Installing Linux Mint On My 2006 MacBook

rikerjoe

rikerjoe

Tinkerer
Oct 31, 2021
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Check the specs on your MacBook to confirm if it is a 32-bit CPU and 32-bit EFI. Most distros are now 64-bit in both which won’t work on 32-bit architecture. In the link that @phungus provided, I was dealing with a 64-bit CPU and 32-bit EFI which makes the installation trickier. If you are 32-bit across the board, find the appropriate 32-bit Linux Mint install and go for it.
 
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JackAHyde

JackAHyde

New Tinkerer
Jun 5, 2025
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I know I'm a bit late on this, but I'm seconding what rlkerJoe said about the 32-bit EFI. I believe if you have a Core Duo (not Core 2 Duo), then a 32-bit install should be perfect for that system. I can confirm that the 64-bit CPU and 32-bit EFI made everything a giant pain if you attempt to install almost any Linux distro without first being aware of that issue.

I did find a strange workaround for getting Linux on a mid-2000s MacBook with a 64-bit CPU and 32-bit EFI with minimal issues, although considering the whole 32-bit EFI thing, I'm still not sure why it works:
  • Take a spare drive you have lying around
  • Throw the drive into a 64-bit laptop or computer you have lying around (I used a ThinkPad my friend offloaded to me way back)
  • Install Linux on the drive as normal
  • Take out the drive with the Linux installation on it
  • Put the drive into the MacBook and it should boot Linux with no problems
The only caveat is that I wiped the drive during the install process. If you're thinking of dual booting an older OS X, I don't know how that would work, although it should still be perfectly possible in theory. Again, I'm not sure why booting Linux this way ever worked for me, but I swear it did. I no longer own the ThinkPad in question to try it again, however.

For what it's worth, I tested this with a mid-2007 Core 2 Duo (Black MacBook).
 
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