#How much room to install linux on mac how to#
#How much room to install linux on mac manual#
#How much room to install linux on mac upgrade#
#How much room to install linux on mac software#
#How much room to install linux on mac iso#

If you’re extra-cautious, Mint gives the option of encrypting your home directory too. Unless no one else has access to your computer, it’s not really advisable to go without a password.

Make sure you select a good password! You have the option of logging in without providing a password, but that’s not recommended. The next step requires you to fill out your user information and give the computer a name. Choose the “ Install them side by side, choosing between them each at startup option, unless you’re ready to go straight to Linux.

#How much room to install linux on mac manual#

Unless you’re feeling adventurous, I recommend avoiding manual partitioning. Mint should suggest a sane default with the option of keeping your existing Windows install and giving part of the disk to Linux. (If that sounds like gibberish, don’t worry - it’s not a detail you need to know to use Linux day to day.) Linux will require at least two partitions, one for data and one for “swap,” which is what Linux uses for virtual memory. Usually this means Windows is installed on an NTFS partition (the native Windows filesystem for Windows XP, Vista, and 7) and you’ll have a single partition. When you get a computer with an operating system already installed, the disk has been partitioned and formatted already. This is where you tell the installer how much disk space it can have, and how much is going to be left to the existing OS. The only “difficult” part of the install is partitioning. Then you’ll want to set up your time zone and keyboard layout. You should see a welcome screen, just choose the language that you want to install in (English is the default, but not the only choice).

It says seven at the bottom of the installer, but skips one. Now it’s time to reboot and start the install! You’ll see a dialog with the option to burn the disc and then all you need to do is wait for it to finish.

#How much room to install linux on mac iso#

When the ISO is downloaded, just right-click on the image and then select Burn disc image. If you’re using Windows 7, you should be able to burn the CD without installing any additional software. Either way, the point is that unless you’re putting Linux on a computer by itself, you need to back up your data. You can also install Linux on an Intel-based Mac, but that’s a slightly more complex procedure. This is assuming you’re going to dual-boot Linux with Windows. We’ll tackle that in a separate piece.īefore that, though, you’re going to want to back up your data on the computer you’re going to install Linux on. Newer netbooks with Atom CPUs take 32-bit, but you’re better off with a netbook distribution for those. The main difference is that the 32-bit OSes take some tweaking to support more than 3GB of RAM. Most new AMD and Intel CPUs for desktop and laptops are 64-bit, though they’ll also work with the 32-bit images. If you have a more recent machine, you should choose a 64-bit CD image. Next, you need a couple of things: the ISO image you’re going to use for the install, and a blank disc.

#How much room to install linux on mac upgrade#

You can upgrade sooner, of course - a new release of Mint comes out roughly every six months, but the Linux Mint 9 release will be receiving updates through 2013 on the desktop.

#How much room to install linux on mac software#

The default selection of software is good for most users, and the most recent release (Linux Mint 9) will be supported for three years on the desktop. It’s also very easy to install, and easy to use. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, but includes a few enhancements and components like Adobe Flash that you will probably want down the line. I’m going to suggest that you start with one that isn’t on Brian’s list, Linux Mint. You might want to read Brian Proffitt’s piece on the seven best Linux distributions to get a good overview. What’s an ISO image? This is slang for a type of file that contains a DVD or CD “image,” that can be burned directly to blank CD or DVD media. If you have an older Mac with a PowerPC processor, or another type of machine, it’s probably possible to install Linux - but it will take a bit more work and you’ll have to be choosy about the distribution you choose.įirst, you need to decide which Linux distribution am I going to run first? and get the ISO image for that distribution. For the purpose of this guide, I’m only going to cover standard x86/x86-64 hardware. Linux will run on almost any standard laptop or personal computer, and on quite a few less standard machines as well.

#How much room to install linux on mac how to#

Here’s how to prep for an install and get on with the journey. It doesn’t have to be - most Linux distributions are easy to install, if you know what to expect. The first step in using Linux is to install it, and for many folks that step is the most intimidating. The first step of any journey is the hardest part.