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[Jonathan Simon <der.joni@xxxxxx>]

Confirmed on MacBook5,1.
Made a FAT32 partition using the BootCamp Assistant, when the "Insert Windows CD and click Button" message appeared, I clicked "Cancel." Then I installed Intrepid Ibex, shrinking the BootCamp partition, adding another FAT32 partition for data exchange, and adding the ext3 root partition and swap partition.

I didn't install rEFIt before installing Ubuntu, and I accidentally installed GRUB to the MBR (default installation). This way I ended up with no bootable system at all. I could start into Ubuntu by inserting the CD and hitting the "Start from first hard disk" option, but there was no way to get into OS X (tried different possibilities with the OS X installation disc).
Solution for me was to download the rEFIt ISO image in Ubuntu, and burning it to a CD. Then I was able to resync my partition tables and boot into any OS.

-- 
Partition Table is cleared during install on Intel Macs
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/222126
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Support, which is the registrant for Mactel Support.

Status in grub-installer: New
Status in Mactel Support: Confirmed
Status in “parted” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed
Status in “ubiquity” source package in Ubuntu: Confirmed

Bug description:
Binary package hint: ubiquity

Ubuntu 8.04 Final

Intel Macs have an EFI system and a GPT. The installer seems to handle the GPT correctly (as it has in the past), but it has recently come up that the installer is completely emptying the contents of the MBR partition table which is still required to boot Windows and Ubuntu (GRUB relies on the MBR partition table). The two tables are not synced automatically.

When users install Hardy, they are suprised to find that the system is unbootable (the EFI loader cannot "see" the partition as bootable). a tool such as rEFIt or gptsync can copy the information in the GPT into the MBR table thus fixing the issue (for most). 

This is even more serious for users with other working OS installs in addition to Ubuntu (such as other linux distros and Windows) since it completely dumps the information needed to boot these installs as well.

The expected procedure (and how the previous Ubuntu install seems to have handled it) is to 'update' both the GPT and the MBR table with changes instead of completely losing the information stored there.

gparted / parted seemed to update both tables properly previously as well.

I will be doing a full install on my iMac later and will be able to add additional information.