Hey everyone! I'm having a tough time trying to install Linux Mint Cinnamon on my dad's ancient Mac desktop that runs OS X El Capitan. I can boot from a USB drive, but every time I click to install, I run into issues like "Can't install grub" or "the installer failed." I even got some error code (something like 10). The Mac OS isn't installed anymore, so partitioning isn't working, and just erasing the disk to use only Linux hasn't worked either. I heard someone mention trying to install without WiFi, but that didn't help. Any suggestions on what I can do?
5 Answers
Have you tried looking at the migration page or other resources in the Linux community? There are a bunch of tips and guides that might help you troubleshoot installation problems. Just a heads-up: avoid third-party repos and make sure to verify the checksums of your ISOs after downloading!
Double check that your USB drive is properly set up for Linux Mint. Sometimes a bad configuration can lead to those installer errors. A fresh reformat of the USB or trying a different USB port might do the trick!
You should search for your specific Mac model on forums like Linux on Mac. There's a good chance someone else has faced similar issues, and you can learn from their experiences!
Have you considered connecting the Mac to a wired network during installation? Sometimes WiFi can cause hiccups. Make sure that the USB is fully functional, too. It can be a real pain if the boot disk has issues!
Are you sure you're using the correct architecture for your installation? Sometimes those old Macs have 64-bit CPUs but can be a bit tricky with their 32-bit EFI bootloader. It could be a model from around 2008 or 2009, so keep that in mind!
What do you mean by architecture? I’m really new to all this!
Thank you! I'll check that out!