Hey everyone! I've got a 2010 MacBook Pro that's been gathering dust for the past four years, but it still boots up and works. My sister, who doesn't have a computer right now, is really interested in getting one. While neither of us can spend much, I've discovered I can upgrade the RAM and switch the HDD to an SSD for under $50. I'm considering doing this and then installing Linux to gift it to her. Right now, I'm leaning towards either the Cinnamon or MATE version of Linux Mint, but I'd love your input. I'm willing to do some research and get my hands dirty, but I'm not the most tech-savvy person, so I'm looking for something that's easy to install. The laptop will mostly be used for light tasks like web browsing, email, a bit of programming, and some casual gaming. Any suggestions would be super appreciated! Thanks in advance!
3 Answers
I run MX Linux on a newer MacBook Pro, and it works great! Mint is solid too, but if you want something different, MX could be a good choice. It should work for light tasks just fine!
Since your 2010 model has an Nvidia GPU, just a heads-up: the nouveau driver may not perform very well. If you're mostly browsing the web and checking emails, you’ll be fine, but YouTube can be a hassle. Mint Cinnamon is a decent choice; just make sure you connect to Ethernet first to install the Wi-Fi drivers later. As for gaming, stick to older games that don’t need advanced graphics support.
You might want to consider Linux Mint with either the Cinnamon or XFCE desktop environments. They’re both user-friendly and should run well on your MacBook. Another option is Zorin OS Core, which is also pretty popular for older machines.
Thanks for the heads-up! My sister loves games like Team Fortress 2. Do you think the upgraded RAM and SSD would handle that, or is it a stretch?