Embracing Early Intel

[rampancy]

Interesting about the ATI failures. I never heard much about those failing but I was never into Macs around that time. They look like a fun project though.

This is admittedly anecdotal, but after looking into the GPU failures on the MBP to see if my own daily driver Mac at the time was vulnerable, I saw that there was a lot of talk on places like xlr8yourmac and the Apple support forums about GPU failures with 2006/7 MacBook Pros. Usually after about 1-2 years of use.

It seemed like the only difference between these Macs and the 2008 MBPs was that the likelihood of GPU failure was less certain.

 

[rampancy]

Sorry for being nitpicky but A1150/A1151 are the Core Duos, the C2Ds being A1211/A1212.

Ah thanks! I've now fixed my original post.

 

[rampancy]

I gotta say though, I really do owe a debt of gratitude to the Macintosh Garden for hosting a download of the Universal Binary version of EV Nova, as well as downloads of all of Unsanity's products.

A real rush of nostalgia came up when I loaded up all of the old Haxies I bought (especially WindowShade X) on my black A1181 Core Duo MacBook. It felt so naughty...

 

[eyoungren]

I gotta say though, I really do owe a debt of gratitude to the Macintosh Garden for hosting a download of the Universal Binary version of EV Nova, as well as downloads of all of Unsanity's products.

A real rush of nostalgia came up when I loaded up all of the old Haxies I bought (especially WindowShade X) on my black A1181 Core Duo MacBook. It felt so naughty...

I can remember buying an early version of their labels haxie in order to get labels back on Jaguar - then the heartbreak of realizing it didn't work like I was expecting it to. Then, when labels got brought back in stock OS, it became a dead product.

I used Shapeshifter on 10.4 the most though. Only to find the blue screen once I upgraded to Leopard, and then having to use TDM to remove APE. I had hope that Shapeshifter would make the jump to Leopard but alas, the company folded shortly after that.

Unsanity had a small period of time where it was dominating. I just wish they'd managed to survive and adapt. The company that makes Flavours is following a similar path I think.

 

[MacFoxG4]

Decided to experiment with Linux on this Mac. I was curious to see how “modern” I could make this Mac. I installed rEFInd first since I had seen it recommended in various guides online. The install went very well. I also erased the Lion partition and reformatted it as FAT32, per one of the guides I had read online. This left me with just Leopard, which I used to run the rEFInd install script. I then tried to make a bootable lubuntu USB flash drive/SD card because I don’t have any blank DVDs at the moment, but no matter what method I tried, the result was the same: an error message saying something along the lines of “Apple’s firmware has issues booting legacy OS’s from external hard drives.” I then burned an ISO of Ubuntu mini to a CD, but when I tried to boot from it, I got a different error message saying to insert a bootable disk.



I was about to give up when I remembered that I still had my DVD of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (64-bit), which I made a couple years ago for my Lenovo Ideapad. I couldn’t boot from it at first, getting a message asking me to pick a CD-ROM boot type, but not being able to type anything. Looking around online I found a trick to get past this screen and continue to the installer. After selecting the DVD from the rEFInd boot screen and hitting enter, I held down the 1 key and hit enter a few times whenever the screen cuts to black. The first couple times I tried it, it didn’t work. I either ended up at the same message unable to go forward or I would accidentally skip past the main menu and end up at the Ubuntu desktop, but with no icons on screen. The Ubuntu desktop wouldn’t show up on the built-in display, so I had to hook up the MBP to my multi-sync monitor in order to even see the desktop. Sometimes I would get to the main menu, but I couldn’t use the keyboard. Somehow, after a few more attempts, I reached the main menu with the keyboard usable now. Having read that some users needed to use the nomodeset boot option to get things working correctly, I selected that option and then selected “install Ubuntu.” A few minutes later I was at the desktop and the icons were visible now (still needed to use the multi-sync monitor in order to see the desktop though). I ran the installer and Ubuntu installed successfully. I then hit restart and after exiting the desktop and the DVD being ejected, I got stuck at a purple screen with a blinking cursor. I waited about 10 minutes before giving up and doing a hard shutdown. I turned the Mac back on and saw that there were two entries for Ubuntu plus one for Leopard. I selected the second Ubuntu entry and was taken to the GRUB menu. While I was there I noticed that there were two Mac OS X entries, “Mac OS X(32 bit)” and “Mac OS X(64 bit)”, not sure why it’s like that. Anyway, I booted into Ubuntu from GRUB and was successful. I discovered that I didn’t need to use the multi-sync monitor anymore, I could use the built-in display now. I connected to the internet to run updates and then tested some programs out. The version of Firefox on here is 83 and it runs pretty well. In-browser YouTube playback is smooth at 360p. I discovered that the Discord desktop app works on here too as well as VLC. I edited GRUB to remove the nomodeset parameter and Ubuntu seems to be getting along fine with the Radeon GPU.



I’ve always been quite fond of Ubuntu 18. I used it for about a year or two on my Ideapad, but stopped using it because I needed Windows 10 for specific tasks and every time I booted Windows from GRUB, Windows would become very unstable. I had to change the boot order in my BIOS settings every time I wanted to use Windows 10. I am amazed that Ubuntu 18 runs on this Mac as well as it does. I have not tried booting OS X from GRUB, so I don’t know if OS X has the same problems as Windows 10 does with GRUB.



There are some downsides though. You need a two-button mouse to use the right-click menu (ctrl+click doesn’t work here). Screenshots have to be taken using the PrtSc key, which doesn’t exist on Mac keyboards, so you have to hookup a PC keyboard in order to take a screenshot. Ubuntu does feel a bit sluggish sometimes, which is to be expected given that I am running it on a 2006-vintage C2D. I ordered some blank DVD+Rs and I am thinking of trying lubuntu or Xubuntu and seeing how they perform on here. Ubuntu 18 is usable, but I am worried about how much system resources it is consuming given my Macs specs.



I do not plan on abandoning OS X for Linux, I just wanted to experiment with Linux on here and see how it did and it is doing pretty well.

 

[TheShortTimer]

I do not plan on abandoning OS X for Linux, I just wanted to experiment with Linux on here and see how it did and it is doing pretty well.

Windows and then my misadventures with (desktop) Linux brought me to OS X.

Xubuntu and Lubuntu are much lighter on system resources than Ubuntu but I remember that they slow down if you install software that requires the Gnome desktop. Give Linux Mint a go - that's my fave desktop distro and I've installed it for relatives as a safe and secure replacement for Windows, especially in situations where XP had been their OS.

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Just today I was considering trying dual-booting El Cap with Linux on my Mid 2009 MacBook just to see how it would be. I don't know about if it would be worth it, as I already have other systems that I run Linux on (such as my ThinkPad T530, which happily runs Ubuntu Cinnamon). I'm definitely considering it though.

 

[bobesch]

The trick about different operating systems is, if they can help you organize and solve your life and problems, not to be the problem itself.
In my situation and opinion Windows to me has been more on the being-more-a-problem-than-the-cure side, compared to Mac/OSX - especially, when it comes to backups, connectivity, networking, filesharing etc. Feels more intuitive and less complicated. CCC and SuperDuper! are unparalleled.
But since my nature seems to be looking for problems and also causing thems too, I've ended with a bunch of mixed legacy Win&Mac hard&software and a life of tinkering instead of living the Zen-Of-Mac, having only one machine and a bunch of valid backups/backup-clones (that's, what I've started with on my migration to Mac in '09)
To me for a long time Linux has been an object of mystery and desire, but I didn't dare to put any egg into it's nest, since I always had to face the problem how to deal with root-file-system, the secrets of file-partitioning, the jumble of update- and kernel-remnants left in the tiny boot partition and the final question, how to find a modus vivendi for reliable system-backups. I don't want to say, that a lot of solutions do exist - but they are harder to find, that on an (even) old PPC Mac.
So finally for me it's all it should be all about focussing on having the OS solving instead of causing problems.
In a l'art pour l'art way of approaching computers unfortunately I'm not about to find my real life-balance ... so maybe I'm gonna give Linux another try somehow sometime 😄

 

[rampancy]

To me for a long time Linux has been an object of mystery and desire, but I didn't dare to put any egg into it's nest, since I always had to face the problem how to deal with root-file-system, the secrets of file-partitioning, the jumble of update- and kernel-remnants left in the tiny boot partition and the final question, how to find a modus vivendi for reliable system-backups.

To be honest, I found myself in the same situation when I made the jump from OS 9 to OS X; while adjusting to a different OS paradigm is intimidating, the journey is not impossible, and at times, it's even fun.

Granted, not everyone has the time to faff about learning about editng GRUB to deal with booting issues, nor do they have the energy to cope with having to fiddle around with drivers to get simple things like sound and WiFi to work properly, if they even work at all.

 

[z970]

Just a little interjection ...

@bobesch Were those points about Linux you listed questions to discover on your own, or did you actually want them answered?

@rampancy Of all the British words I've ever heard, "faff" is far and away my favorite. I've never heard a funnier-sounding phrase.

 

[reukiodo]

With the really early MacBooks stuck with 10.6 or 10.7, I usually install Windows 10 as it runs very well (with GPU drivers and all) and supports all modern software. Linux runs relatively well on them also, but lacks in certain areas, such as keyboard and trackpad support, where Win10 has Apple drivers to use.

 

[bobesch]

Just a little interjection ...

@bobesch Were those points about Linux you listed questions to discover on your own, or did you actually want them answered?

No - that are not questions that I want to be answered currently. That are just the problems I've encountered so far and that stopped my further engagement in Linux, and I know, where to start at ...
So far I had/have only Linux virtual machines for experimenting (except from a RasPi, that currently sits in a drawer...) - no desperate need to revive an old machine, that is otherwise rendered to uselessness and currently I'm trying more to focus on my work than on the tools ...
But when times come I would really appreciate help!

 

[z970]

@bobesch When the times do come, I will be here for you my friend.

 

[Amethyst1]

In a l'art pour l'art way of approaching computers unfortunately I'm not about to find my real life-balance ... so maybe I'm gonna give Linux another try somehow sometime 😄

There's this saying of yesteryear (no idea where it came from) that goes a bit like "I love Linux. I installed it on my computer and nothing works - which means I've now got lots of time to spend with my family, friends etc."

 

[MacFoxG4]

The trick about different operating systems is, if they can help you organize and solve your life and problems, not to be the problem itself.
In my situation and opinion Windows to me has been more on the being-more-a-problem-than-the-cure side, compared to Mac/OSX - especially, when it comes to backups, connectivity, networking, filesharing etc. Feels more intuitive and less complicated. CCC and SuperDuper! are unparalleled.
But since my nature seems to be looking for problems and also causing thems too, I've ended with a bunch of mixed legacy Win&Mac hard&software and a life of tinkering instead of living the Zen-Of-Mac, having only one machine and a bunch of valid backups/backup-clones (that's, what I've started with on my migration to Mac in '09)
To me for a long time Linux has been an object of mystery and desire, but I didn't dare to put any egg into it's nest, since I always had to face the problem how to deal with root-file-system, the secrets of file-partitioning, the jumble of update- and kernel-remnants left in the tiny boot partition and the final question, how to find a modus vivendi for reliable system-backups. I don't want to say, that a lot of solutions do exist - but they are harder to find, that on an (even) old PPC Mac.
So finally for me it's all it should be all about focussing on having the OS solving instead of causing problems.
In a l'art pour l'art way of approaching computers unfortunately I'm not about to find my real life-balance ... so maybe I'm gonna give Linux another try somehow sometime 😄

I'm kind of the same way. I know I should just stick to one OS/platform to make things easier on myself, but the temptation to experiment becomes too great and I end up playing around with different OS setups. Whenever these experiments go awry, I think to myself how I should have just stuck to the OS I had before instead of messing around with a different OS.

 

[Amethyst1]

I know I should just stick to one OS/platform to make things easier on myself, but the temptation to experiment becomes too great and I end up playing around with different OS setups.

Same here but I never mess with my main system - so if something goes kaput it's just a VM or a secondary box.

 

[rampancy]

Speaking of Linux, this marks the second week I'm spending using Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS as my daily driver on my MacBook 4,1.

I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. With the exception of the iSight camera, everything works out of the box. WiFi, sound, graphics drivers...even Bluetooth audio. (And getting the iSight to work didn't take much effort.) Installation was as easy as running my system off of a burned ISO. I admit this probably sounds a little basic to people who've been running Linux on their older hardware for a while, but whenever I've tried to boot and install Ubuntu, Mint, or Lubuntu on my older MacBooks, it's always ended up failing miserably. For example, running the Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS installer from my burned vanilla DVD .ISO worked perfectly, yet when I did the same with Lubuntu 20.04.1 LTS I got a "Boot Device Not Found" error. WTF?

My usualy UI niggles with Ubuntu aside, my main problem is that in my experience there doesn't seem to be an easy way to do this with the Macs that arguably need this kind of upgrade the most: '06-'07 Intel Macs with 32-bit EFI, especially Core Duo equipped models. I've tried almost all of the modded .ISOs from mattgadient.com and nothing would work; they'd all just boot to a black screen with a flashing cursor. Maybe there's something I've missed?

 

[rampancy]

Windows and then my misadventures with (desktop) Linux brought me to OS X.

Xubuntu and Lubuntu are much lighter on system resources than Ubuntu but I remember that they slow down if you install software that requires the Gnome desktop. Give Linux Mint a go - that's my fave desktop distro and I've installed it for relatives as a safe and secure replacement for Windows, especially in situations where XP had been their OS.

This is a major problem that I have had with Linux, though it's gotten much better in recent years. I'd hear about a nifty piece of software recommended on a FOSS/Ubuntu blog, or on the Ubuntu forums, and lo and behold, it's a KDE app -- so it pulls in like 1.2+ GB of dependencies, all to install and run a music player.

 

[Amethyst1]

I'd hear about a nifty piece of software recommended on a FOSS/Ubuntu blog, or on the Ubuntu forums, and lo and behold, it's a KDE app -- so it pulls in like 1.2+ GB of dependencies, all to install and run a music player.

Development of Gnome was begun because some were unhappy with the license terms of the libraries KDE was built on. But yeh, it can be annoying. That's the way it is.

 

[RogerWilco6502]

Speaking of Linux, this marks the second week I'm spending using Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS as my daily driver on my MacBook 4,1.

I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. With the exception of the iSight camera, everything works out of the box. WiFi, sound, graphics drivers...even Bluetooth audio. (And getting the iSight to work didn't take much effort.) Installation was as easy as running my system off of a burned ISO. I admit this probably sounds a little basic to people who've been running Linux on their older hardware for a while, but whenever I've tried to boot and install Ubuntu, Mint, or Lubuntu on my older MacBooks, it's always ended up failing miserably. For example, running the Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS installer from my burned vanilla DVD .ISO worked perfectly, yet when I did the same with Lubuntu 20.04.1 LTS I got a "Boot Device Not Found" error. WTF?

My usualy UI niggles with Ubuntu aside, my main problem is that in my experience there doesn't seem to be an easy way to do this with the Macs that arguably need this kind of upgrade the most: '06-'07 Intel Macs with 32-bit EFI, especially Core Duo equipped models. I've tried almost all of the modded .ISOs from mattgadient.com and nothing would work; they'd all just boot to a black screen with a flashing cursor. Maybe there's something I've missed?

ooo, cool! I'm still debating about installing Linux on my MacBook 5,2. I think I might, probably Xubuntu if anything.

 

[TheShortTimer]

Development of Gnome was begun because some were unhappy with the license terms of the libraries KDE was built on. But yeh, it can be annoying. That's the way it is.

It was particularly annoying for me running Xubuntu - for the very reason that it's designed to provide a lighter resource load for less powerful machines, only to end up with KDE and/or Gnome being downloaded - and then run in the background if you installed software that required their desktops. Every time it happened, I sighed to myself: "Not again!" 😫

 

[Amethyst1]

It was particularly annoying for me running Xubuntu - for the very reason that it's designed to provide a lighter resource load for less powerful machines

Xubuntu isn't as lightweight as it could be - I prefer to start with a gui-less Ubuntu server and then only install the base Xfce4 packages, paying attention not to pull in anything that depends on Gnome/KDE.

 

[MacFoxG4]

My usualy UI niggles with Ubuntu aside, my main problem is that in my experience there doesn't seem to be an easy way to do this with the Macs that arguably need this kind of upgrade the most: '06-'07 Intel Macs with 32-bit EFI, especially Core Duo equipped models. I've tried almost all of the modded .ISOs from mattgadient.com and nothing would work; they'd all just boot to a black screen with a flashing cursor. Maybe there's something I've missed?

The 32-bit EFI is a pain. Despite the Core 2 Duo being a 64-bit processor, my MBP uses a 32-bit EFI. The trick I used to get the Ubuntu 18 Live DVD to boot was to hold down the 1 key after selecting the DVD from the rEFInd menu and press the enter key a few times. This trick doesn't seem to work with the Mint 20 ISO though. I switched to MX Linux, which has a 32-bit bootloader in addition to the 64-bit one, and it works pretty well for me.

 

[z970]

Debian offers a Mac-specific build of their stable and testing images configured just for the 32-bit hybrid EFI Macs.

The last time I tried it on an '06 iMac, I had no issues to speak of. I am unaware if Ubuntu offers anything similar.

Index of /cdimage/release/current/amd64/iso-cd

 

[TheShortTimer]

I came across this guide a couple of years ago for installing Fedora on MacBook 4,1's. My thesis supervisor was going to gift me his retired "black book" but COVID-19 has delayed that. When I eventually do get my hands on it, I'm going to follow the guide and see how I get on.