Ceci est une ancienne révision du document !
My introduction to Ubuntu (and later variants such as Linux Mint) started nearly 20 years ago when a friend gave me an Ubuntu CD after I complained about how poor Windows NT was. That was version 4.10, Warty Warthog, and I was hooked (Linux Mint would debut a few years later).
And, yes, I said CD. My internet connection was slow back then (dial-up with the squawking modem), so downloading anything past a picture was excruciating. Besides, Ubuntu was a puny OS compared to the behemoths of today.
I was hooked from the beginning and decided I would dedicate myself to resurrecting as many old Windows computers as I could.
That’s when an ugly problem surfaced. Many Windows-based computers of the period were poorly designed and pretty much guaranteed to fail after a few, short years.
Anybody remember the netbooks that died a much needed death about a decade ago?
In essence, my work converting old Windows-based beaters in Ubuntu standouts was often for naught – the machines died anyway. A lot of HP, Compaq, EMachines, Packard-Bell and Xerox (now Lenovo), and pre-WalMart Gateway computers died for the effort (they were dead anyway, but it’s the thought that counts).
Guess I’m getting old – half of those computer companies probably went belly-up before some of you readers were born.
And before you claim contemporary Windows laptops and desktops are much better, keep in mind that there is a Windows truism - they may set the minimum parameters for their OS to work, but they do nothing concerning quality control of the products their OS is installed on.
At least Apple manufactures computers to a set standard, unless you count the time a company named Psystar attempted to install OS X on their branded computer (the end result was a flurry of lawsuits and bankruptcy).
As much as I loved Ubuntu and Linux Mint, I just couldn’t afford to replace bad power supplies, wonky hard drives, and burned out motherboards on a continuing basis or, in the worst case scenario, a Windows OS that refused to work properly (Me and Vista come to mind).
So, for a while, I switched to Apple laptops and desktops (Airs and iMacs, generally), and all was fine, at least until OS-X got bogged down or Apple decided my beater wasn’t worth updating anymore.
Fortunately, Apple switched to Intel processors over a decade ago and I discovered, by reading some reviews, that Linux could operate, with some hoop jumping, on a OS X, Intel based, device.
Not in a virtual window or emulator, mind you, but by completely replacing OS X with Ubuntu or Linux Mint.
And why would I do that?
As you read this, I’m typing away on my 2014 MacBook 13 Air that Apple stopped updating earlier this year.
But it’s still in mint condition and I installed a new battery. It’s nearly a decade old and still looks like new (after all, it is aluminum). It comes with 550GB SSD, 8GB RAM, and a 1.4GHz Intel processor. Hardly top-of-the-line today, but more than enough to run most Linux variants.
Oh, forgot to mention that I paid a whopping $200 for it (plus another $50 for the battery, which I installed). Give or take, $999 off original retail.
So, why should I pay $1,000+ for a new MacBook when the old one is still humming along just fine?
Mainly because this guy isn’t stupid enough to pay a grand for a laptop. Also, I didn’t want to risk virus or malware exposure, and my version of OS-X was getting a bit slow, so I opted for a radical, and possibly dangerous (as in bricking my laptop) procedure of installing Linux over OS-X.
Before we start, you must make sure your MacBook or iMac is capable (yes, even the desktops can be converted): • Pre-2020 with Intel processors. This includes nearly every Apple computer made from 2006 to 2020. After 2020, Apple went with the M1 chip with stronger security parameters. • Avoid the pre-Intel varieties. If it has a polycarbonate casing, it’s probably pre-Intel. • Must have a capable hard drive, preferably SSD. Hybrids and standard HDD may work, but they’ll be somewhat slower. • Working WiFi adapter/card. • USB port. It can be USB-C. Don’t use a connected hub, that’s begging for problems. • If the screen is bad, there is nothing any version of Linux will do to help.
Now comes the question, how do you go about doing this?
Fortunately, it’s not as cumbersome or complicated as it may seem.
UNetbootin
First, download UNetbootin, a nifty little program found at https://unetbootin.github.io/ or https://unetbootin.org/ (the former is a much better site).
Second, plug a flash drive of at least 8GB into your USB or USB-C port on your laptop (or desktop). Don’t get all fancy and attempt to do this on a mini SD card. For whatever reason, some SD cards, especially micros, just don’t get recognized.
And please make sure it’s empty! Don’t want to lose those pics or docs you’ve been packing away since 2005, do we? Don’t lie, you’ve got a box of flash and SD drives sitting around (and possibly a few old spinning hard drives) and have no clue what’s on them.
Third, download your favorite version of Linux. For me, it’s Ubuntu or Linux Mint. You can download through UNetbootin or go directly to the developer’s website. Whichever way you go, it’s a nearly 3GB download. Be patient.
By the way, go for the 64-bit version of whatever you choose – MacBook architecture doesn’t play well, if at all, with 32-bit variants.
Finally, tell UNetbootin where to find your disk image, enter the type drive you want it sent to (UNetbootin defaults to USB drive as you see above). Don’t worry if the Drive drop-down doesn’t work, it’s just funny that way.
Word of warning here! Have just one flash drive inserted at a time. Remove all others because UNetbootin might just pick the wrong one! This includes SD cards!
Then do the following: • Once you’re assured UNetbootin has done the job (it’ll tell you), unmount the flash drive and shut off your MacBook. • Plug the flash drive back in, turn on the power and hold down the Option key when you hear the Apple bong. • Release the Option key once you see the Startup Manager. If all goes well, you’ll see the drive you regularly boot from and the USB drive you just created. • Click on the USB drive (use the trackpad as your Bluetooth or USB mouse might not work in this mode).
At this point you’ll get the ubiquitous Linux Mint (in my case) startup menu:
You’ve seen this a few times, I would imagine, so you know enough to click on Start Linux Mint. Do yourself a favor and ignore the rest.
And, if you must know, “OEM install…” is a procedure during which a temporary password is given for the installer. The new owner of the machine will then set their password.
If all goes well, and it should, you’ll soon have a working version of Linux Mint on your MacBook.
Happy, right?
Not yet. You’ll notice the WiFi doesn’t work. Bummer.
Before you start swearing at me, go to your menu, click on Control Center, and then go to Hardware, Administration, and then Driver Manager (or just type Hardware Manager into the search function at the menu).
Once you click on Driver Manager, it’ll take a few seconds to tell you that your MacBook needs the Broadcom 802.11ac Wireless Adapter. Click on it and you’re golden.
If you’re wondering why it isn’t installed from the get-go, it’s because that driver is proprietary. You have to ask first..
At this point you should notice almost everything else works on your MacBook. Backlighted keyboard – check. Sound – check. Keyboard – yep. USB and SD card slots – yes and yes. Function keys – 99%. Bluetooth – yep. Webcam – fat chance.
Oops. The webcam doesn’t work. Not a flutter or flicker anywhere.
As much as I’d like to say there’s an easy code fix, there really isn’t. Nearly everything I’ve tried that’s been recommended has either failed or ended up a disaster.
Cheap USB webcam to the rescue!
By now you’re either satisfied or disappointed, hopefully the former.
If you want to go through with the conversion, you know the desktop box to click for installation. Within 20 to 30 minutes or so you should have a MacUbuntu or a MacMint.
And for you Linux historians, I once used PearOS on a MacBook. Around 2013 or so, this was a Linux variant with a desktop and menu that looked a lot like Apple OS-X. They even went as far as using a pear with a bite taken out of it instead of an apple. It went kaput for unknown reasons although I can venture a guess.
History aside, there are a few things to remember: • Having second thoughts and want OS-X back? Pay a visit to Ebay and you’ll find quite a few listings for bootable USB drives with OS-X included. This also works if you want to sell the unit in the future. • Battery life will suffer. Plan on losing about an hour or so. I went from roughly 6 hours on a full charge with OS-X down to roughly 5 hours although, oddly enough, it seems to be improving. • Worried about losing iCloud? No problem, just go to www.icloud.com and sign in. Everything will be there, believe me. In fact, you’ll find the complete Apple office suite there, too. • Hibernation and wake work just fine. This was an issue in the past, but not so much anymore. • Sorry, no more pinch or zoom on the trackpad. It still works, but there’s no gee-whiz finger movements to wow your friends with. There is a workaround called TouchEgg but it's a bit complicated for most. Use a mouse instead. • As for printers, that might be a mixed bag. My 20 year-old laser printer that operates off WiFi works just fine using the CUPS printer server; however, my new thermal printer that operates off of Bluetooth won’t work. In fact, it won’t work off USB, either. Linux recognizes it, but the driver (in my case) may be proprietary. There are workarounds, but you’ll have to work to implement them.
Finally, here are distinct advantages you should notice: • Crowded drive space with OS-X? Not with Ubuntu or Linux Mint. I still have 499 GB space left on my 550 GB SSD and that’s after installing a boatload of programs from the Software Manager. • Boot time was routinely 45 seconds with OS-X from the time I pushed the power button until I had a usable desktop. Now it’s 15 seconds. • Updates are manageable and come every couple days or so. Unlike Windows or OS-X, though, the updates are smaller and seem to load faster. No more OS lockups. • You now have a laptop you got on the cheap while everybody will think you dropped a mint on an Apple product. Thing is, most MacBook Airs from 2008 to today look similar and your average user can’t tell one from another. That aluminum body hides age well.