Can You Download Linux On Mac



So, I have this MacBook that is approaching four years old, but I find that I’m not really using it these days. Then I had an idea. Why not take this aging MacBook that is probably already on borrowed time given Apple’s strict retirement policies as it pertains to hardware and give it new life with one of my favorite operating systems – Ubuntu Linux.

Prep your flash drive. The first thing you need to do is to find a spare flash drive of at least 2 Gb. Ubuntu GNOME, which is now the default flavour that has replaced Ubuntu Unity. Use it to partition your Mac Pro’s hard drive to make room for Linux. You can set the partition sizes to whatever you want; I left 100 GB for my Mac OS and 140 GB for Ubuntu. When the partitioning is done, quit BootCamp. Don’t let it to do anything else. Insert the Ubuntu CD you made into your Superdrive and reboot.

My goal is to install Ubuntu on a Mac to create a Linux laptop for me to be able to use around my home that I can use easily for both work and play. While I know I won’t do too much gaming on it, I should still be able to do everything I want to do, and that is enough.

Then I had another idea. Why not take this opportunity to show all of you how to do this while I’m at it. Linux is a great way to breathe new life into an aging laptop, and especially an aging Apple laptop. After all, you paid a lot of money for that laptop so you want to be able to use it for as long as you possibly can don’t you?

Today, let’s take a look at how to install Ubuntu on a MacBook Pro so you can see the step by step process for yourself before you start undertaking this type of change on your own. My hope is that you will find this guide helpful and useful to you as you move your Mac to the Linux platform and free it from the walled garden that is Apple’s Mac OS X.

1. What You Will Need

Before we get started, you will need a few things to get the job done. Luckily, our needs are pretty basic. So have a look at what you will need and then start gathering it all. I will walk you through how to get the Ubuntu ISO as part of this guide.

  • A MacBook Pro (of course)
  • Internet Connection
  • Ubuntu ISO
  • USB Stick with At Least 2 GB of Storage

2. Download Ubuntu

You can grab the Ubuntu ISO straight from their site. I would use the 64-bit version of the latest stable release, but you can choose whichever release you prefer. Once you have downloaded the ISO, make a note of where it is stored on your hard drive.

3. Build Your Bootable USB Stick

While you can create this manually, the easiest way to do it is to install Rufus. Rufus allows you to easily create bootable USB sticks with just a few clicks.

Linux Download Free For Windows

Using a PC

1. Plug in your USB stick.

2. Open Rufus.

3. Change the label to UBUNTU and make sure the scheme is set to “MBR partition scheme for BIOS or UEFI”.

4. Click the small CD/Hard Drive icon next to where it says “Create a bootable disk using…” and select your Ubuntu ISO that you downloaded.

5. Click Start.

6. It will then prompt you requesting to download Syslinux. Click Yes.

7. Select “Write in ISO Image mode (Recommended)” and click OK.

8. Click OK to accept that all data on the USB Stick will be destroyed to create a bootable Ubuntu USB stick.

9. When finished, eject your USB stick.

Using a Mac

If you don’t have a PC handy, you can always use the Mac OS X operating system you currently have installed to do the job.

1. Insert your USB and go to Applications > Utilities and launch Disk Utility.

2. Click on the USB drive in the left pane, then click the Partition tab and select 1 Partition from the drop down.

3. Create a name for the drive and then change the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

4. Click the Options Button and ensure that GUID Partition Table is selected and then click Ok.

5. Open Terminal and enter the following command replacing the generic path and names to suit your file locations:

6. Find the Device Node for the USB Drive.

7. Unmount the USB by running the following command:

8. Create your bootable USB by running the following command:

4. Install Ubuntu on Your MacBook Pro

Now it is time for the fun part. For this guide, we are completely replacing the existing Mac OS X on the MacBook and going with an Ubuntu only installation, but you can set it up in a dual boot scenario as well if you wish. You will have to forgive me as this is being done on a live Mac, my screenshots will be very few and far between as you can really take them during the process. I hope you understand.

  1. Insert your USB stick in your Mac.
  2. Restart your Mac and hold down the Option Key while it reboots.
  3. When you arrive at the Boot Selection screen, choose “EFI Boot” to select your bootable USB Stick.
  4. Select Install Ubuntu from the Grub boot screen.
  5. Select Your Language and click Continue.
  6. Click on “Install third-party software for graphics and Wi-Fi hardware, Flash, MP3 and other media.” Click Continue.
  7. Choose “Erase disk and install Ubuntu.” Click Install Now.
  8. Select Your Time zone and click Continue.
  9. Choose Your Keyboard Layout and click
  10. Enter your name, create a username and password and name your computer. Click Continue when finished.
  11. Wait for the installation to complete.
  12. Once the installation is complete, click the prompt saying Restart Now.
  13. Connect an Ethernet cable to your system to gain Internet access if it doesn’t find the Wi-Fi drivers.
  14. Run all Software Updates and restart your computer.

5. Get Wi-Fi Working

Chances are, the Wi-Fi on your Mac won’t work out the box. Don’t worry, you won’t have to go without wireless connectivity on your Mac just because you want to use Ubuntu. Follow the steps below to get Wi-Fi working.

  1. Make sure you are connected with an Ethernet cable to your network.
  2. Select the Broadcom driver listed in the Additional Drivers Tab and click Apply Changes.
  3. When the changes complete, close the app and restart your computer. Be patient, it may take a few minutes to make all the necessary changes.

6. Enjoy Ubuntu

Congratulations! You have now successfully installed Ubuntu onto your MacBook Pro and you can enjoy it and everything it has to offer when it comes to the world of free software right on your Mac. Now it is time to get to work tweaking your new installation of Ubuntu so you can enjoy it the way you want it. That, of course, is a guide for another day.

Although I do recommend you take the time to read a little more about all the freedom you actually have when you use Ubuntu. I think you will be glad you did, as the free world of Linux has so much to offer users from all types of backgrounds.

Conclusion

It wasn’t always easy to install Linux on a Mac, however today things are a little different. While there are a few extra steps to get everything working just right, in the end I believe it is worth it and it is a great way to breathe new life into your aging MacBook. As you know, Apple abandons their older tech pretty quickly, which could leave you out in the cold. But with Linux, you can keep using your MacBook or MacBook Pro for many years to come.

What did you think about this guide? Did you find it easy to follow or did you have issues? Let me know if this guide helped you out in the comments below and if you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will do my best to give you a hand. If you are looking for an alternative laptop for Ubuntu or other versions of Linux also feel free to browse our best Linux laptops guide.

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When the install has completed:

  • Remove the Linux OS Install CD/DVD.
  • Shut down the computer.
  • Install internal hard drive.
  • Enter the “Setup Menu”
  • Change the boot order to resemble. USB Device. Internal Hard drive.
  • Save settings and exit.
  • The computer will reboot so you can see the Post Screen (Let the system boot as normal)

Can I run Linux on an external hard drive?

Yes, you can have a full linux operating system installed on an external hdd. See these links, Boot Ubuntu from external drive. Installation/UEFI-and-BIOS.

Can I install Ubuntu on an external hard drive?

We have to create one on your hard drive. Plug in your external HDD and the Ubuntu Linux bootable USB stick. Boot with the Ubuntu Linux bootable USB stick using the option to try Ubuntu before installing. Run sudo fdisk -l to get a list of partitions.

How install Kali Linux on external hard drive?

Follow these steps:

  1. Get a partition software.
  2. Plug in the drive and the partition it to the size you prefer.
  3. Make sure to also make a swap partition .
  4. Download a copy of Kali Linux (make sure its Kali Linux 2 since the first ones repositories aren’t supported anymore).
  5. Next, to install the OS, you can:

Can I dual boot from an external hard drive?

You can install to the drive you boot from and it is not too difficult, see: In BIOS or UEFI make the external dive the first to boot, now if the external drive is plugged in you get a choice to boot Linux or Windows. If the external is not plugged Windows will boot.

Can an operating system run from an external drive?

An external hard drive is a storage device that does not sit inside the computer’s chassis. Instead, it connects to the computer via a USB port. Installing Windows OS on an external hard drive is very similar to installing Windows or any other operating system on an internal hard drive.

Can you install Linux on a USB drive?

The Universal USB Installer is easy to use. Simply choose a Live Linux Distribution, the ISO file, your Flash Drive and, Click Install. UNetbootin allows you to create bootable Live USB drives for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without burning a CD. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

How do I make my external hard drive bootable?

Make a Bootable External Hard Drive and Install Windows 7/8

  • Step 1: Format the Drive. Just place the flash drive in the USB port of your computer.
  • Step 2: Mount The Windows 8 ISO Image Into A Virtual Drive.
  • Step 3: Make The External Hard Disk Bootable.
  • Step 5: Boot Off The External Hard Drive or USB Flash Drive.

How do I install Ubuntu on a flash drive?

Install Ubuntu onto USB flash drive

  1. Download the 32-bit ISO of Ubuntu 11.04 Desktop and the Universal USB Installer.
  2. Double-click on Universal-USB-Installer-1.8.5.6.exe and after accepting the license agreement, select Ubuntu 11.04 from the drop-down list.
  3. Browse and select the Ubuntu 11.04 ISO file you just downloaded.

Can I install Ubuntu without CD or USB?

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You can use UNetbootin to install Ubuntu 15.04 from Windows 7 into a dual boot system without the use of a cd/dvd or a USB drive.

Can You Download Linux On Mac

How install only Kali Linux?

Download Kali Linux and either burn the ISO to DVD, or prepare a USB stick with Kali Linux Live as the installation medium.

Installation Prerequisites

  • A minimum of 20 GB disk space for the Kali Linux install.
  • RAM for i386 and amd64 architectures, minimum: 1GB, recommended: 2GB or more.
  • CD-DVD Drive / USB boot support.

Can you install VirtualBox on an external drive?

With it, you can install VirtualBox on a flash drive or an external hard drive. Any Windows computer you connect your drive to can then run the portable version of VirtualBox, allowing you to use your virtual machines anywhere and in the same configuration as you last used them.

How install Kali Linux on USB?

Creating a bootable Kali Linux USB key in a Linux environment is easy. Once you’ve downloaded and verified your Kali ISO file, you can use the dd command to copy it over to your USB stick using the following procedure. Note that you’ll need to be running as root, or to execute the dd command with sudo.

What size flash drive do I need to install Ubuntu?

To create a USB installation device, you will need:

  1. a 2 GB USB flash device/drive/stick. If the iso file is smaller than 1 GB, it is possible to use a 1 GB USB device, at least with some of the methods.
  2. an Ubuntu flavour ISO file (see GettingUbuntu to download it)

How do I install Linux on a flash drive?

It’s time to do something new.

  • Step 1: Create Bootable Linux Installation Media. Use your Linux ISO image file to create a bootable USB installation media.
  • Step 2: Create Partitions On Main USB Drive.
  • Step 3: Install Linux on USB Drive.
  • Step 4: Customize Lubuntu System.

How do I get rid of dual boot?

Follow these steps:

  1. Click Start.
  2. Type msconfig in the search box or open Run.
  3. Go to Boot.
  4. Select which Windows version you’d like to boot into directly.
  5. Press Set as Default.
  6. You can delete the earlier version by selecting it and then clicking Delete.
  7. Click Apply.
  8. Click OK.

Can I install Mac OS on an external hard drive?

Install, Boot, and Run Mac OS X From an External Hard Drive. Firstly, it allows you to run another copy of OS X without needing any additional Mac computer. Also, since you can run a full copy of OS X on the external drive, it can be used for troubleshooting purposes on other Macs or it can be as a kind of virtual OS X

Can I use external HDD as bootable USB?

Summary: Generally, to make an external hard drive bootable, you have three ways to go. EaseUS Todo Backup can help you create a bootable external hard drive with the minimum time and effort. In addition, you can also use CMD or the Windows built-in feature to make a bootable USB hard drive.

Can I install Windows XP on external hard drive?

Windows XP was built to run on internal system hard drives. It has no simple setup or configuration option to run on an external hard drive. It is possible to ”make” XP run on an external hard drive, but it involves a lot of tweaking, including making the external drive bootable and editing boot files.

How do I install Linux?

Installing Linux

  • Step 1) Download the .iso or the OS files on your computer from this link.
  • Step 2) download free, software like ‘Universal USB installer to make a bootable USB stick.
  • Step 3) Select an Ubuntu Distribution form the dropdown to put on your USB.
  • Step 4) Click YES to Install Ubuntu in USB.

How do I install Linux on a new hard drive?

When the install has completed:

  1. Remove the Linux OS Install CD/DVD.
  2. Shut down the computer.
  3. Install internal hard drive.
  4. Enter the “Setup Menu”
  5. Change the boot order to resemble. USB Device. Internal Hard drive.
  6. Save settings and exit.
  7. The computer will reboot so you can see the Post Screen (Let the system boot as normal)

How do I create a bootable USB drive for Linux?

How to Create a Bootable Linux USB Flash Drive, the Easy Way

  • A bootable USB drive is the best way to install or try Linux.
  • If the “Create a bootable disk using” option is grayed out, click the “File System” box and select “FAT32”.
  • Once you’ve selected the correct options, click the “Start” button to begin creating the bootable drive.

Can You Download Linux On A Mac

How do I install Ubuntu on a hard drive partition?

How to Boot an Ubuntu ISO from Your Hard Drive

  1. Download the bootable disc image from here.
  2. Install GRUB2 if it is not already installed. Type the following command into the terminal: sudo grub-install –root-directory=/media/grub2 /dev/sda .
  3. Add a menu entry for your Ubuntu ISO.
  4. Make make the custom menu entries active, run “sudo update-grub”

Install Ubuntu On Mac Mini

What are the steps to install Ubuntu?

Follow the steps below to install Ubuntu in dual boot with Windows:

  • Step 1: Create a live USB or disk. Download and create a live USB or DVD.
  • Step 2: Boot in to live USB.
  • Step 3: Start the installation.
  • Step 4: Prepare the partition.
  • Step 5: Create root, swap and home.
  • Step 6: Follow the trivial instructions.

How do I install Linux on my laptop?

Choose a boot option

  1. Step one: Download a Linux OS. (I recommend doing this, and all subsequent steps, on your current PC, not the destination system.
  2. Step two: Create a bootable CD/DVD or USB flash drive.
  3. Step three: Boot that media on the destination system, then make a few decisions regarding the installation.

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How install Kali Linux as main OS from USB?

  • Step 1: Downloading Kali. To install Kali, we will boot from an install disc turned USB drive.
  • Step 2a: Formatting the USB Drive (Windows)
  • Step 2b: Formatting the USB Drive (Linux)
  • Step 3: Writing the Installer to the USB.
  • Step 5: Boot.
  • Step 6: Partitioning.
  • Step 7: Install.
  • Step 4: Partitioning.

Can You Download Linux On Mac High Sierra

How install Kali Linux?

Kali Linux Installation Procedure

  1. To start your installation, boot with your chosen installation medium.
  2. Select your preferred language and then your country location.
  3. The installer will copy the image to your hard disk, probe your network interfaces, and then prompt you to enter a hostname for your system.

How install Kali Linux tools on Ubuntu?

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It will add Kali Linux repositories in your Ubuntu system, so that you can either install all pentesting tools at once or install only what is necessary.

Install Kali Linux Tools Using Katoolin

  • Add Kali repositories & update.
  • Categories.
  • Install ClassicMenu indicator.
  • Install Kali menu.

Photo in the article by “Flickr” https://www.flickr.com/photos/deniwlp84/19478314865

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