It usually all works except the wifi in some models. The driver exists, and it's an available download in the official repos (just not in live cds, due to licensing), as long as you have a usb-to-ethernet adapter to install it. However, with Mint 22 I noticed that the wifi driver was finally included in the kernel and livecd by default.
Things to try: a different brand cable, an hdmi-switcher.
I have the mid-2011 model, but that one has only 4 GB RAM. For 8 GB RAM you need to get to 2014 model or so. As long as it's Macbook Air with 8 GB RAM and 11.6 screen, you're in business.
Your best bet is an Intel Macbook Air with 11.6" screen from a few years ago. They're even lighter and smaller than the current macbook airs. I have one myself running Linux Mint 22. Just make sure it has 8 GB of RAM (it works with 4 GB too, but you can't have too many tabs open). They sell for $200 refurbished.
Linux mint will install and run from a usb drive as long as you unmount it upon loading its live version. Then it will allow to install on it during the installation procedure. I have an old Mac Mini and an old Macbook Air running Mint 22 that way.
If the PC you're building has the latest and greatest hardware in it, you might find that Linux might not support that stuff yet. You might get lucky, but you might not either. It usually takes a little while to get new hardware supported. So it might be a better idea to install Linux on your older computer, then there's no reason to buy a new PC anyway. Linux uses about half the RAM that Windows uses, for example, so it's like you did an upgrade anyway. As long as you have over 4 GB of RAM, you're fine for desktop usage. Windows requires 8 to run as well that Linux does at 4. You'd only need to upgrade if you're after extreme gaming support.
Depending which version of the MacPro you have exactly, that machine from 2010 is around the speed, or slightly faster, than a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GBs of RAM these days. The problem is the energy consumption, not really a green machine to run.
Naaah... you know enough by now. Just try to replace Windows from your friends' PCs with Linux. And tell them to do the same soon too.
In that case, if it's just CLI, you don't need a new computer. Use your phone or tablet to ssh inside your main Linux computer.
Raspberry Pis are also ARM-based, and you can use them as desktops. Only problems are that they aren't very powerful for media usage (e.g. video editing, 4k video decoding on youtube, blender etc). If you're not into such high performance media production, then sure, they're fine for everyday usage.
You can always provide them with enough standardized APIs that don't break, to make them useful. The situation that's right now is unacceptable.
DaVinci Resolve does not support Intel cards under Linux. Not iGPU, and not even the DEDICATED Intel cards. No Intel at all.