Who would want to install Ubuntu on a Mac?

[NintendoTogepi]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

[Macwarper70]

I did on my Macbook for a challenge. It was fun, informative and I learn't alot about Linux. I have since removed it from the Macbook and when I get my old iBook G3 500 back from my daughter, I'll be changing that to a full Ubuntu machine. Installing onto a PPC should provide more fun and a different challenge. (OSX runs like a dog on it anyway, usable but sssssssssllllllllllllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww).

Cheers.

[cyberdork33]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

Not for everyone.

I got a Mac because I have one machine that can run OSX, Ubuntu, and/or Windows.

[mkvnmtr]

While I think my mac os is a great system I like Ubuntu better. So I dual boot. After several months I can't understand why anyone would have only one os on their machine.

[cyberdork33]

While I think my mac os is a great system I like Ubuntu better. So I dual boot. After several months I can't understand why anyone would have only one os on their machine.

Now you're talkin'

[larrinski]

Now you're talkin'
I agree! I love Ubuntu, and playing in it. I will one day ditch OSX, and live in open source land...I think that linux and Mac hardware are great together!

[Logistics64]

Yeah, OS X is nice, buts I used Ubuntu for a long time, so I like to have that with me. I don't have it dual booted with my MacBook I have it running in VMware Fusion, virtual machines rock.

[Mason Whitaker]

I didn't really install Ubuntu on my Mac, I simply used a Virtualbox instead.

I still do prefer the OSX over Ubuntu, but Ubuntu comes close in my heart. ( I have a laptop running ubuntu solely anyways. )

[mostlyalive]

I bought my mbp planning to use it mostly for Ubuntu. The Mac hardware is beautiful, and came in a configuration that I really couldn't quite get anywhere else in a way that I liked. Ubuntu is great though and I'm all about the FOSS. Hence, Ubuntu on a Mac.

[ju2wheels]

I just bought one of the new Macbooks thinking Id get used to MacOSX and just put ubuntu/windows in vmware. After 30 minutes of using it, I cant stand it and am hoping to ditch OSX for Ubuntu soon. It just feels like its overly simplified to the point that for me its actually difficult (inconvenient) to use and configue. Too much hand holding for me, I'll pass.

[stream303]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

Perhaps. But take a trip to macfixit.com and you'll see this isn't always the case. :) But yes, that is the selling point. Fortunately, there is another choice with Linux.

The nice thing is that unlike Apple, you can install any version of Ubuntu (or other Linux), including previous ones on your machine, whereas with OSX, you can't install anything earlier than what it came with from the factory. You can't "downgrade" from 10.5 to 10.4 if your machine came with Leopard. (correct me if this situation has changed)

So it's also about freedom of choice with Linux. As nice as the Apple's walled-garden may be, sometimes the grass can be greener on the other side. :)

[issih]

I dislike a lot of apple's software philosophy, but I do actually like both their hardware and their software. My macbook spends most of its time in OSX, but I like to have ubuntu there so I have the option of tinkering. Mac's slot quite nicely into a linux environment, but I still find ubuntu better for vncing into another computer, although chicken of the vnc seems a lot better than screen sharing, so that may change.

In the end though, its a computer, I like linux, that about covers it. People dual boot windows, why not OSX?

[stream303]

In the end though, its a computer, I like linux, that about covers it. People dual boot windows, why not OSX?

Exactly. Different strokes.

Now If I owned an Intel-based Mac, I might be running gNewSense on it like I do on my PC desktop, but that's another story.

[WaeV]

I just bought one of the new Macbooks thinking Id get used to MacOSX and just put ubuntu/windows in vmware. After 30 minutes of using it, I cant stand it and am hoping to ditch OSX for Ubuntu soon. It just feels like its overly simplified to the point that for me its actually difficult (inconvenient) to use and configue. Too much hand holding for me, I'll pass.

Apple hands you OSX and says "This is perfect, and we made it really hard for you to break it." Linux hands you an distro and says "This is a good OS, but why don't you perfect it?"

[cyberdork33]

I dislike a lot of apple's software philosophy, but I do actually like both their hardware and their software. My macbook spends most of its time in OSX, but I like to have ubuntu there so I have the option of tinkering. Mac's slot quite nicely into a linux environment, but I still find ubuntu better for vncing into another computer, although chicken of the vnc seems a lot better than screen sharing, so that may change.

In the end though, its a computer, I like linux, that about covers it. People dual boot windows, why not OSX?

Nice post.

PS Have you tried JollysFastVNC? I find it much faster than Chicken of the VNC

[Kopachris]

Apple hands you OSX and says "This is perfect, and we made it really hard for you to break it." Linux hands you an distro and says "This is a good OS, but why don't you perfect it?"
Linux hands you a distro and says, "This is a great OS, but why don't you try to break it just for the fun of fixing it?"

Because of the Linux community's lack of support for the PPC platform, I'll always keep OS X on my PowerBook. But just like keeping a seat warm for someone, I've still got a partition for Linux. In fact, I'm planning on reinstalling Edgy Eft on Sheila (that's what I've named my PowerBook) this weekend. The biggest problem I had was with the networking, so I'll use the USB WiFi adapter that my Dinosaur was using until my monitor died.

Why do I just keep rambling on like that?

[On a side note: I wonder if I could find a way to use my PowerBook's screen with my Dinosaur? Hmmm...]

[arglborps]

After a long "absence" from Linux (last time I installed MkLinux on a PowerMac 7600), I slapped Ubuntu on my Acer Aspire One, just to play with it, but I liked it so much I left it on the machine.

Now I'm planning to put Ubuntu on my old Mac Cube, because Leopard would refuse to install on it. Also my wife's half-dead (keyboard is quirky and CD-ROM is dead - never spill drinks over the keyboard) G4 PowerBook should run Ubuntu just nicely.

For production I still have my MacBook Pro running Leopard, and there are a few software titles I couldn't replace with OSS alternatives. Also the hassle to get a half-decent soft realtime kernel on Linux to do proper audio editing with low latency is too much for my taste, but apart from that I'd rather go all open source. It just feels great to be freed from the "claws" of the big Software Giants (--cough--Adobe--cough--).

I give Ubuntu (or Linux in general) another 3-5 years and even designers/media creation types as me might be happy with a Ubuntu machine. It's really getting there and I am baffled how much Linux on the Desktop has become feasible. It's already much more consistent than Windows (not that this is a hard to reach target, though)...

[teamjh14]

Yo. *points to self with thumbs*

Mac OS X is an awesome OS, don't get me wrong. However, Ubuntu is equally as intuitive. Not to mention, it's more customizable, adaptable. It has a lot of open source options (in particular, for a designer such as myself) which are equally effective.

Additionally, new Macs have the ability to load Windows. I don't like Windows. Badda bing, baddah boom!

[Kopachris]

After a long "absence" from Linux (last time I installed MkLinux on a PowerMac 7600), I slapped Ubuntu on my Acer Aspire One, just to play with it, but I liked it so much I left it on the machine.

Now I'm planning to put Ubuntu on my old Mac Cube, because Leopard would refuse to install on it. Also my wife's half-dead (keyboard is quirky and CD-ROM is dead - never spill drinks over the keyboard) G4 PowerBook should run Ubuntu just nicely.


Please let me know if you get wireless networking properly configured on the PowerBook (if you have a wireless network to connect to (if?!)). That's the only reason why I'm not using Ubuntu right now. I'd also like a description of how the network is set up so I can gauge whether or not it would work with mine. Thanks!

I'm also having Ubuntu withdrawl headaches.

[ericesque]

A few years back I came very close to buying a Mac because I was going into graphic design. I was actually playing around with configurations and nearly ready to order when I caught wind that they were going to go from PPC to Intel. I didn't want to beta test the new configuration, so I ended up getting a PC.

ANYWAY, in college I had to spend a lot of time on Macs. All the graphic design labs were Mac because... you know, Macs are good at graphic design. The thing was, every chance I got, I brought my PC based laptop in to do my work. My laptop - with roughly half the hardware specs of the lab computers - ran CS2 incredibly faster! Aside from speed, I can say with a good number of hours logged at a Mac (both then and more recently) that I don't enjoy the OS.

I imagine that there are a lot of folks out there that have purchased a Mac - and like myself - have found that Macs don't really do anything better than a PC. Or perhaps they bought a Mac because it's trendy right now only to find out that they don't like the OS.

If I had ever bought a Mac or ever find a reason to do so, I know Ubuntu will be keeping OSX company.

[Keen101]

I don't own a mac. but, I will say that mac osx is nice, and in a lot of way's innovative. It's not bad. Between windows and mac osx i'd choose the mac.

But even though mac have some innovative features Ubuntu would ultimately win for me. I just like it better.

Also, i'd like to say that when you get a mac to crash and/or get sluggish... it crashes BAD!!! And i mean S-L-O-W. I've never even had a windows system go that slow. It doesn't seem to happen often or to many people, but i'm one of those people who messes with things. I like to tinker :)

[GazHay]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

Tiger and Leopard don't run all that well on PPC G3 processors, whereas I can get xubuntu running at a decent speed and still make use of things like VLC (for iMac video walls) which would never run on a PPC with OSX and there is no substitute for OS9 and <.

So yes, brand new mac - I would use OSX all day.
For my older machines xubuntu or ubuntu all the way to max out their life.

[GazHay]

As for the main computer use - I have too much money tied into the software I have for MacOS, so won't be switching full time to Ubuntu.

If there was an Adobe CS for linux, or Adobe got their fingers out of Apple's holes and produced CS for linux, I'd consider it.

As for the whole - I like / don't like Mac OS - I hear this debate all the time.
Sadly, in my opinion, because Windows is the most common OS, people grow up thinking Computers=Windows.

This causes complications for other OS developers, who either have to 'break away' from that ideology - Apple Mac - or try to do things their own way but ultimately emulate a lot of windows functionality - Ubuntu, Suse, etc.

You aren't going to convince so-called "power users" of windows to switch, especially to MacOS, because the OS stops them doing things in the way they are used to.

I once had a very long argument with someone who was an "experienced power user" of windows, he said that a network card could only ever have one IP address. He was a very senior member of the forum too - but because (at the time) windows wouldn't let him do it - "that was the way computers were" - despite linux and osx allowing multihoming at that point in time.

If someone who has used linux, mac and windows comes to me and says "I don't like mac" and I ask them why - it is usually down to their workflow - and I respect that - computers are here to make your workflow easier and if you are forced to change your workflow for an OS then it is a problem. What I hate is people who use OSX for 5 minutes, and their only complaint is "it is different and doesn't work".

[johnlocke2342]

"Hello, I'm a Mac" :lolflag: and I'm running both OS X Leopard and Ubuntu. Ubuntu is installed just for challenge and for a Linux class at college which I didn't choose after all because it has the reputation of being "very basic".

However, I still prefer OS X for its design, but I also love Ubuntu for its flexibility.
I am currently posting from my desktop PC running Intrepid RC, which is nearly perfect..

[timchesonis]

I use VirtualBox, (www.virtualbox.org), on my Macbook, and right now, I'm running Leopard, Windows XP and Ubuntu . . . . . . all at the same time . . . on different "spaces" (desktops). Now that is choice!

[hajk]

Wow, lots of good reasons to run GNU/Linux on a Mac. In my own case these are

1. Beautifully designed hardware (even the now supplanted MBP 4,1).

2. Need Mac OS X to manage my wireless LAN based on Airport Extreme Base Station and various Airport Express wireless bridges -- also beautifully designed and integrated hardware.

3. Need iTunes to manage my multimedia stuff (and don't want to use M$ software).

4. VMware Fusion to try out various versions of GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris.

5. In addition to also running GNU/Linux directly on the hardware.

Those are enough reasons for me.:guitar:

[tgs1952]

I am running osX and Ubuntu on two mac minis via a kvm switch. Frankly, my Ubuntu machine runs better. The Flash issue is a problem. But for most purposes (I am a web developer), Ubuntu is great.

[crm_rikuz]

Yes, i want! Can i? :confused:

[johnlocke2342]

Did you read some answers in this thread?

[m.musashi]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

I guess that's true, but I install Ubuntu because OS X is too limiting. I think the mac hardware is better than most out there and I don't like buying something with windows as it's probably the worst OS made. If you buy a mac you can use OS X which is pretty nice but you can also use Ubuntu which gives you maximum flexibility on really nice hardware. Ubuntu has a lot of great software and it's all free. Case in point, why can't OS X duplicate a non-encrypted DVD? There isn't a simple way (actually I can't find any way) to do it. With Ubuntu it's just right click and copy disc and it's done. There are lots of examples like this.

[AJH50]

Interesting thread. I have a Core Duo MacBook that runs OS X Leopard smoothly. I love the operating system and don't really have a great reason to switch to Ubuntu other than curiosity. I keep bumping into internet articles and forum comments praising Ubuntu/Linux that I finally had to see what the hype was about. I just installed the OS on Parallels and will give it a whirl once all the updates are downloaded and installed.

I'm not sure it will take over OS X on my computer but I'm hoping to have a fun experience exploring Ubuntu and all that it has offers. Cheers.

[ashmew2]

I can foresee hybrids like "Macuntu" and "l-Macs" (Thats an L for Linux :P)
:lolflag:

[Kopachris]

Well, since I finally got the Hardy LiveCD to work on my PPC PowerBook G4 (and it's running quite fast, I'm posting from the CD right now), I would! Gonna do it tomorrow. Goin' fishing on Sunday.:)

[enigno montoya]

I grew up tinkering with Windows. Then got OS X for Final Cut, Logic, and a somewhat more stable Pro Tools and Avid. But I really love tinkering. And as the above poster mentioned, OS X does just hold one's hand, to the point where one just drools in its simplicity. I love figuring things out.

[Kopachris]

Well, I got Ubuntu running today. There's just a few things I need to get working (some of which may be hopeless): get Compiz Fusion to run at startup, Flash, get internal wireless card working, get Celestia and LilyPond, find out why my num lock key froze, and update to Intrepid. But it's working quite well so far. I think that I might not even reinstall OSX.:)

[mostlyalive]

Doesn't sound hopeless to me, I have all of the above working on my MBP!

[WaeV]

I grew up tinkering with Windows. Then got OS X for Final Cut, Logic, and a somewhat more stable Pro Tools and Avid. But I really love tinkering. And as the above poster mentioned, OS X does just hold one's hand, to the point where one just drools in its simplicity. I love figuring things out.

Agreed. I almost miss the days where it took weeks to set up Beryl and all that.

[MichaelSwengel]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

LOL you obviously don't understand....](*,)

OSX is nice - no question - but...personally....I get bored with a single operating system. I like OSX. I like Ubuntu. I despise Windows. =;

So the obvious answer is to dual boot OSX and Ubuntu - to have the best of both worlds.:cool:

On that note, NintendoTgepi, I ask this: WHY NOT? \\:D/

[darkmatter21]

I run (well, ran... intrepid is broken ATM) Ubuntu on my iBook 500Mhz G3, for a couple reasons. OS X 10.anything is slow on it, and it has limited functionality. Apple doesn't seem to offer some updates for 10.3. Open office doesn't really work with it and other open source programs don't run with it. I've always kind of considered Linux an OS to breathe new life into an old machine. Though it seems like for PPC, linux has a limited window that is passing my G3 by...

[alwayshere]

I have ubuntu on my macbook as sole os as i got given the macbook my first ever encounter with apple,it was not working in need of fixing I brought a old windows laptop off a guy and he threw in the macbook for free ,he said it was not worth fixing and he was going to buy a new windows laptop.the macbook had no osx disk I brought osx disk but found it not work on macbook and i found that apple seem to be like computer nazis here they wont sell parts and all repairs have to be done by them and they were in general unhelpfull ,this really upset me when i can install parts myself !! so i made it my mission to fix it which i did from parts off the net and not wanting to deal with apple here in nz again with there super unhelpfullness i installed ubuntu os and stuck with it after wasting $200 odd dollars on osx that didnt work on the mac book.
But the macbook is all go now and works great im very happy with it

[Kopachris]

Just to keep you updated on how my Ubuntu installation is working, I got Compiz Fusion and Emerald running at startup, I found a nice "brown" Ubuntu wallpaper made by someone here, and I made a nice "Topaz Brown" Emerald theme. It's working quite nicely so far. There's only two complaints, which could both be explained by my generous usage of Compiz Fusion and Emerald: it's a bit sluggish, and it totally saps my battery power. I think I'll reinstall OSX this next weekend on a small partition for iLife and XCode.

[JOHNNYG713]

Luvbuntu ! :lolflag: Yea it has some drawbacks, But,.... Luvbuntu !

[rjcalifornia]

why? well, it runs well on my old ibook G3. I can watch my movies without a problem. I still don't know why Quicktime needs some third party stuffs just to watch a short video....


oh, and I run Kubuntu 9.04. KDE 4 doesn't give me problems at all.

[natgab]

Using Ubuntu on a Mac because my machines are PowerPC and are now orphans (sorta).

I can still use Leopard on my G5 and have updates, but many of the newest updates or version of applications have already become Intel only. So I am switching over to Ubuntu especially since these last two releases for 2009 have been very slick and do pretty much everything that I need.

I will probably move to a Intel box w/ Ubuntu after the new year, so for now I switched my G5 so that I can learn to do things the Ubuntu way. Plus with an Intel box, I will have more variety of distros to play around with. :lolflag:

And since I have a G3 iMac 400, I want to make use of it with Xbuntu and see if I can get better performance than with Panther (10.3) on it. Has, Debian 5 not sure if i am leaving that or playing with Xubuntu.

[MelDJ]

who? the people who use macs here of course

[zobo1942]

I'm in the process of installing ubuntu on my old powermac g4. Why? Because I was moving and nearly threw it away, because I've been using my PC for the last two years, and haven't even plugged in the G4 (OS 9.2.2).

After installing linux on a classic xbox and using it as the bridge between my computer and television (with XBMC) I realized that repurposing older technology is not only a great form of recycling, but also a great way to learn new things.

So there! Now, I just need to figure out a good way to get this blasted install to finish... Anyone know what to do when you get to the login screen? Anyone? Anyone?

[handy]

I used Ubuntu briefly & then Arch on my iMac.

The Arch install has been running since March 2008.

I rarely boot into OS X, just to back up my iPod Touch, & on even more rare occasions I touch up my website.

I used to play quite a bit of Guild Wars via Crossover Games from the OS X side, but after 4 years, I've become a bit bored with GW.

Bring on GW2 I say.

Linux works great on all of the Apple/intel hardware, the PPC stuff can be handled as well. Search the web for details on how?

[gifford]

Isn't the whole point of Mac how well the software and OS works with the hardware?

Yes and no. The hardware in my opinion is the best available. Well designed and engineered. OS X is an elegant, easy to use OS right out of the box with many great features. However, Apple has decided for good business reasons not to support(since snow leopard) the PPC platform(G3,G4,G5) and since I have a dual processor 2.5 Ghz and know that Apple hardware is reliable and continues to function well beyond the normal hardware cycle, it seems to be such a waste and hence the use of linux. I have over the years struggled with using ppc linux on various macs and only recently has the software been easily installed and reliable. My experience is all variations of ubuntu 9.10 have been easy to install and function with very little configuration right from the get go. More important in all of this is the fact the Apple hardware, while initially more costly than other pc's, is a good value used and can provide a lot of service for many who may not have the resources for other products. In particular, children who might not otherwise be able to afford the latest and greatest. Linux provides the means of offering a modern, robust, and elegant OS on a well built apple computer.

[fosheezy]

I dual-boot on my macbook pro. Have been for a couple years. Just put 9.10 on it. I enjoy playing with Ubuntu (the cube is amazing, and I LOVE gedit as a text editor), but I think that as a desktop OS I will always use Mac OS X. However, my server (files, media streaming, web development) OS choice is always going to be Linux. I manage windows servers at work and I really don't enjoy them. I love linux on a server. And I see great possibilities with UEC in the future.

That being said, I have been with Ubuntu since 6.xx and it has improved dramatically (as has linux in general). I really am looking forward to GNOME 3.0 as it has incredible potential. It looks fantastic. When it is released next September, I won't be running it full time on my macbook pro, but I wouldn't mind having it on another machine, maybe even on my server although I like the simplicity of CLI.

[Nohtanhoj]

I currently am using a Samsung NC20 for mobile computing, but I'm going to get my hands on an old Powerbook G4 and get my Karmic on!

[ZoiaGuyver]

Depends on how you look at thing's really. Ubuntu is what it says "Open source" it's not closed off like the Mac OS. Mac OS is very nice to use, slick and really worth keeping. I dual boot but find i spend more time in Ubuntu on Mac than i do in Mac OS X.

I do miss some thing's from the mac (mainly Mars edit and the likes) as they are really great little programs, the DMG install's are all but perfect.

As Ubuntu says it's about "choice". I choose not to limit my ability's because i run a Mac. I also have PC's that all run Ubuntu (for the obvious reasons :p).

People install Ubuntu not just because its a great OS based around a philosophy that most people prefer, but also because of the community that come's with it. Mac OS X while having a community with Darwin doesn't even come close to Ubuntu.

It's my opinion though, i prefer the community for Ubuntu and the way almost everyone is willing to help each other out, the advantages for Ubuntu over Mac OS X tbh are limited, there aren't many reasons to run solely on Ubuntu. Ubuntu doe's breath life into the older Mac's that Apple have decided to stop supporting though (PPC arch mainly).

[Nohtanhoj]

The community for Ubuntu is unmatched, that's for sure. As far as media goes, Mac OS X is supreme to pretty much any OS because of iLife. However, I find these features to be distracting when I'm trying to be productive on OS X.

Thus, I do work on Ubuntu. =D

[rjcalifornia]

why PPC Support was dropped from Cannonical? PPC Linux is a strong community.

[Michaelw818]

I have used Mac OS sense the early 90's and I have found that things like minus as part of the os just work, instead of the program like in the windoze or Linux based systems brings them down about an inch on my 19" crt causing overshot’s and screen real-estate loss. I tried Ubuntu on my Mac but found it could only recognize one of my video cards and found that all the support was about 2 or 3 generations older than the version I was using, And besides not being smarter than my computer typing all that code drove be to uninstall it from my Mac,
Although I continue to use it on older Intel pc's.

[Leslie Viljoen]

why PPC Support was dropped from Cannonical? PPC Linux is a strong community.

Unfortunately that community is getting smaller because Apple dropped PPC and apparently it's not worth the manpower at Canonical. I think they have enough trouble supporting Intels!