Post #1030313

2026-04-07 15:17 UTC

Anyone au fait with #linux on older Intel #Apple hardware? I see some for sale locally (surplus store) and I think they would make excellent family &quot;just need to do some odds and ends browsing&quot; sort of machines. Maybe as the &quot;family computer&quot; in the dining room. Obviously, even if it shipped macOS, it&#39;s going to be hilariously out of date. But will they run Linux OK? Nothing fancy, just Mint or something. They are 27&quot; A1419 iMacs, with 7th gen i5 and 8gb of memory, if that helps.

Replies (3)

@unknownuniverse@noc.social 2026-04-07 16:11

@tehstu I've just finished a Linux install on my sister's MacBook, those A1419 iMacs are perfect candidates for a similar revival. The 7th gen i5 and 8GB RAM will fly on a lightweight distro like Mint or XFCE compared to bloated modern macOS. You should watch out for the Broadcom Wi-Fi drivers which often need a manual nudge after the first boot. It makes a brilliant privacy-respecting family browser once you've cleared the EFI hurdles. Drop me a mention if you get stuck on the driver firmware.

Open ##1307036
@82mhz@mastodon.bsd.cafe 2026-04-07 16:17

@tehstu I don't know about iMacs, but I run Linux on a 2014 Macbook Air with a 4th gen i7 mobile cpu and it runs perfectly. So just in terms of specs, your 7th gen i5 is way more powerful than that. How it is with drivers though I don't know for this generation...

Open ##1307040
@matthew@social.retroedge.tech 2026-04-07 19:54

I have installed Linux Mint and Linux Mint Debian Edition on quite a few MacBooks, Mac Minis and done live boots on iMacs. Doing a Linux install on a Mac Mini today, in fact. I am guessing that everything will "just work" on an iMac with 7th gen Intel processor. #Linux #MacMini #Apple #hardware #iMac

Open ##1307041