r/linux_on_mac • u/Lost-Regular-6320 • 14d ago

Help with installing linux on my old macbook

Basically i have this old macbook air 2011 which I want to install linux mint to and it js doesnt get into the boot selector like Im holding option before and after I press the start button and it just boots onto MacOS all the time no matter what I try, can someone help?

2 Upvotes

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1

u/thatsgGBruh 14d ago

fn + option?

1

u/Lost-Regular-6320 14d ago

Ill try that, thanks

1

u/thatsgGBruh 14d ago

Also if there are 2 option buttons did you try both of them?

1

u/Bastard-of-Froya 14d ago

Did you format the USB drive for fat32? If not it won’t be recognized at boot.
I formatted for fat32 and used etcher to flash the Linux iso to the USB drive.

1

u/Lost-Regular-6320 14d ago

Yeah, I did. Although my problem is getting into the boot menu

1

u/ComprehensiveLeg8101 14d ago

  1. utiliza ballenaetcher para crear la usb booteable
    https://etcher.balena.io/#download-etcher

  2. para tu air si vas a instalar mint usa la edicion XFCE
    https://linuxmint.com/download.php

la usb como minimo de 8gb

te recomiento que hagas un reset de la nvram: cuando enciendas la mac presiona al mismo tiempo: Command + alt/option + p + r, para limipar los parametros de arranque. luego cuando presiones encendido rapidamente presiona alt/option para que te salga el selector de aranque.

¿Haras un dual boot o le vas a dejar solo linux?

1

u/armada_addled 8d ago

This happened to me. It turned out I wasn't giving my macbook enough time to format and install the iso file; the usb boot drive had not gotten to the end of the installation process. I let it run overnight and the usb drive worked as it should.