MP 6,1 and other Intel-based: worth running them on Linux/Windows?

[apostolosdt]

Prompted by other threads here, I am considering running my MP 6,1 and Mini 2014 exclusively on Linux or Windows 10/11. (I also have an MP 5,1, 12-core, etc, but at present, I have put it on sale.) When I compare them to my Studio M1 Max and Mini M1, I am shocked--the contrast in their performance is stunning! At present, I run Linus/Windows via Parallels; no complaints, except the limits in resources' use.

Now, I hesitate a bit, for I am not that good at the required technicalities. I guess a complete non-macOS installation is the best solution; is the next best via BootCamp? I am completely open to suggestions, but I will do my reading, of course.

 

[throAU]

Now, I hesitate a bit, for I am not that good at the required technicalities. I guess a complete non-macOS installation is the best solution; is the next best via BootCamp? I am completely open to suggestions, but I will do my reading, of course.

What are you going to use the machine for? Giving up macOS gives up basically everything that makes that machine what it is, save for the shiny cylinder styling.

If all you care about for this machine is keeping the hardware alive and like the cylinder - that's fine. Just know what you'll lose.

Be aware that much like macOS, Windows will drop support for the Mac Pro 6,1 hardware real soon. For non-enterprise installs Windows 10 is end of life at end of June (from memory), for enterprise I think it's 2025. So that means if you want an OS with security updates and continued software support - beyond 2-12 months, Linux is your only viable option.

the Ivy Bridge era CPU in the machine is "not supported" by Windows 11. You can maybe force it to install but microsoft have indicated that they are not going to care about patches breaking it in the future.

I'm just going to continue running macOS on mine for the time being.

 

[apostolosdt]

throAU, good points, and good info, thanks! I wasn't aware of all that. So, it looks like there is not much to gain by abandoning macOS. OK, noted! What about via BootCamp, though?

 

[throAU]

throAU, good points, and good info, thanks! I wasn't aware of all that. So, it looks like there is not much to gain by abandoning macOS. OK, noted! What about via BootCamp, though?

Bootcamp fine with the same caveats - Windows 10 will work, but go unsupported soon. Windows 11 probably won't work (and if it does, may break at any point) due to Microsoft dropping support for any CPU released prior to something 2016-2017 on the intel side.


To clarify what I mean by unsupported:

• Microsoft will not release security updates or bug fixes for win10 when it goes end of life
• In windows 11 terms it means microsoft will stop caring or checking whether new patches will run on older platforms like the Ivy Bridge Xeon in the Pro 6,1
  • If you install windows 11 and it works today, any security or other update may break it at any time from here on out. it's not guaranteed to continue working.

Boot camp won't change those things.

 

[apostolosdt]

Chilling but real info, I guess. Anyway, thanks a lot, most probably I'll keep things as are now!

 

[Alameda]

Chilling but real info, I guess. Anyway, thanks a lot, most probably I'll keep things as are now!

It depends on your needs and what you’d like to do with the machines.

Using Bootcamp, you boot an OS which gets ALL of the system’s resources. If you use a virtual machine, you can switch between Mac and Windows or Mac and Linux, but it will split your system’s resources, so each of the two OS’ gets half the memory.

Maybe if you just want a Linux box to run as a firewall, file server, Apache, or mail server, then sure, run Bootcamp and make it pure Linux. You can run most of those functions directly on MacOS, but there are many reasons why you’d want to run a native Linux tool. It goes back to your needs.

 

[josehill]

End-of-support for Windows 10, including Home and Pro versions, is October 14, 2025.

 

[throAU]

Chilling but real info, I guess. Anyway, thanks a lot, most probably I'll keep things as are now!

It is what it is; all hardware eventually goes end of life.

I literally just bough my 6,1 because I've always liked the styling - and running macOS it is still nice to be totally free of RAM worries (64GB) for what I do with it.

I think I'll just keep it on Monterey and use it for basic internet (until browsers drop support for it), GarageBand/Logic/Ableton and messing around with VMs in Fusion or UTM until 7,1 come down in price a bit where I am. I'll see how Ventura runs on it at some point which will maybe give it a couple of years more (security updates) on macOS via OpenCore(?).

Irrespective of how well it runs in the future, I think it's going to be a classic art piece much like the G4 cube was. They're a very pretty machine in the metal. I just bought an m.2 adapter for it and will stick a couple of TB SSD in it shortly.

 

[throAU]

End-of-support for Windows 10, including Home and Pro versions, is October 14, 2025.

Ah, I must have had my wires crossed somewhere, I've been constantly in the "need to get off it" mindset for a while now because it's going to take like ... a year to migrate my fleet of 1900 machines so I've been trying to make a good solid effort NOW and have some time in hand...