Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Linux on Mac?
- Thread starter ktalebian
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Linux is an operating system, so there's nothing to be compatible with.
Just find a distro that can run on the x86 platform (or PPC is you're using a PPC mac).
While I've never done it on my mac, I got close to doing it, and this is what i came up with:
1. Partition your drive in Leopard
2. Use a boot loader such as rEFIt
3. Ubuntu seems to have a good mac community.. OpenSuse is a nice distro, DSL might be good if you're trying to get it to boot off a thumbdrive..
This may help
Just find a distro that can run on the x86 platform (or PPC is you're using a PPC mac).
While I've never done it on my mac, I got close to doing it, and this is what i came up with:
1. Partition your drive in Leopard
2. Use a boot loader such as rEFIt
3. Ubuntu seems to have a good mac community.. OpenSuse is a nice distro, DSL might be good if you're trying to get it to boot off a thumbdrive..
This may help
I find it very funny that anyone even wants to run Linux on a Mac. The reason i bought my Mac was just that, to run OS X.
OS X is in every aspect better OS than Linux. Linux is...how can i put it..."a mess". I have used various Linux distros since '98. I like how OS X combines best of both worlds, the quality software, suberb interface and the power of unix.
OS X is in every aspect better OS than Linux. Linux is...how can i put it..."a mess". I have used various Linux distros since '98. I like how OS X combines best of both worlds, the quality software, suberb interface and the power of unix.
I wouldn't call Linux a mess. I run Ubuntu on my Dell laptop at work and it's great. I've used various distros over the years, and on the desktop Ubuntu is the slickest out there right now in terms of user interface and ease of use. But I have a Mac at home because of OS X, iMovie, and iDVD. You can't top it.
I find it very funny that anyone even wants to run Linux on a Mac. The reason i bought my Mac was just that, to run OS X.
OS X is in every aspect better OS than Linux. Linux is...how can i put it..."a mess". I have used various Linux distros since '98. I like how OS X combines best of both worlds, the quality software, suberb interface and the power of unix.
there is a reason apple brags about mac can run windows. that does not constitute a comparison about which OS is better.
You also can use VM Ware to run a virtual machine with other OS on MacOSX.
________
marijuana vaporizers
________
marijuana vaporizers
Last edited:
Yes, there are a number of distros compatible with Mac hardware (whether PPC or Intel).
I don't really know why you'd need to, however, as the vast majority of Linux software - including dev tools - will run natively under X11 (or, of course, the command line) in OS X, rather reducing the valid reasons for installing Linux.
Check out Fink or Macports
I don't really know why you'd need to, however, as the vast majority of Linux software - including dev tools - will run natively under X11 (or, of course, the command line) in OS X, rather reducing the valid reasons for installing Linux.
Check out Fink or Macports
It depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
I run Ubuntu inside VMWare Fusion and that works very well.
I've never tried running it bare metal on a Mac. But personally I don't see the point. With Macs we pay a premium to have hardware/software nicely integrated and OS X and no driver fuss. So at home I run Ubuntu on cheaper PC hardware instead. Makes more sense to me.
And as other have suggested, macports is a great way to get a lot of open source packages compiled for OS X.
I run Ubuntu inside VMWare Fusion and that works very well.
I've never tried running it bare metal on a Mac. But personally I don't see the point. With Macs we pay a premium to have hardware/software nicely integrated and OS X and no driver fuss. So at home I run Ubuntu on cheaper PC hardware instead. Makes more sense to me.
And as other have suggested, macports is a great way to get a lot of open source packages compiled for OS X.
Unlike Windows, running Linux or any other UNIX flavor atop or besides Mac OS X isn't really necessary unless you're doing cross platform unix software development and want to test your builds on the different OS's. Mac OS X is a compliant UNIX platform, so nearly all the UNIX utilities and libraries that we've come to know and love are available for it, either pre-installed as part of Mac OS X, or just a compile away via Fink/MacPorts.
That being said, if you do want to run Linux on your Mac, the best way is through VMWare. I myself have Fedora, FreeBSD, and Solaris 10 virtual machines.
That being said, if you do want to run Linux on your Mac, the best way is through VMWare. I myself have Fedora, FreeBSD, and Solaris 10 virtual machines.
How on earth did u install VMware tools onto the ubuntu virtual machine? I can't figure it out...
?I though he meant to install Ubuntu inside VMware on a Mac?
Is there a VMware for linux? I only used virtualbox which is pretty good.
I'm also thinking about switching to linux on my macbook.
I'm tired of every software having a price tag.
I'm tired of every software having a price tag.
You have to read the "read me" file because you have to run a file that runs the commands for you. It took me a bit of time to finally install them. I haven't really used it since.
So stick to open-source software on the Mac. There's a lot that runs under the Aqua GUI and even more that runs under Xwindows. Like I said earlier, take a look at Fink. It's essentially a port of the Debian package manager to OS X and gives you access to a massive range of Linux software - including Window managers.
At macworld, they had the ubuntu VM image in the VM Ware DVD demo disc so if you have that some where in your bag, pull it out and you have ubuntu right there.
So stick to open-source software on the Mac. There's a lot that runs under the Aqua GUI and even more that runs under Xwindows. Like I said earlier, take a look at Fink. It's essentially a port of the Debian package manager to OS X and gives you access to a massive range of Linux software - including Window managers.
there are some difference between darwin port/fink and real linux environment.
Its very easy for average users to enjoy latest linux apps, while its very hard for them to compile the app from source in darwinport or fink, which mostly only offer limited, very out of date pre-compiled packages.
Just about every Linux distro has both a PPC and x86 version so yes you can run it on your Mac. However I'd seriously consider buying VM ware and running it virtually or picking up a cheap P4 box on eBay and running it on that. It will just be easier. I've found Ubuntu and openSuse to be the most user friendly and straight forward. Here's an interesting article comparing Ubuntu with Leopard.
http://www.linux-mag.com/id/4641
http://www.linux-mag.com/id/4641
Nothing special. Just select "install VMWare tools", then unzip/tar the tools and run 'vmware-install.pl' as root.
Except "average" users generally don't run Linux -- they're running the OS that came with their equipment. If you're competent enough to install and maintain Linux on your own hardware, you can probably handle compiling open-source apps to run in X11 et al. And any *nix types who can't handle compiling their own apps from source probably should stick to OSX if they already own a Mac. If they're interested in saving money, they need to understand that open-source does have a cost (time and a higher learning curve for installation). And if they're experimenting with Linux, they should go whole-hog and learn to compile their apps.
Heck, back in the day hobbyists not only wrote their own software, they built their own hardware -- and I don't mean plugging a CPU into a motherboard and tightening a few screws! Just as I prefer indoor plumbing to the outhouse on my grandmother's farm, I prefer my MBP to the old Altair I played with in high school.
Why? do you still use the outhouse when you go back to the farm?
Ubuntu and openSuse both have solid package managers built in and are a snap to manage. Yes they are different, and you have to do your homework to find out what hardware is fully supported and what hardware will have you pulling your hair, but there's no reason a vanilla Linux set up should even require opening a terminal let alone compiling from source. Just because you used to do it doesn't mean everyone still should.
Reasons I run ubuntu and solaris on my Macs (in VMs):
1.) Non open-source applications that are only available on linux.
2.) Too lazy to compile some other packages that I just need quickly for some particular purpose.
2b.) Macports and fink lag too much in some areas.
3.) To test things I develop on linux.
1.) Non open-source applications that are only available on linux.
2.) Too lazy to compile some other packages that I just need quickly for some particular purpose.
2b.) Macports and fink lag too much in some areas.
3.) To test things I develop on linux.