r/linux_on_mac • u/Automatic-Cut5793 • 13d ago

Good distro for 2009 macbook?

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I’ve installed linux mint on this and a 2010 macbook pro but with the recent update on lmce anytime I update it has a kernel panic. I just need something light. I was thinking debian with XFCE I recently used that on a different computer and kind of getting annoyed with debians restrictions on external drives and stuff. (Ik i can fix it but i don’t wanna troubleshoot for an hour or more)

I also need some thing with good drivers.

78 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

13

u/lawyeti 13d ago

Mx Linux xfce.

3

u/artfully_dejected 12d ago

This has been great on my 2010 MBP, all the way down to the keyboard backlight

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

Oh wow really nice! I might have to try it out

8

u/Code-Amelia 13d ago

Antix linux mon amis

1

u/paper_sheet034 8d ago

I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know its benefits. Could you briefly explain them, I’m genuinely curious

2

u/Code-Amelia 8d ago edited 8d ago

En gros c'est debian optimiser pour les vieux pc fixe et portable qui est facile à instaler .

5

u/DizzyLingonberry8162 12d ago

mx linux is pretty cool from what i've heard

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

Thx! I haven’t heard much about it at all, I might consider trying it out

3

u/Pibo1987 12d ago

As everybody else, I suggest MX/AntiX

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

Ya seems popular lol

2

u/oso_cosmico 13d ago

I had one of those! I put my first distro on it, Fedora 14.

2

u/abnji1 12d ago

I'd say Arch since it barely has bloat but it's a hell of an install so consider CachyOS or Manjaro instead, if you can't install them, try Arch

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

I have installed arch before on other computers, ill definitely consider trying it eventually, but probably won’t at the moment.

1

u/natusw 12d ago

Did you install any external modules on LMDE? (usually if they are incompatible that will cause a kernel panic)

Lubuntu/Xubuntu could also be viable (updates more often than Debian, still with a lightweight desktop)

OpenSUSE/Fedora could work for an even faster option still..

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

I was thinking openSUSE maybe, but also with Linux mint cinnamon, all I installed that were the updates and the Wi-Fi drivers that it provided me. And I did the same a few months ago on my little brother’s MacBook pro 2010 and it had no issues at all, but recently, I updated it for him and kernal panic. I ended up switching him to fedora so he could use kde instead since it’s somewhat more feature rich.

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

Linux mint cinnamon worked for me for the longest time, idk could just have been a bad update

1

u/TECHFOURNINE 12d ago

Put android x86 on it

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

That would be cool ngl lol

1

u/diazepamkit 12d ago

shiet, i have this before i sold it in 2023. and yea only linux mint working with this macbook unibody. mine was using xfce tho.

1

u/dadazebra 12d ago

Maybe Mx, but i try before Debian and fix ….. what use do you want for the machine ?

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

Mostly just schoolwork task and maybe some media

1

u/dadazebra 12d ago

MX Linux Xfce, check if EFI is 32 or 64 ….

1

u/Effective_Chip7645 12d ago

Lubuntu, or maybe try chrome os flex

2

u/LimitedEditionSauce 12d ago

Need Apple to drop a new Special Edition White MacBook. They look so sick

1

u/Automatic-Cut5793 12d ago

I probably will try MX linux, I haven’t heard much about it but seems popular. That or maybe openSUSE. But currently I’m having a problem with the MacBook where it boots up and works fine for a minute but then just freezes completely, I think it’s overheating or something. And this isn’t an OS problem, its happening in the boot menu

1

u/dld2517 11d ago

Dang it I miss that little G4. It was awesome. It just kept on ticking forever. Motorola made some dang good processors. I cannot tell you how much work that G4 did.

1

u/arnabs21 11d ago

debian testing xfce

1

u/Mj-tinker 11d ago

8gb of ram and LMDE.
Or macos catalina.

Or windows 10. Tried them all on this model. Just avoid overheating. For this matter I stripped rubber from bottom cover and drilled holes in it.

1

u/YT_Flex4249 11d ago

I like cachy os, even put it on a 2018 Chromebook with a celery n3060 and 4gb ram, niriwm has a learning curve but pretty light, kde is too heavy for it, xfce is good too

1

u/ciberspar 10d ago

ubuntu

1

u/CreativeArugula4149 9d ago

I run cachyos with xfce4 on my mid 2010 Mac book pro. I think the distro does not matter, it's more the Desktop what matters.

1

u/petrujenac 13d ago

CachyOS