Can I install Ubuntu on a late-2006 iMac?

[King Mustard]

• Intel Core 2 Duo T5600 (1.83 GHz, 64-bit)
• 17" display (1440×900)
• 2 GB RAM (DDR2 PC5300 SODIMM 667 MHz)
• 160 GB hard disk drive (SATA, 7,200 RPM)
• Intel GMA 950 (64 MB shared memory)
• 24× combo drive (DVD-ROM, CD-RW)
• Internal AirPort Extreme (802.11a/b/g)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Apple Remote infrared receiver
• iSight Camera (640×480, 0.3 MP)
• Mini-DVI video out
• 3× USB 2.0 ports
• 2× Firewire 400
• Mac OS X 10.6.8 "Snow Leopard"

I have downloaded ubuntu-18.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso.

What's next?

Is it possible to boot from a USB flash drive, rather than a DVD?

 

[BrianBaughn]

Not sure what the best version of Ubuntu would be for that model Mac.

Is this your only Mac or do you have a newer one? Etcher is great for creating bootable USB drives from ISO files but I don't think it works in Lion. You might be able to create one using a compatible version of Unetbootin.

Once you do get a version up and running you'll have the issues of getting the Mac's hardware (wifi etc) working. You'll need to be connected to the internet via Ethernet, initially.

A quick Google search of "ubuntu imac 5,2" brings up a lot of info such as this.

 

[redheeler]

Is it possible to boot from a USB flash drive, rather than a DVD?

Not from my experience, as Linux boots using emulated BIOS (same as bootcamped Windows), and USB boot was never supported for Bootcamp on the Late 2006 iMac. I had to burn a DVD to install Linux Mint on my Late 2006 iMac 6,1, and it shows up in the boot picker with the label Windows.

I second using Etcher as mentioned above. The Mac Finder or Disk Utility may not work to produce a bootable DVD, as it doesn't understand the Linux-formatted ISO.

 

[bplein]

This may not correspond well to your exact hardware, but I recently used Etcher to create a bootable Ubuntu 18.04 and 16.04 USB installation media, and was able to install Ubuntu (either flavor) onto a SATA SSD installed in a 2009 Mac Pro (that was updated to 2010 firmware so it reports MacPro5,1).

The install is an EFI install. Works great.

 

[Guy Clark]

Guide to installing Ubuntu 14.04 LTS on an iMac
https://jonworth.eu/the-simple-guide-to-installing-ubuntu-14-04-lts-on-a-mac/

Although this guide refers to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS I should imagine similar applies to more recent releases. You may want to consider Lubuntu which has the lighter weight LXDE desktop environment
https://lubuntu.net

 

[Project Alice]

The latest version will run on there, I can't say from experience how fast it will be. I would run Lubuntu on that, or whatever the MATE variant is called. Gnome3 is pretty bloated although its better in ubuntu.

If you're going to use linux, don't bother with 14.04, just use the latest version. Its not that heavy of an OS.

As for USB boot linux CAN and actually prefers using EFI, but the earlier apple EFI implementation, such as yours on an 06 iMac was not very compatible. it might work, it might not. Try it. It could also help to setup rEFInd. If all else fails burn it to a CD and use CSM. As a comment above says, CSM won't boot off USB.

The easiest method, just burn the ISO you downloaded to a disc, and boot from it. At that point this is no different than using a "regular pc".

 

[danielwsmithee]

I'd second the recommendation to use Lubuntu instead of Ubuntu. I have similarly speced old PC laptop that was sluggish with Ubuntu but ran smooth with Lubuntu. It is not a graphically advanced, but runs well.

 

[MichaelDT]

Not from my experience, as Linux boots using emulated BIOS (same as bootcamped Windows), and USB boot was never supported for Bootcamp on the Late 2006 iMac. I had to burn a DVD to install Linux Mint on my Late 2006 iMac 6,1, and it shows up in the boot picker with the label Windows.

I second using Etcher as mentioned above. The Mac Finder or Disk Utility may not work to produce a bootable DVD, as it doesn't understand the Linux-formatted ISO.

Linux has had EFI support for a long time now, you just have to make the install drive in EFI mode on a GUID partition table it’s just usually not the default. You can even do this with windows, I run WindowsToGo pure EFI on an encrypted external SSD.

 

[wflaw]

Linux has had EFI support for a long time now, you just have to make the install drive in EFI mode on a GUID partition table it’s just usually not the default. You can even do this with windows, I run WindowsToGo pure EFI on an encrypted external SSD.

I know I'm late to the party, but just in case.....
I have nearly the same mac, and I have OS Lion and in a second partition am running lubuntu 18.04. I downloaded lubuntu and burned it to a disc. You will also need to download and install rEFIt. This will help, it is like hitting "alt" every time you startup. It's done automatically gives you the choice of osx or lubuntu each time. Both ran well on mine.
A couple of recommendations, mine didn't care for the 7200 rpm HDD, so I installed the cheapest SSD (amazon: inland professional, $29) and it's working well. I also would add 2 more gig of ram. I put in total of 4, it will only read 3 but it does help and I wanted 2 matching sticks.
Good luck