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Is it possible to install ubuntu or another linux distro on a 2014 macbook pro? (linux.community)
submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by vestmoria@linux.community to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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A friend wants to gift me an old macbook pro he no longer uses. Specs follow:

MacBook Pro, Core i5, 2.8 GHz (I5-4308U), model A1502 (EMC 2875), Retina Mid-2014 13", MacBookPro11,1, RAM 8 GB, VRAM 1.5 GB, Storage 512 GB SSD

Out of principle I don't use anything made by that brand and the only way I see myself using the hardware is if I can nuke the software and install any linux distro, ubuntu is the distro I know best.

Can it be done?

Any drawbacks?

It's a model with a screwed aluminum case, meaning I cannot unplug the battery when I don't need it. How long does it last?

Alternatively, what could I use this notebook for? Is there anything apple does better than linux that deserves I don't nuke it?

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[-] HexagonSun@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Others here with old Macs seem to have had a much smoother run than me!

You can absolutely run Linux like a champ on that machine, but for reasons I'm not advanced enough to know/understand I've struggled with even booting the live USB for multiple distros on my Mid-2012 15" Retina. Maybe it's the version of the hybrid Intel/Nvidia graphics on the model, I can't really say.

I'm currently writing this from Linux Mint on said Mac, and all is well; but I've experienced the following:

  • OpenSuse installer couldn't even be seen at startup manager
  • MX Linux would freeze during boot to the installer
  • Elementary OS wouldn't boot following install
  • Pop! OS installed the wrong Nvidia driver for the computer, and with the open source drivers stopped booting after running a few updates
  • Nitrux would freeze during boot to the installer
  • Ubuntu stopped booting a few days in after an update
  • Debian might have worked but wouldn't detect my trackpad, wifi or USB ethernet adaptor so I couldn't properly get it installed
  • Manjaro worked for a while but eventually failed after an update
  • ArcoLinux wouldn't wake from sleep running the live USB

I totally recommend Linux Mint overall. I've decided I like Cinnamon best, "it just works" far more than anything else I've tried. I consider it the closest to macOS in terms of being thought about from every angle and set up and ready to go as a beginner or as a more advanced user.

this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2024
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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