Slackware 13.37 on 2007 Macbook
07/02/12 19:31
My macbook mostly sits beside my comfy chair in the lounge. It rarely sees any real use - for quick internet info (answers to "Millionaire" questions, looking up well-known faces on the telly etc) I use an iPad.
On the odd occasion I do use it, it is likely to just play a game.
To make the thing more useful, I decided to explore the use of Slackware 13.37 (32 bit) on it.
I had no expectations when I started researching Linux on (older) macbooks, but I soon found plenty of info for dual booting (and even triple booting with Windows in the mix) Mac OS X and Linux.
I have a 60g SSD in the macbook, so disk space is a little tight, but I figure I can always put the 250G seagate drive back in it.
Method is pretty simple:
1. Re-partition your existing drive to make room for the Linux operating system.
I made a 14gig partition for Slackware. I made it a fat partition, and I did it with the Disk Utility on Mac OS X. You can boot the macbook into Slackware and do it from the installation script, but I prefer to work with native tools when I can.
2. Download rEFIt
rEFIt is an efi boot manager. I downloaded the .dmg from the site and ran the installer. Then I read the instructions, and ran the script it told me I should run to enable rEFIt. Done that, and rebooted. The rEFIt menu came up. At this point, you should choose the "partition tool" in the rEFIt menu and sync the partition tables.
I then chose the Mac OS X bootable drive (only choice that showed up!) and it booted and all my data was there. (and yes, I did back up before doing any of this!)
3. Place the Linux install DVD in the dvd drive and reboot, holding down the "c" key when the computer boots. (rEFIt also would have allowed booting from the Install DVD)
If all is well with your DVD, it will boot and put you into the Slackware install procedure. When logged in as root, run "gparted", make the Linux partition active, change it's type to "Dos fat bootable" and save the changes.
4. Start the Slackware install.
When offered the partition list, format it - I chose ext2 because I did not want a journal, you choose whatever you like - and then start the install as normal. Install Lilo on the MBR as usual.
5. Follow the install script until it ends.
6. Reboot.
7. rEFIt should kick in and give you the option of Mac OS X or Linux. Your choice.
What works:
Ethernet (cabled)
Sound
Trackpad
WiFi after the usual slackware shenanigans of enabling it in the rc.inetd.conf file.
All in all, I am happy with my experiment. In the future I will replace the 60gig SSD with a larger drive - it will slow things down, but I think the extra storage will come in handy.
Edit: My Linux drive boots every second time I choose it, not every time I choose it. I don't know why, but I may try to find out one day.
On the odd occasion I do use it, it is likely to just play a game.
To make the thing more useful, I decided to explore the use of Slackware 13.37 (32 bit) on it.
I had no expectations when I started researching Linux on (older) macbooks, but I soon found plenty of info for dual booting (and even triple booting with Windows in the mix) Mac OS X and Linux.
I have a 60g SSD in the macbook, so disk space is a little tight, but I figure I can always put the 250G seagate drive back in it.
Method is pretty simple:
1. Re-partition your existing drive to make room for the Linux operating system.
I made a 14gig partition for Slackware. I made it a fat partition, and I did it with the Disk Utility on Mac OS X. You can boot the macbook into Slackware and do it from the installation script, but I prefer to work with native tools when I can.
2. Download rEFIt
rEFIt is an efi boot manager. I downloaded the .dmg from the site and ran the installer. Then I read the instructions, and ran the script it told me I should run to enable rEFIt. Done that, and rebooted. The rEFIt menu came up. At this point, you should choose the "partition tool" in the rEFIt menu and sync the partition tables.
I then chose the Mac OS X bootable drive (only choice that showed up!) and it booted and all my data was there. (and yes, I did back up before doing any of this!)
3. Place the Linux install DVD in the dvd drive and reboot, holding down the "c" key when the computer boots. (rEFIt also would have allowed booting from the Install DVD)
If all is well with your DVD, it will boot and put you into the Slackware install procedure. When logged in as root, run "gparted", make the Linux partition active, change it's type to "Dos fat bootable" and save the changes.
4. Start the Slackware install.
When offered the partition list, format it - I chose ext2 because I did not want a journal, you choose whatever you like - and then start the install as normal. Install Lilo on the MBR as usual.
5. Follow the install script until it ends.
6. Reboot.
7. rEFIt should kick in and give you the option of Mac OS X or Linux. Your choice.
What works:
Ethernet (cabled)
Sound
Trackpad
WiFi after the usual slackware shenanigans of enabling it in the rc.inetd.conf file.
All in all, I am happy with my experiment. In the future I will replace the 60gig SSD with a larger drive - it will slow things down, but I think the extra storage will come in handy.
Edit: My Linux drive boots every second time I choose it, not every time I choose it. I don't know why, but I may try to find out one day.
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