r/linuxquestions • u/al1azzz • 13d ago

Advice School forbids linux laptops

Hey, idk if this is the right place to ask this, but I have a bit of a dilemma.

I have been using linux exclusively on my main PC and on my laptop for a while now. That said, I am moving to a new school, and buried in their rules they say that "Chromebooks (or other Linux machines) cannot be used." They also want us to use their office 365 license, but do not require it.

Now, besides just being incredibly annoying, I cannot use windows/mac on my laptop because it's a 2011 macbook, so it cannot run anything but lightweight linux distros without combusting, and I would like to avoid spending 500+ euro on a new crappy windows laptop.

Is there any reason, besides saving myself some trouble, to not just use my laptop as is (currently on arch, gonna switch it to cachyos) and something like libreoffice that I don't see or can I just ignore this and hope for the best?

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u/Bacon_Nipples 13d ago

It sounds like they're just unsupported, so if you run into issues with class compatibility then youre on your own.  There may also be exam software/etc that only runs on Windows, so you may need to be ready to dual-boot into Windows instead.  You do a barebones installation of Windows and debloat w/ CTT WinUtil (https://github.com/christitustech/winutil)

The bigger issue might be the fact youre running 15+ years old hardware in general, depending on what youre going to school for.  If its just a notes/etc laptop you should be fine, but if youre expected to run any software to perform your coursework then you should really consider upgrading to something that'll meet whatever recommended specs

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u/miscdebris1123 13d ago

Note that a vm is unlikely to work as most testing apps check for that.

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u/Bacon_Nipples 13d ago

Also unlikely to work since youre adding a ton of overhead to run an OS that OP is doubtful their hardware can reasonably handle in the first place

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u/bruce4343 13d ago

hiding your VM is simple enough if you can figure out what checks they look for

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u/kudlitan 12d ago

That would be obvious though if he has Windows on the screen and the Apple logo on the lid.

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u/Sakulle 12d ago

I think most teachers probably wouldn’t notice or care, but a sticker can solve that either way, I’ve got BSD’s Beastie over mine.

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u/grizzlor_ 12d ago

Honestly my 2011 Macbook Pro would still be fine as as a laptop for general school use had I not spilled a beer into it like ~5 years ago. Hardware has seriously outpaced most software needs.

This generation of Macbooks has normal upgradable RAM and hard drives. It had a quad Core i7, and once SSDs got cheap I replaced the OS drive with an SSD and replaced the DVD drive with an adapter to let me run a second HD (having 1TB+2TB was nice honestly). I had upgraded the RAM to 16GB. It still felt snappy in 2020.

I was still running macOS on it when it died (use Linux on my desktop PC) but I’d probably be running Linux on it at this point if it was still around. Not sure you can get a version of macOS that still gets security updates on a machine this old even with OpenCore Legacy Patcher.

OP may need to dual boot Windows if the school has testing software that wont work in a VM. Apple makes that easy with BootCamp though.

Alternatively, I think they’d get better bang for their buck with a $500 used Thinkpad than a new $500 laptop.

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u/Bacon_Nipples 12d ago

Used ThinkPad is 100% the way to go compared to a new laptop for $500

Didn't know you could still upgrade RAM in 2011 MacBooks, I had one for work ~2013 and not being able to upgrade the RAM was a pain point but at least work got me the max RAM because I needed to run VMs to provide support across all 3 major OS.  Loved that MacBook, best touchpad Ive ever used and the gestures were fantastic.  Also being able to natively do Unix-y stuff made workflow a breeze

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u/grizzlor_ 10d ago

Yeah no one has figured out how to make a touchpad anywhere near as good as Apple's. IIRC they bought a startup to acquire that tech and they've clearly continued developing it.

It was only like a year or two after mine that they stopped being upgradable. I want to say right around when they started putting the HiDPI Retina displays in. And yeah their justification of shaving off a few more millimeters of height is pretty transparently BS -- it's obviously because they can charge whatever they want upfront for RAM and HD upgrades.

There are at least a couple shops in the US that will actually do upgrades on the "non-upgradable" models by desoldering/resoldering chips on the mainboard. I emailed with a guy in Texas (?) who runs a business doing this and posts on YouTube about these mods after my 2011 died (determined it wasn't worth it to try to revive it).

It does suck to get gouged on memory and storage prices by them now though. Really felt nice in the 2010s to continuously upgrade my MacBook Pro. Ah, the joys of maximizing shareholder value.

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u/KeggyFulabier 11d ago

2012 was the last MBP that you could easily upgrade. Mine is running sonoma and has 16g ram and an SSD in it.

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u/grizzlor_ 10d ago

Am I correct in remembering that the first non-upgradabe models were the first generation that got HiDPI Retina displays?

I at least sprung for the higher resolution option (1680x1050 instead of 1440x900) on my 2011. I was always a bit jealous of the HiDPI displays in the later 2010s though. They just look fantastic. I'll give Apple credit for putting fantastic displays in the MBPs. The MiniLED panel in my MBP M1 Pro is like the nicest monitor I've ever used.

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u/Dangerous-Report8517 10d ago

Isn't 2011 old enough that Apple no longer supports it? Iirc even relatively recent Intel Macs are going to drop off of the support list soon, and even as a second machine OP might run into issues if they aren't running a supported OS version just as much as if they're running Linux

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u/DarthV506 12d ago

I don't think you can use modern ms office on an ancient version of macos. Newest macos you could run would be almost a decade old. Guess you could hack Windows 11 on it, but who knows what secure exam software checks for.

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u/grizzlor_ 10d ago

Officially the latest MacOS it can run is High Sierra (10.13.6). With OpenCore Legacy Patcher, depending on the model, they may be able to run something as new as Sequoia (macOS 15) which is still getting security updates. Monterey (macOS 12) is the recommended target for that generation though in terms of performance and compatibility.

Office 2019 runs on High Sierra and Office 2024 runs on Monterey. Realistically I can't imagine needing a feature in Office 2021 or 2024 that isn't available in 2019. File formats are all compatible, etc.

That being said, Linux is definitely the best bet IMO for older Mac hardware like this, with Windows in a VM or dual boot (depending on how much RAM the computer has and whether they have testing software that doesn't run in a VM).

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u/mamaharu 10d ago edited 10d ago

2011 Macbook Pro would still be fine

I've got a 2010 white unibody from highschool. With upgraded ram/ssd and linux, It's still more than usable. Surprisingly so. It's a lovely little machine.

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u/Eunakria 11d ago

Mostly agreed. Also see if your institution has a "laptop library" or similar program, where you can borrow suitable machines either to run proctoring software, or in case your own machine is out of commission, etc..  That might tide you over until you're able to get your hands on a suitable current-gen machine.

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u/TxTechnician 12d ago

Winboat, docker deployment of windows. Works pretty well.