Jan 21, 2021 The post includes a tutorial for installing Ubuntu on M1 Macs, and there's a Github repo (corellium/linux-m1) that you can download the kernel from. Following the steps, you'll end up booting. To make ubuntu look like Mac, there are hundreds of themes, wallpaper, font, and even cursors. If you have the Ubuntu system installed on your machine, then you can look for several open source packets like Macbuntu Transformation Pack, macOS Sierra, and so on.
March 17, 2013 6:44 pm2 Comments[singlepic id=17 w=320 h=240 float=left]
Couple years ago I used to have a MacBook Pro with Core 2 Duo processor (2007 model). It was great back then, however as time passed after 3 years; I needed a laptop with higher resolution. So I bought a Sony with 1080 HD screen. It was a great decision, the performance wasn't great perhaps due to the whole bunch of software it was running. Now I'm back with MacBook Pro Retina Display and it reminded me that I still have this old MacBook Pro lying around which I can virtually do anything with.
The good old 2007 MacBook Pro has been lying dormant for over 3 years! I decided to pop it open and plug it back into life. The machine still works, however unable to utilize the latest and greatest OSX, it would have been too slow if it was able to anyway. However this machine is still great, so I thought there has to be something that I can do with this thing. So yes, I'm planning to install Ubuntu 12.10 on it.
I'm sure there are a lot of other people with the same case as I am so here are a couple things that I have done to give this old mac a new purpose.
Before doing anything in this tutorial, please please please, backup your data first! I will not be held liable for any loss of data, etc.
Upgrade the HDD
The MacBook Pro came with 120GB HDD, this was not nearly enough if you want to put two OSes inside. Coincidentally I have already upgraded the Mac's HDD few years back out of interest. It was a relatively easy process, you just have to be careful.
I followed the instruction on ifixit. Go ahead and look at the guide if you are interested.
500GB HDDs are so cheap these days and you can almost get it anywhere in store or online. Here are couple of examples to show you the current price:
NOTE: make sure you read the ifixit guide for the correct specification of the HDD. I use the Western Digital 500GB SATA myself but different MacBook may vary.
Install ubuntu alongside OSX
There are two ways you can install Ubuntu Linux on a Mac. That is full installation or dual booting between OSX and Ubuntu. Today we are going to show you how to install this dual booting style.
Note that in this guide we are using OSX Snow Leopard and Ubuntu 12.10.
1. Download the Ubuntu CD
Download the ubuntu ISO from http://www.ubuntu.com
To keep it safe, choose the 32-bit version. The Mac that I use for this tutorial only have 3GB of RAM anyway so 32-bit will work just fine. After the download has been completed, burn the ISO a CD or DVD.
2. Partition the Mac HDD
- Open the Disk Utility in OSX
- Resize your mac partition to a desired size. In my case its 250GB.
- Create an MS-DOS partition for the rest of the free area.
- Apply and let it finish modifying the partition. Most of the time would work just fine.
- Reboot to make sure everything works properly
3. Download and install rEFIt
Macs doesn't use BIOS but EFI, installing rEFIt will allow your Mac to multiboot into different OS-es
- So download from: http://refit.sourceforge.net
- Proceed with the installation
- Reboot – And nothing happens… It's okay, that's cool just let it proceed to OSX
- Insert your Ubuntu CD!
- Reboot again. You'll see the rEFIt screen to choose your OS – this means it's all good
4. Install Ubuntu
This is the fun part.
- In your rEFIt screen choose boot from Ubuntu CD
- Choose Install ubuntu when asked if you want to try or install
- On the installation type screen, choose Something Else, we will partition this manually
- For our partition we can use the following configurations, based on 250GB HDD:
- 300MB for /boot using ext2
- 2GB for swap
- 1MB for biosgrub
- 100GB for / – this is for your applications, etc
- 100GB for /home – this is for your data
- Then proceed with the installations, sit back and relax…
or if you are like me trying this late at night, turn off the lights and go to bed.
5. Reboot to your Ubuntu Installation
You can now do whatever you need to do on Ubuntu. In my experience, using Ubuntu 12.10 on Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo works out of the box. Wireless and sound works flawlessly. The only thing that I needed to adjust was the trackpad, which can be done using Ubuntu's 'mouse and trackpad control panel' anyway.
All Done, Good Work!
[singlepic id=26 w=160 h=120 float=right]So, that was easy. I hope you can try this and have as much fun as I did. Again, don't forget to backup your data before doing this. Anyway, this is an old mac too, so there's no need to hold back.
Now you can install your development servers from source just like on any other Linux machines or turn this mac into a local server. The possibility is endless :D
References
Here are the couple of websites where I based my experiment on. I only took the relevant bit out of these as Ubuntu 12.10 is generally very compatible with the Mac.
http://lifehacker.com/5934942/how-to-dual-boot-linux-on-your-mac-and-take-back-your-powerhouse-apple-hardware
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MactelSupportTeam/AppleIntelInstallation#Single-Boot:_Ubuntu_Only
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2011/05/04/manual-disk-partitioning-guide-for-ubuntu-11-04/
http://tech-devnet.blogspot.de/2012/05/running-ubuntu-1204-on-mac.html
Categorised in: Fun computing, General Computing, Ubuntu Animation apps for youtube on mac.
Ubuntu Server 18.04 Download
Background
What I'll be showing you today is how to rescue your 2011 Macbook Pro by putting Linux on it. I understand you might be asking 'Why would I do such a thing!?' So imagine this scenario:
You have a 2011 Macbook Pro — the Macbook Pro 8,2 as it will come to be known to you — and it is dying. The battery barely holds a charge and it has fallen victim to a cruel fate1 which has rendered the display all but useless. Some have chosen to sue Apple because of this and, justified though they may be, you have opted for another path.
Metex ms 9150 manual transmission fluid. You're going to attempt the impossible, and bring it back from near certain death.
You've tried a few home remedies before with only temprorary success so now, now you're ready for the nuclear option.
You are going to blow OS X away, and replace it with something else.Not something better. Something different. Not something superior. Something sufficient. You're going to put linux on it and disable the faulty AMD graphics card with extreme prejudice.
Well, I am. You're just going to read about it and decide whether you're interested in doing something similar.
Step 1 - Download Ubuntu
The primary reason I chose Ubuntu is convenience. I'm familiar enough with Ubuntu Linux and it's software ecosystem to feel confident that if there is some software I need, it's likely available for Ubuntu with minimal effort. That is to say, the applications I'm interested in are likely already available via Ubuntu's Software Center/App Store, or provided by third parties in a format that is usable by the Software Center.2
Getting Ubuntu Linux is easy enough just go to the download page and pick a version. I settled on the 64-bit 14.04.1 LTS version so everything I say from here on out is done with this version in mind.
Step 2 - Install Ubuntu
Once Ubuntu is downloaded we're left with an iso file containing the installer. However, before we can begin installing, this iso needs to be burned to a disk or made installable by other methods.
Though I have a 2011 Macbook Pro with a functional SuperDrive I chose 'other methods'. More fun that way (and I didn't have any readily available disks). The 'other method' was to install via a USB flash drive. A step-by-step guide to the process can be found at Ubuntu's exceptionally helpful community forum.
The steps involved running a series of commands in the Terminal , which I'll reproduce here for my own benefit. If you have any issues though, I highly recommend the original thread.
First, convert the iso file to an img file.
Now use the diskutil program to find the device identifier of the USB drive we'll be using. What I do is run the command, plug in the USB drive, then run the program again to see what has changed. The new device that shows up is my drive.
** **PLUG IN FLASH DRIVE** **
Then we eject the drive from the desktop (but not physically from the computer) using the device identifier we just found.
Next we write the contents of the image file we created earlier directly to the raw device (which is why we use rdisk)
At this point I diverged from the Ubuntu forum guide. I had no need for refit — though I do recommend installing it — as I was only installing linux. I rebooted the computer and invoked Apple's Startup Manager to boot from the external USB drive.
- Restart Mac.
- Immediately press and hold the Option key.
- Use your mouse, trackpad or left/right arrows keys to select the USB drive. It'll be the one that's not like the other one.
- Hit
Enteron the keyboard. - Profit.
If the mac is currently having display issues the screen might not be clear, but once we switch from the light grey Mac Startup screen to a darker (black, or potentially blue if this is a bad day for you) screen you'll be in the GRUB bootloader.
Once in GRUB press the e key. We're now going to disable the AMD graphics card while we boot into the Ubuntu Live CD. Look for the line set gfxpayload=keep. Once you've found it, type the following lines underneath to disable the AMD graphics card:
Next find the kernel line and after 'quiet splash' , add the following
After checking to make sure that we're mistake-free press F10 (likely Fn + F10) on the Macbook. This should allow us to boot with the integrated Intel graphics card, and then install Ubuntu as per the installationdocumentation.3 Once the installation is done you can reboot into your new linux system.
Step 3 - Disable AMD graphics card permanently
But wait! There. Is. More. Not much more mind you, but enough to warrant another section. Or two.
Once you reboot you'll need to press e again, find set gfxpayload=keep and add the outb lines shown above again, along with the kernel parameters after 'quiet splash'.
This will load your new Ubuntu Linux system with Intel graphics. Now we just need to set things up so you don't need to do that ever again. Start a Terminal and run the following command to edit the necessary file:
This will ask you for your user account password to get admin privileges. Enter it and when the file opens search for the line
and change it to
Once this change is made, check for errors then save and exit.
Can You Download Ubuntu On A Mac Windows 10
Next we'll run another command in the Terminal
Free dav converter for mac windows 7. Again, enter your password if asked and when the file opens find the line
And place the following immediately before this line:
Check to make sure that everything is correct and save, then exit gedit once more.
Finally run
This will update the boot loader settings we just changed and make them stick. The next time we reboot we won't have to type out all those obnoxious commands to disable and enable things.
Step 4 - Use proper Wi-Fi Drivers
So after all that I would be remiss if I left you without the capability to use reliable Wi-Fi. I'm not sure why, but the proprietary driver for the Macbook Pro's Wireless adapter — that comes directly from the manufacturer — doesn't work very well. Wi-Fi connections using this driver are spotty and drop all the time. What's worse, I think the throughput is pretty slow. Slow and unreliable. What a travesty.
Here's what I believe I did to get a reliable wifi connection going.4
**PLUG IN ETHERNET CABLE**
Since I actually wanted these drivers, when asked to fetch and install the firmware, I said YES. Finally, I loaded the driver with:
Note that in this guide we are using OSX Snow Leopard and Ubuntu 12.10.
1. Download the Ubuntu CD
Download the ubuntu ISO from http://www.ubuntu.com
To keep it safe, choose the 32-bit version. The Mac that I use for this tutorial only have 3GB of RAM anyway so 32-bit will work just fine. After the download has been completed, burn the ISO a CD or DVD.
2. Partition the Mac HDD
- Open the Disk Utility in OSX
- Resize your mac partition to a desired size. In my case its 250GB.
- Create an MS-DOS partition for the rest of the free area.
- Apply and let it finish modifying the partition. Most of the time would work just fine.
- Reboot to make sure everything works properly
3. Download and install rEFIt
Macs doesn't use BIOS but EFI, installing rEFIt will allow your Mac to multiboot into different OS-es
- So download from: http://refit.sourceforge.net
- Proceed with the installation
- Reboot – And nothing happens… It's okay, that's cool just let it proceed to OSX
- Insert your Ubuntu CD!
- Reboot again. You'll see the rEFIt screen to choose your OS – this means it's all good
4. Install Ubuntu
This is the fun part.
- In your rEFIt screen choose boot from Ubuntu CD
- Choose Install ubuntu when asked if you want to try or install
- On the installation type screen, choose Something Else, we will partition this manually
- For our partition we can use the following configurations, based on 250GB HDD:
- 300MB for /boot using ext2
- 2GB for swap
- 1MB for biosgrub
- 100GB for / – this is for your applications, etc
- 100GB for /home – this is for your data
- Then proceed with the installations, sit back and relax…
or if you are like me trying this late at night, turn off the lights and go to bed.
5. Reboot to your Ubuntu Installation
You can now do whatever you need to do on Ubuntu. In my experience, using Ubuntu 12.10 on Macbook Pro Core 2 Duo works out of the box. Wireless and sound works flawlessly. The only thing that I needed to adjust was the trackpad, which can be done using Ubuntu's 'mouse and trackpad control panel' anyway.
All Done, Good Work!
[singlepic id=26 w=160 h=120 float=right]So, that was easy. I hope you can try this and have as much fun as I did. Again, don't forget to backup your data before doing this. Anyway, this is an old mac too, so there's no need to hold back.
Now you can install your development servers from source just like on any other Linux machines or turn this mac into a local server. The possibility is endless :D
References
Here are the couple of websites where I based my experiment on. I only took the relevant bit out of these as Ubuntu 12.10 is generally very compatible with the Mac.
http://lifehacker.com/5934942/how-to-dual-boot-linux-on-your-mac-and-take-back-your-powerhouse-apple-hardware
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MactelSupportTeam/AppleIntelInstallation#Single-Boot:_Ubuntu_Only
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2011/05/04/manual-disk-partitioning-guide-for-ubuntu-11-04/
http://tech-devnet.blogspot.de/2012/05/running-ubuntu-1204-on-mac.html
Categorised in: Fun computing, General Computing, Ubuntu Animation apps for youtube on mac.
Ubuntu Server 18.04 Download
Background
What I'll be showing you today is how to rescue your 2011 Macbook Pro by putting Linux on it. I understand you might be asking 'Why would I do such a thing!?' So imagine this scenario:
You have a 2011 Macbook Pro — the Macbook Pro 8,2 as it will come to be known to you — and it is dying. The battery barely holds a charge and it has fallen victim to a cruel fate1 which has rendered the display all but useless. Some have chosen to sue Apple because of this and, justified though they may be, you have opted for another path.
Metex ms 9150 manual transmission fluid. You're going to attempt the impossible, and bring it back from near certain death.
You've tried a few home remedies before with only temprorary success so now, now you're ready for the nuclear option.
You are going to blow OS X away, and replace it with something else.Not something better. Something different. Not something superior. Something sufficient. You're going to put linux on it and disable the faulty AMD graphics card with extreme prejudice.
Well, I am. You're just going to read about it and decide whether you're interested in doing something similar.
Step 1 - Download Ubuntu
The primary reason I chose Ubuntu is convenience. I'm familiar enough with Ubuntu Linux and it's software ecosystem to feel confident that if there is some software I need, it's likely available for Ubuntu with minimal effort. That is to say, the applications I'm interested in are likely already available via Ubuntu's Software Center/App Store, or provided by third parties in a format that is usable by the Software Center.2
Getting Ubuntu Linux is easy enough just go to the download page and pick a version. I settled on the 64-bit 14.04.1 LTS version so everything I say from here on out is done with this version in mind.
Step 2 - Install Ubuntu
Once Ubuntu is downloaded we're left with an iso file containing the installer. However, before we can begin installing, this iso needs to be burned to a disk or made installable by other methods.
Though I have a 2011 Macbook Pro with a functional SuperDrive I chose 'other methods'. More fun that way (and I didn't have any readily available disks). The 'other method' was to install via a USB flash drive. A step-by-step guide to the process can be found at Ubuntu's exceptionally helpful community forum.
The steps involved running a series of commands in the Terminal , which I'll reproduce here for my own benefit. If you have any issues though, I highly recommend the original thread.
First, convert the iso file to an img file.
Now use the diskutil program to find the device identifier of the USB drive we'll be using. What I do is run the command, plug in the USB drive, then run the program again to see what has changed. The new device that shows up is my drive.
** **PLUG IN FLASH DRIVE** **
Then we eject the drive from the desktop (but not physically from the computer) using the device identifier we just found.
Next we write the contents of the image file we created earlier directly to the raw device (which is why we use rdisk)
At this point I diverged from the Ubuntu forum guide. I had no need for refit — though I do recommend installing it — as I was only installing linux. I rebooted the computer and invoked Apple's Startup Manager to boot from the external USB drive.
- Restart Mac.
- Immediately press and hold the Option key.
- Use your mouse, trackpad or left/right arrows keys to select the USB drive. It'll be the one that's not like the other one.
- Hit
Enteron the keyboard. - Profit.
If the mac is currently having display issues the screen might not be clear, but once we switch from the light grey Mac Startup screen to a darker (black, or potentially blue if this is a bad day for you) screen you'll be in the GRUB bootloader.
Once in GRUB press the e key. We're now going to disable the AMD graphics card while we boot into the Ubuntu Live CD. Look for the line set gfxpayload=keep. Once you've found it, type the following lines underneath to disable the AMD graphics card:
Next find the kernel line and after 'quiet splash' , add the following
After checking to make sure that we're mistake-free press F10 (likely Fn + F10) on the Macbook. This should allow us to boot with the integrated Intel graphics card, and then install Ubuntu as per the installationdocumentation.3 Once the installation is done you can reboot into your new linux system.
Step 3 - Disable AMD graphics card permanently
But wait! There. Is. More. Not much more mind you, but enough to warrant another section. Or two.
Once you reboot you'll need to press e again, find set gfxpayload=keep and add the outb lines shown above again, along with the kernel parameters after 'quiet splash'.
This will load your new Ubuntu Linux system with Intel graphics. Now we just need to set things up so you don't need to do that ever again. Start a Terminal and run the following command to edit the necessary file:
This will ask you for your user account password to get admin privileges. Enter it and when the file opens search for the line
and change it to
Once this change is made, check for errors then save and exit.
Can You Download Ubuntu On A Mac Windows 10
Next we'll run another command in the Terminal
Free dav converter for mac windows 7. Again, enter your password if asked and when the file opens find the line
And place the following immediately before this line:
Check to make sure that everything is correct and save, then exit gedit once more.
Finally run
This will update the boot loader settings we just changed and make them stick. The next time we reboot we won't have to type out all those obnoxious commands to disable and enable things.
Step 4 - Use proper Wi-Fi Drivers
So after all that I would be remiss if I left you without the capability to use reliable Wi-Fi. I'm not sure why, but the proprietary driver for the Macbook Pro's Wireless adapter — that comes directly from the manufacturer — doesn't work very well. Wi-Fi connections using this driver are spotty and drop all the time. What's worse, I think the throughput is pretty slow. Slow and unreliable. What a travesty.
Here's what I believe I did to get a reliable wifi connection going.4
**PLUG IN ETHERNET CABLE**
Since I actually wanted these drivers, when asked to fetch and install the firmware, I said YES. Finally, I loaded the driver with:
Can You Download Ubuntu On A Mac Download
At this point you should be able to go to the menubar up top, click on the networking notification icon (One arrow up, One down, if ethernet cable is plugged in) and click 'Enable Wi-Fi' If this doesn't work for you, I would reboot the computer and try again.
Step 5 - Profit!
Enjoy your functioning computer. That's it. Enjoy! I got nothin' else for yah. Well, not today at least. God willing, at this point we have a functional Ubuntu Linux 14.04 LTS system installed on a 2011 Macbook Pro. Easy, right?
Have questions? Comments? @reply to @opinion8d_logic on twitter with the hashtag #freedom.
It seems 2011 Macbook Pros are prone to graphical glitches and ultimately, outright failures in booting. These failures have been linked to their discrete ATI graphics cards. ↩
Just FYI: Ubuntu's Software Center is a wrapper around something known as a repository in linux. Packages for a large variety of software are stored in these repositories. What's more, others create software repositories to work with both new and older versions of Ubuntu. e.g. The Steam gaming client, Google's Chrome browser, Netflix and Spotify streaming services, etc. ↩
Now the installer allows you to do many things. One of those things is encrypting the entire drive. I would hold off on that until you are more familiar with linux. ↩
Instructions adapted from the Ubuntu Community and Ask Ubuntu sites. ↩
