Hey everyone! I have a 2017 MacBook Air that sits unused, and I'm thinking about installing Linux on it to breathe new life into it. I'm leaning towards either Ubuntu or Mint as my preferred distribution. Before I take the plunge, I'd love to hear any tips or things I should be cautious about. What should I consider besides just the distro choice?
4 Answers
I installed Ubuntu on a 2015 MacBook Air and faced only minor driver issues with the webcam and Wi-Fi. Tethering my phone helped me download the drivers I needed for Wi-Fi. I didn’t even bother with the webcam since I won’t be using it anymore!
I've had Debian running on my 2014 iMac without issues until recently, but after a major update, I hit some snags. Now I’m using Mint, and it’s running smoothly. So far, I’ve had no significant troubles! Just keep backups of your important data if you're wiping the disk.
My top tip is to back up everything before you proceed! Even if you plan for a non-destructive install, mistakes can happen, and it’s better to be safe. Make sure to have copies of anything you care about just in case.
Just a heads up, 2017 Macs might have a few driver hiccups. On my 2016 MacBook Pro, we struggled with the speakers and Wi-Fi not working right at first, and the touch bar was a no-go. However, the GPU was great! For Linux, I'd recommend Mint or Debian, and consider grabbing a USB-C to Ethernet adapter—Wi-Fi can be tricky at first. It’s also smart to have a USB keyboard handy, as the built-in keyboard might need drivers too during boot-up.
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