMac, Ubuntu once installed and worked. It was great because I could check around with everything from raw Fluxbox to MATE to KDE, and so forth without compromising my main computer or messing around with VM's.

I tried BSD's, CentOS, and pure Debian. Some won't install. Others don't work with the accursed Broadcom wifi even if I follow the instructions to the letter.

Ubuntu, and only Ubuntu works and also works with Broadcom b43 junk. Except I've jacked up my Ubuntu system, reformatted it UFS and then ZFS. Now I need to start from scratch...

This time, no matter if I use Rufus, Unetbootin, or BalenaEtcher, GRUB gives me a menu. I hit ENTER to "Install Ubuntu". Then blackness. Nothing. I left it running for an hour. Nothing.

Why could I install Ubuntu last week, but not today? Am I forgetting something that I had done differently?

Can anyone help?