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xsphat · Jan 12, 2007, 03:03 AM

I made a Live CD of the i386 version of Ubuntu 6.10 and ran it on my MacBook. The OS works flawlessly, so my question is this; Do you think it is safe to load it my MacBook with boot camp?

Chuckit · Jan 12, 2007, 04:38 AM

Boot Camp can only install Windows. But it should be safe to run Linux on there anyway.

xsphat · Jan 12, 2007, 05:20 AM

I have heard that you can run Linux with Boot Camp but in the switcher it is going to be called Windows XP. Anyway, I tryed to install Boot Camp and it said my hard drive could not be partitioned. Don't know what I have to do fix that, so I'll probably hang out on that thread and see what I can find out.

Macola · Jan 12, 2007, 02:44 PM

I don't believe you can, although I haven't tried (it runs well enough in Parallels for me). You would need a ufs or maybe ext3 partition, and Boot Camp doesn't like those.

xsphat · Jan 12, 2007, 03:48 PM

Guide: Installing Ubuntu on a Apple MacBook - Ubuntu Forums

kick52 · Jan 12, 2007, 05:55 PM

it should be safe, but make sure you BACKUP! and know what you are doing. (those instructions are very brief and crappy)

remember, you can't destroy your macbook by doing this.

xsphat · Jan 13, 2007, 06:15 AM

I can't? that is my primary worry here.

TheoCryst · Jan 13, 2007, 01:38 PM

I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to, though I have not personally tried it.

besson3c · Jan 13, 2007, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by xsphat

I have heard that you can run Linux with Boot Camp but in the switcher it is going to be called Windows XP. Anyway, I tryed to install Boot Camp and it said my hard drive could not be partitioned. Don't know what I have to do fix that, so I'll probably hang out on that thread and see what I can find out.

Have you tried repairing it with Disk Utility/fsck?

besson3c · Jan 13, 2007, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by kick52

it should be safe, but make sure you BACKUP! and know what you are doing. (those instructions are very brief and crappy)

remember, you can't destroy your macbook by doing this.

Brief and crappy? Why?

Chuckit · Jan 13, 2007, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by xsphat

I can't? that is my primary worry here.

Nah, there's no significant risk. Worst-case scenario, you have to wipe the drive and reinstall.

xsphat · Jan 17, 2007, 02:28 AM

Thanks for your help, people.

Is there a Linux built that has been adapted specifically for the Intel Macs? I have a feeling that if there was one we all would have heard about it by now, but it never hurts to ask.

besson3c · Jan 17, 2007, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by xsphat

Thanks for your help, people.

Is there a Linux built that has been adapted specifically for the Intel Macs? I have a feeling that if there was one we all would have heard about it by now, but it never hurts to ask.

Any Linux will work, it's just a matter of which one provides native driver support out-of-the-box. Ubuntu is probably the most popular user-friendly Desktop Linux OS, most of hte other Linux distros have different design goals.

fire3500 · Mar 4, 2007, 06:06 PM

I'm finding Xubuntu quite fine under Parallels on my MacBook. Xubuntu has a more stripped down approach which skips a lot of the eye candy of Ubuntu and doesn't need so much resource. I'm running 6.10 and it's pretty good for speed and stability. The only issue I had was with the resolution of the MacBook screen, a quick Xorg.conf tweak later though and it's all good.

I'm looking forward to Parallels Linux tools, and ultimately a MacIntel Linux distribution!

/ic

marsbt · Mar 8, 2007, 12:33 AM

You can follow the status of Debian on a Macbook from their wiki Debian/Macbook I tried it long time ago, without boot camp and was able to get a terminal. Graphic drivers were a pain at that time (around Oct.) and I haven't had time to try again.

ghporter · Mar 8, 2007, 09:03 AM

Boot Camp will offer to load XP as part of the Boot Camp install process, but you need not do that-either with that OS or at that time. Once Boot Camp has produced the new partition, you can finish without loading ANYTHING. Now boot off the Linux (your preferred flavor) CD and load it into the new partition. Not hard but slightly tricky, since there are several partitions on your drive, and you have to pick the correct one or you'll hose up OS X.