this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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32-bit distro suggestions for 2007 MacBook (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) by hellfire103@sopuli.xyz to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I have a MacBook (specifically a MacBook2,1 A1181) from 2007. I am currently dual-booting Mac OS X 10.6 and crunchbang++ 12 on it, but I feel that there could be something better. Here are the specs:

  • CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 (2) @ 2.167 GHz
  • Architecture: x86_64-v1 (but with 32-bit BIOS, so 64-bit Linux won't work)
  • Microarchitecture: Merom
  • GPU: Intel GMA 950
  • RAM: 3 GB
  • Disk: 140 GB HDD

This is not supposed to be a daily driver by any stretch. I have newer and more powerful machines than this, but I would still like to have something on it that means I can use it if need be.

As well as crunchbang++, I have also run Debian, Devuan, SparkyLinux, GNU Guix, Puppy Linux, Slackware, and Haiku in the past. I have tried to install several flavours of BSD, but it was too difficult to get dual-booting to work properly.

Despite the CPU being 64-bit, the distro MUST be 32-bit. This is because of the MacBook's BIOS, which prevents 64-bit bootloaders from working.

Not that it matters, as I can do this after installation, but I would be looking to run something like Enlightenment, Trinity, or spectrwm. I tried going CLI-only with Guix, but it wasn't the best experience.

Feel free to also recommend software that will run on a potato like this.

Thanks!

EDIT: Two users have told me how to get 64-bit Linux running on this machine. Debian apparently ships with 32-bit GRUB on the ISO, and there's a CLI tool to patch ISOs to make them work.

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[–] TCB13@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

What's the problem with running an older OSX? https://github.com/blueboxd/chromium-legacy

Despite the CPU being 64-bit, the distro MUST be 32-bit. This is because of the MacBook’s BIOS, which prevents 64-bit bootloaders from working.

That's the thing, you can run a 64-bit distro as long as you've a 32 bit grub starting it :) You run Debian 12 amd64 on a 32 bit EFI:

As of 2023 and Debian 12 the amd64 installation media (available in netinst form) includes the UEFI boot loaders necessary for both i386 and amd64 boot. By selecting "64-bit install" from the initial boot menu, debian-installer will install a 64-bit (amd64) version of Debian. The system will automatically detect that the underlying UEFI firmware is 32-bit and will install the appropriate version of grub-efi to work with it.

https://wiki.debian.org/UEFI#Support_for_mixed-mode_systems:_64-bit_system_with_32-bit_UEFI

Enjoy.

[–] hellfire103@sopuli.xyz 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

What's the problem with running an older OSX? https://github.com/blueboxd/chromium-legacy

I am running 10.6. Chromium Legacy is for 10.7 and above, and the same is true of a lot of software. Meanwhile, on my Linux partition, I can have Firefox Nightly if I want. It'll run heavily, but it's possible.

As it happens, I do have a somewhat recent browser installed in OSX, but it's not great.

Also, running an older OS like that isn't a good idea, as it won't have received security patches or microcode updates.

That's the thing, you can run a 64-bit distro as long as you've a 32 bit grub starting it :)

I hadn't quite considered that somebody had implemented this. Thanks for the info!

There was also another user who gave me a link to some software that modifies mixed-mode ISOs so that they will boot on my potato laptop.

[–] TCB13@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

I am running 10.6. Chromium Legacy is for 10.7 and above

Can't you run 10.7 on that laptop? It seems like you can, and that will greatly improve your software situation. Another thing to consider is to replace the HDD with an SSD. That computer will run any SATA drive (I've tested with modern WD blue drives), just grab something like 250GB for 30€ and enjoy speed.

There was also another user who gave me a link to some software that modifies mixed-mode ISOs so that they will boot on my potato laptop.

Yes but Debian provides that out-of-the-box and officially supported. That means everything will work fine and as stable as Debian is usually.

[–] jvrava9@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 10 months ago

Arch 32bit? https://archlinux32.org/

[–] bismuthbob@sopuli.xyz 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Something a bit more out-of-the-box: I used to run 64-bit linux on a 2,1 Macbook Pro. Similar specs, including the same RAM ceiling. The isos are a bit out of date, but you can always install one and then upgrade from there. https://mattgadient.com/linux-dvd-images-and-how-to-for-32-bit-efi-macs-late-2006-models/

[–] hellfire103@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 months ago

Whoa! Thank you!

[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 3 points 10 months ago

I had a similar conundrum: what to use on a Thinkpad X60s, which is a Core Duo machine. I tried Arch 32, but after trying Debian, I stuck with the latter.

I usually only use it as a dumb terminal via SSH, but Debian was just sort of... easier.

[–] Frederic@beehaw.org 3 points 10 months ago

Pretty sure you can run MX Linux 32bits on it

[–] bruhduh@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Debian, gentoo, mx linux, antix linux

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 10 months ago

openSUSE Tumbleweed still supports 32bit x86.

[–] spider@lemmy.nz 1 points 10 months ago

but I would be looking to run something like...Trinity

Have a look at Q4OS.