Best OS Options and Graphics Drivers for an Old iMac
Asked by
CuriousTechie99
I have a 27" iMac from early 2009, equipped with a 512 MB Radeon HD 4850 graphics card. I recently installed Linux Mint Cinnamon 22 but faced a black screen on boot. I found that using 'nomodeset' allows it to function, but the system tends to run hot. I've read that support for the graphics card was dropped after version 19. Are there alternative operating systems or better graphics drivers that might work for this setup? Also, I've come across mentions of rEFInd; is that necessary?
Answers
You should definitely consider trying MXLinux; it’s known to be friendly with older hardware. Also, the default bootloader should do the trick since you're not dual booting it. Good luck with your setup!
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I found a useful post that discusses using 'nomodeset' to solve black screen issues on Linux Mint. It’s worth checking out and might give you some additional insights!
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Have you looked into Fedora? It might be a suitable option for your graphics card. There should still be drivers available for the r700 series cards like yours.
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Linux Mint should theoretically support your card, but issues can occur because of the older hardware. Check out the X.org wiki for Radeon features, and maybe try capturing logs without using 'nomodeset' to better diagnose the problem.
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CuriousTechie99: Thanks for the tip on MXLinux! I haven’t tried it yet. I like that it’s aimed at older hardware, but I’m mainly concerned about the unique Radeon graphics card. We'll see if it resolves the issues!