Modern Ubuntu is KILLER on old Intel Macs!

Today we're installing the latest Ubuntu Linux on an old 11" Macbook Air. How does it compare to running MacOS Catalina on it, which is the last officially supported MacOS?

More importantly, which is better for playing Minecraft?

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#Mac #Ubuntu #Linux

[curious]

That moment of uncertainty when it doesn't turn on immediately lmao

[DouglasWalrath]

in classicube the FPS mode was set to limit to vsync, which limits the FPS to the refresh rate of the monitor

[dosdude]

This thing absolutely needs my custom 16GB RAM upgrade done LOL. Also, it CAN be upgraded to a quad-core i7 CPU (either 3615QE or 3612QE)... Though I'm not sure that's the best idea in the Air, as it'd run REALLY hot.

[tarajoe]

I used a MacBook air for a time and discovered that MacOS would stop even trying to run a network stack if you changed static IP addresses. I promptly installed Ubuntu on it and was floored how much better of an OS it was for the hardware. The battery life was almost double

[golimonkey]

PS. For some reason Minecraft f3 debug screen is known to kill a few frames on old pcs. It really runs smoother if you disable it.

[microcolonel]

The funny thing about this machine is, there's still plenty of room in that chassis, and it accepts full length user-replaceable SSDs, even though they sabotaged the chassis volume by making it wedge shaped... but now they've completely eliminated user replaceable storage on laptops with twice the chassis volume.

[UpLateGeek]

I had the 13" version of the 2012 air, I even splashed out for the upgrade to 8GB RAM. It was my triumphant return to Mac OS since my 2005 12" Powerbook G4, which I had reluctantly sold a number of years earlier, before I started getting into vintage/retro computers. That 2012 air got me through most of university, it really was the perfect machine for the job. I've still got it, but haven't powered it on in years. My current laptop is a much more powerful 15" MBP from 2015 (with AMD GPU!) that I got for free from work because they were going to send it to e-waste. The only thing wrong with it was they were missing the power supply, so a quick trip to the electronic bay website and after a couple of days waiting for it to arrive, I had a fully working machine.

[shehanum]

I loved owning the 11" back in the day. It was such a cool little computer to tote around. It is really cool to see it have a new lease on life with Linux... it gives me the itch to go get one just to do what Sean did on his, but I need another old laptop like a hole in my head.

[MarcoGPUtuber]

Few years ago I used to install Ubuntu for PowerPC on my old Macs for fun. Linux is great for adding software support to macs that Apple has abandoned.

[TheDemocrab]

Fun fact: Considering that has an Intel HD 4000 iGPU, you're also getting a higher maximum supported OpenGL version.
I recommend downloading Prism Launcher and using one of the modpacks that just has the various optimisation tools built in, I'd wager you'll manage to get Minecraft running quite well on that machine then.

[CoffeeOnRails]

I find Linux does wonders for speeding up older computers. I've swapped to it from Windows 10 on my main desktop (Kubuntu 22.04, Ryzen 5 1600, GTX1060, 16GB RAM, PCIe AIC SSD) and the difference is amazing. I remember doing a similar thing back in 2010 with Ubuntu 10.04 on my Atom Netbook. It's amazing how far Ubuntu has come since then.
10.04 was when Ubuntu really started looking good too, IMO.

[trylleklovn]

Replacing the thermal paste on old laptops can also often help a lot, since it often dries out and the cpu then starts throttling.

[angelinastone]

Decided to go out and get my hands on one of these little Macbooks, Installed Pop!OS on it and have not looked back.
I'm very happy I came across this video and finally have a travel sized laptop for all my Linux needs!

[PlanetLinuxChannel]

I have a mid 2015 MacBook Pro which was remarkably *fine* back in the day (quad-core i7 (4th gen I think) with integrated graphics). Decided to retire macOS and have turned it into my Linux testing machine for my Linux YouTube channel. It’s fantastic hardware that runs Linux wonderfully! (Other than just a couple Arch-based distros done recognize the wi-fi for some reason, but pretty much everything else has absolutely no issues.)

[guyhornbeck]

Thanks for posting this video. I have a 2013 11" MacBook Air with 4 GB of RAM and a 250 GB SSD. I followed your recommendation and installed Ubuntu, however I was unable to get the camera or WIFI to work. I tried several other distros and eventually settled on Linux Mint Matte. Camera ans WIFI work flawlessly. I am very pleased with my repurposed Apple relic.

[chyldstudios]

I also have Ubuntu installed on some older Macs. Works like a charm.

[roberthazelby]

Great video. I have Linux Mint installed on a 2008 White Core 2 duo MacBook. It has 2 gigs of RAM and a 256gb SSD. It mainly comes with me to Amiga meets so I can transfer files between more modern systems and my Amigas.

[davidrobb]

Oh man, this video speaks to me. I had an 11" MacBook Air of about that vintage, and I absolutely loved that thing. And when I replaced it in every day use with a newer 13" MacBook Air, naturally I installed Linux on it (Kubuntu being my preference for desktops and laptops) to keep it some measure of useful for longer... which turned out to be much more useful for much longer than I thought. Literally the only reason I'm not still using it is because it completely died a few months ago.

[Francois_L_]

I'm impressed by how easy it was to open, especially when I compare it to my Acer netbook where the access panel on the bottom leads to nowhere! To add memory I had to remove the bottom screws, remove the keyboard making sure I don't break the connector, unscrew the top, crack-open the side clips, unscrew the shield and there was the memory chip.

[sjgrall]

Funny you mention this: I made an Ubuntu VM for giggles, and was shocked at how fast it is. One of my non-tech friends has Ubuntu on his laptop, so I figured it was time I actually learn more about it. After seeing how fast it is, I figured this would be a good option for some folks to get more life out of some older Also, Nyan Cat to run down the battery made my moment. 😸