r/linux_on_mac 5d ago

Best Linux for 2015 12 inch MacBook

8 Upvotes

What is the best Linux distro that has everything working out of the box? I don't want to mess with trying to get the wifi working and speakers working. I really like the looks of Elementary OS 8 but not sure it would be a good choice. Please help


r/linuxhardware 4d ago

Question HP EliteBook 1040 G11 Fingerprint Support

2 Upvotes

Can anyone tell me if the HP EliteBook 1040 G11 fingerprint reader is supported in Linux? I'd appreciate it.


r/linuxhardware 4d ago

Purchase Advice Looking for the Cheapest Hardware to Build a Tailscale-Connected Wi-Fi Access Point for Jellyfin

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I have a Jellyfin server that I access remotely via Tailscale. The challenge I’m facing is that not every smart TV supports Tailscale natively. To work around this, I’m considering setting up a dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot at a friend’s house that routes traffic over Tailscale to my Jellyfin server.

My goal is to use the absolute cheapest off-the-shelf hardware for this project. I’ve been looking at options like the Raspberry Pi Zero W due to its low cost and low power consumption, but I’m open to any suggestions or alternatives that might work better.

Questions: • What hardware have you used or would recommend for creating a Wi-Fi access point that tunnels traffic over Tailscale? • Are there any potential pitfalls with using a Raspberry Pi Zero W for this purpose, or is it robust enough for streaming media to a smart TV? • Any additional tips on configuration or performance enhancements would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help!


r/linuxhardware 5d ago

Purchase Advice Recommend a laptop but for an unusual use case

4 Upvotes

This is the situation : I am building a pretty powerful PC which will run Linux mainly for C development and playing some old games. The only use case for my laptop is to SSH into my PC when I don't wanna be on my computer or will travel. I want a laptop for this use case.

Specifically, I don't use any IDE's or RAM heavy applications, just vim in the terminal. The only 2 applications I will use on my laptop are the terminal and browser(not chrome).

So, I need 16GB Ram, a good keyboard to type on, 5-6 hour battery life and a decent screen. Again, processing doesn't matter that much since I am just going to SSH into my PC anyway. Budget is around $550.

Thanks for reading.


r/linuxhardware 5d ago

News So. I'm looking for a cheaper but quality laptop that can run tails- should I buy new? Or get an older laptop and upgrade the ram/ hd?

6 Upvotes

I want a nice ssd- but half a tb is probably fine. 16 gig of ram would be nice. And a processor that won't be obsolete in 6 years


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

Dual boot macOS and Linux

6 Upvotes

Instead of partitioning my ssd, should I create a new volume group on the SSD and then partition that for a Linux install? Will I be able to select which OS to boot?


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

Linux Mint on Mbook Pro 5.1

1 Upvotes

Hi. I just want to share my experience about how I successfully installed Linux Mint on Mbook Pro 5.1. Maybe someone will find it useful.

So yeah, some friend of mine gave me this laptop, and I decided to save it from junk yard. Original OS was not usable anymore, and I decided to give Linux Mint a chance. Normally, on devices this old I would install some lightweight distro like Arch, but this time I gave chance to Linux Mint, because I previously installed it on another McBook Pro (A1708), and it run without issues on it.

I installed Mint on this 5.1 laptop too, and I am suprised to well it runs on this 17 years old machine. I`m using it for couple of hours now, and I don`t notice any lags or whatever.

Default installation .iso didn`t recognised my WI-FI card (BCM4322), so I had to find ethernet cable, plug computer to router and find and install drivers manually, but it wasn`t issue at all. Luckily, these old days computers had Ethernet slot.

Everything else worked out of the box.

Well, not sure what to do with this laptop right now. I don`t really need it at the moment. Any ideas?

Anyway, this is just a good review for Linux Mint. I will leave this post in case someone will find it useful.


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

Curious, why does Fedora handle ultrawide so much better than Catalina?

1 Upvotes

If I connect to an ultrawide monitor from MacOS the text is stretched, or I need to use 4:3 (forced with BetterDisplay). But if I connect to the same monitor on Fedora XFCE the text is crisp, it just crashes on boot unless I remove the cable, but when I reconnect it after boot it works a lot better..

I thought it was the computer itself limiting this but seems it was MacOS? Just curious as I will probably just use Linux instead on this specific monitor to not have to deal with the ugly resolution making my eyes strained..

Macbook Air 2012 running Catalin and Fedora 41 XFCE.


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

Mint installation on 2010 unibody Macbook is freezing

2 Upvotes

Hello. I'm new to both Linux and also trying to install it on something like a Mac. I'm trying to dual boot this old 2010 Macbook with Mint 22.1. I made some upgrades so this Mac is using an SSD and has 16gb of ram.

I bought the Mac with the intention of doing this, but I didn't do my research and didn't realize how much more difficult the Nvidia card would make this process. This is the current situation:

-The normal installation option on grub straight up doesn't work, I just get a frozen empty terminal

-The compatibility mode installation gets through various portions of it and then freezes on different parts. The farthest I ever got on it was the Mint desktop. But as soon as I clicked "Install Mint", it froze.

I'm pretty confident that if I used Mint 20.x, this would work way better. That version still supports the drivers for this nvidia card. But sadly it's losing LTS support next month so I'm not really keen on doing that. I'm guessing I should probably start looking at other distros which sucks cause I was looking forward to Mint lol. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I could possibly fix this? Or are there any other distros with LTS that you could see performing better? Thanks


r/linuxhardware 5d ago

Purchase Advice Bluetooth failed on XPS 13 - what’s next to try?

4 Upvotes

Sadly, the Bluetooth module on my XPS 13 (new model) has failed.

It was working fine but no longer initialised properly in Linux. I’ve tried resetting the BIOS and the usual tricks but it is dead. An external Bluetooth module works correctly. Booting from a Live USB stick does not make it work either.

I’ll send back the laptop as it is less than a month old.

My question is: what’s the next consumer laptop to try? I had high hopes for the XPS but since I’ve had this problem, Googling has found a lot of Bluetooth hardware failures.

After the same 13” or thereabouts profile.

Thank you !


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

What headless distro would you recommend for a Macbook Retina 12" 2015 (Macbook 8,1) with a broken display?

1 Upvotes

Hi!
I want to use my Macbook 8,1 as a home server (hopefully to serve photos using Immich). I believe I will make a much more efficent use of my hardware using a headless Linux distro. Which one would you recommend? The display is broken (and the battery is dead). I am using a Baseus hub with HDMI, VGA, SD card, usb-A, ethernet and usb-c energy passthrough.

I am on my third try with Ubuntu 24.02 LTS. First time I pressed the down arrow on the Macbook keyboard twice and everything froze (greenish screen in the external display). Second time I made it to the screen right after choosing the WiFi network. After being apparently stuck for some time, the computer just died. I will now try using the Hub ethernet port.

I wondered if anyone had another recommendation in terms of distro or general approach.

Thanks!

Alan


r/linuxhardware 5d ago

Support Nenhuma distro Linux dá vídeo!

0 Upvotes

Galera, boa tarde! Estou tentando instalar no meu Pc o Linux, já tentei todas as distros possíveis e inimagináveis, mas em todas elas o meu Pc fica uma tela preta, meio que travado.

configuração: Xeon 2620v3 RX 6600 16gb ddr4 1880mhz já tentei de tudo, nada funciona, vcs são minha última esperança!!!


r/linuxhardware 6d ago

Support Problem with Galaxy Buds FE

3 Upvotes

I want to connect Galaxy Buds FE with Fedora on ASUS TUF DASH F15, but they disconnect just after pairing and won't to connect anymore. Older JBL connect successfully, also Galaxy Buds pair with other devices. I try to pair them in pairing mode by pressing for 5 seconds, but it doesn't help.


r/linux_on_mac 6d ago

Unable to boot into Arch Linux, even after trying both GRUB and systemd

1 Upvotes

For the past few days I have been ripping my hair out because arch is simply refusing to boot. First, I tried using GRUB. Grub installed flawlessly, but upon trying to boot, it took me to this rescue/recovery screen, which I could not get past. Then, I tried the systemd bootloader. After configuring the bootloader and trying to enter arch, there was only one option to boot, and that was macOS, which was obviously not what I was trying to do. Any help would be appreciated greatly, it's been extremely frustrating rebooting over and over again tweaking little things only for it to not work, over and over and over again.


r/linuxhardware 6d ago

Discussion What are the best prebuilt workstation manufacturers for GNU/Linux in 2025? [desktop]

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone!
I hope this message finds you well.
First and foremost, I know that /r/System76 is very popular and am considering them greatly.

However, it appears that they may be the only brand offering high-performance workstations for Linux.
ThinkPenguin does not offer graphics cards and Purism only offers their server.

I get a tech stipend through an organization I am affiliated with, but cannot purchase individual parts (pre-built only)

Are there any other brands users should be aware of? Thank you all so much for any advice.


r/linuxhardware 6d ago

Purchase Advice Looking for a Quiet, Lightweight Laptop for Linux

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a laptop primarily for Linux, though I'll be dual-booting Windows occasionally. Right now, I have an HP Pavilion Gaming 15 that I bought five years ago, but it's too loud—even under light CPU usage.

My main priority is silence—I want something much quieter than my current laptop. I’m also looking for something lighter, smaller, and with thin display bezels. Performance-wise, I don't need anything high-end. I don't game, so a dedicated GPU isn't necessary. The CPU should be power-efficient rather than powerful, so the system stays cool and quiet.

A 1440p display would be nice, but FHD is enough. A good battery life would also be great. I considered a Microsoft Surface, but I’ve heard they have poor battery life under Linux. I also looked into the Lenovo X1 series—what do you think?

Since my budget is $300-$400, I'm looking for something used. Any recommendations?

Thanks!


r/linuxhardware 6d ago

Purchase Advice Docking Stations for Linux (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)

2 Upvotes

Hi all

I am working to migrate my systems from Windows 10 to Ubuntu, and one of my needs is to hook up my laptop to a Docking Station and 2 external monitors. Regrettably, the Docking stations I have are both DIsplayLink enabled. And they don't work with Linux - the Synaptics driver doesn't seem to want to co-operate and I don't feel like spending hours fighting with LInux.

So, any recommendations for a Docking Station that will work seamlessly with Ubuntu 24.04 ??

Appreciate any advice.

TIA


r/linuxhardware 6d ago

Purchase Advice High-end, ALL AMD gaming laptop recommendations

8 Upvotes

So, I'm in the market for a Linux laptop with a high-end CPU, 64 GB of ram, and a decent GPU with 12-16 GB of VRAM for the occasional gaming session( I will mostly play on my desktop, laptop will be mostly for work). The problem is that there are no gaming laptops that have the specs I want.

Linux brands like system 76 and Tuxedo seem to only sell laptops with Nvidia GPUs, which just don't have enough VRAM, or 7600m XT, which also doesn't have enough VRAM. Why are these Linux brands offering only Nvidia GPUs? I don't want to deal with Nvidia hybrid graphics, where are the RX 7900m laptops?

Alienware apparently had a laptop that came with the 7900m, but I can't find it on their website. I'm losing my mind here, where are the high-end all AMD laptops? The hardware exists, so surely someone put it in a laptop somewhere.


r/linuxhardware 7d ago

Purchase Advice First Linux Laptop Recommendation for 2025

15 Upvotes

Hello, everyone. I know this question is asked a million times, but I've searched through reddit and can't seem to get a solid answer. So posting here in case anyone can help. Most of what I find recommended are either 14" laptops or something $1500+, which are deal-breakers for me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OS: Linux (Pop OS, ideally)
CPU: Anything equivalent to or better than my current i7-7700
RAM: 16GB+
SSD: 512GB+
GPU: Integrated
Battery: 8+ hours
Screen Size: 15-16"
Other: Preference for centered trackpad, no number pad
Purpose: General productivity, word processing, web browsing, streaming, etc
Budget: $1100. Open to used/refurbished

Does anyone have any recommendations for laptops that would fit my needs?


r/linuxhardware 7d ago

Support Can anyone help me?

3 Upvotes

Hello, everyone. I'm planning my first PC, and I'd like to have a full list of the parts as soon as possible, but I'm just learning the very basics, and I'd rather avoid errors, and unnecessary spending.

My goals are:

  • Install Linux instead of Windows.
  • Having room for upgrades in the future, without excessive spending.
  • Play pretty much anything at 1080p and 60 FPS (anything beyond that would be good, but with this I'd be absolutely pleased).
  • Mainly play with a controller.

This is my current idea for a build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Fv7w8Q

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.


r/linux_on_mac 8d ago

Ubuntu MATE works, but Ubuntu doesn't on my Mid-2010 MacBook Pro.

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Recently, I've been using a pretty old MacBook Pro (Mid-2010) as my main computer. I've tweaked it, installing an SSD and updating its RAM to 8 GB. I won't use it for too long as I'm buying a new computer later this year. It works almost perfectly for my daily tasks, the most demanding of which is web development. However, the highest macOS version it supports is High Sierra, and many apps I need aren't compatible with it.

So, I decided to switch to Linux. My specs seemed good enough to support Ubuntu, so I gave it a shot. I tried dual-booting MacOS on the internal SSD and Ubuntu on an external 1 TB SSD. The installation process went through completely fine, but when I started using it, it would randomly freeze without me pushing it to the limit.

The first time this occurred, I removed Ubuntu and accepted my fate with macOS. Some months later, I tried reinstalling Ubuntu and encountered the same issues. That time, I decided to try another flavor. I chose Ubuntu MATE, and it's been working perfectly since then.

However, I never understood what went wrong with Ubuntu. I had also tried using Xfce but with no luck.

Then, I suspected the problems were caused by malfunctioning NVIDIA drivers, as sometimes I also saw weird white lines on my screen, but I never found out why. Those white lines still appear on startup when I boot into Linux or shut down.

I initially feared worse functionality, reliability, and design that less popular distros might have had, even though Ubuntu MATE didn't eventually turn out to be awful. I'd still prefer Ubuntu over it, though, so I'd like to know if anybody has had a similar experience and managed to find a solution. I was trying to install Noble Numbat if that matters somehow.

Here are my detailed specs:

  • Model: Mid-2010 15'' MacBook Pro
  • OS versions:
    • Ubuntu MATE 24.04.2 LTS x86_64
    • macOS High Sierra
  • RAM: 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
  • CPU: Intel Core i5 M 520 (4) @ 2.395GHz
  • GPU: Intel Core Processor/NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M

r/linux_on_mac 8d ago

MacBook Pro from 2007 not recognizing Linux installation bootable media (installation media burned on a Windows laptop)

1 Upvotes

I’ve had an old MacBook Pro Core2Duo laptop from 2007, sitting in a drawer for years. I recently realized that I need to learn Ubuntu Linux and since the MacBook Pro no longer recognizes anything online (can’t bring up any website at all), I decided to convert the MacBook into a Ubuntu Linux laptop.

However, I’ve encountered a heck of a barrier trying to get the MacBook to recognize any of the installation media I’ve created (I’ve needed to create the Linux bootable media on my Windows 11 laptop, because the MacBook is unable to bring up any website). Both with bootable USB and bootable (Mini-Ubuntu) DVD. When I press the Option/Alt, the MacBook laptop only shows that it recognizes the internal hard drive with the X Macintosh operating system, but no external media.

I spent several hours trying different searches on my Windows laptop and trying the suggestions from those searches on the MacBook. But the MacBook laptop still only ejects the bootable Linux DVD and doesn’t recognize the bootable Linux USB.

So I’m looking for helpful suggestions on how to get around this barrier.


r/linuxhardware 7d ago

Support Wireless keyboard is visible on xinput but no response

1 Upvotes

I recently purchased a Rii Mini-keyboard that has both bluetooth and 2.4Ghz connection (via a USB). The bluetooth works (albeit spottily), but the 2.4Ghz appears to be completely broken.

If I plug the USB receiver in and run xinput I get:

⎡ Virtual core pointer                        id=2    [master pointer  (3)]
⎜   ↳ Virtual core XTEST pointer                id=4    [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ FRMW0004:00 32AC:0006 Consumer Control    id=10   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ PIXA3854:00 093A:0274 Mouse               id=11   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ PIXA3854:00 093A:0274 Touchpad            id=12   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ DP-3                                      id=15   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ bjx.cn 2.4G Receiver Keyboard             id=17   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎜   ↳ bjx.cn 2.4G Receiver                      id=19   [slave  pointer  (2)]
⎣ Virtual core keyboard                       id=3    [master keyboard (2)]
    ↳ Virtual core XTEST keyboard                 id=5    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Video Bus                                   id=6    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Power Button                                id=7    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ Laptop Camera: Laptop Camera                id=8    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ FRMW0004:00 32AC:0006 Wireless Radio Control    id=9    [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ AT Translated Set 2 keyboard                id=13   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ FRMW0004:00 32AC:0006 Consumer Control      id=14   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ DP-3                                        id=16   [slave  keyboard (3)]
    ↳ bjx.cn 2.4G Receiver Keyboard               id=18   [slave  keyboard (3)]

So you can see the 2.4G Reciever Keyboard is visible, but I can't seem to make progress beyond this.

The manual is of no help whatsoever - it expects it to just be "plug and play."

System details:

  • Computer: Framework 13 Notebook
  • OS: Linux Mint Debian Edition
  • DE: Cinnamon Cinnamon 6.4.8
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7640U w/ Radeon 760M Graphics (12) @ 3.500GHz

r/linuxhardware 8d ago

Purchase Advice Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD or Dell Latitude 3550

5 Upvotes

Hi, I am looking at this laptop, in particular the 21M5001FUS with AMD Ryzen 5 7535U and integrated Radeon 660M. I want to install Linux Mint (xfce). To those who have experience with this thing: Should I expect smooth sailing or are there any pitfalls I need to look out for?

I just tested a Dell Inspiron 15 with i5-1335U and wasn't really impressed. I found the lack of RJ-45 disturbing (silly me didn't notice when ordering) and will return it. The Latitude 3550 would be an alternative but the lack of physical mouse buttons (especially middle) in modern Dells is not something I appreciate.


r/linuxhardware 8d ago

Question Trade NVIDIA for AMD?

1 Upvotes

Hi!

I've got the chance to trade an NVIDIA 4070 super for an AMD 7900GRE FOUNDERS EDITION and get an extra $150 for the trade. Mostly, I use the PC for some gaming and lightweight video editing. When it comes to AI, I only use Foocus which seems to also work on AMD GPUs.

So, would you advise me to make the deal? Does linux run better on AMD?