Would Linux run on a Mac?

[hybee]

Hi, I have heard about Linux and think it sounds really cool, but I have a mac. Will it run on a mac? Maybe on BootCamp?

[techieMoe]

Linux will run on an Intel Mac (or a PPC Mac). It's just a little easier to get it working on PPC Macs right now. There is apparently a way to get it working both with and without Boot Camp. You might take a look at this thread:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/ins...g-macbook.html

[hybee]

Only an Intel mac? Not a PowerBook? Would it be possible to rewrite it? (I don't know that much code, so sorry if this is a stupid question.

[techieMoe]

Only an Intel mac? Not a PowerBook? Would it be possible to rewrite it? (I don't know that much code, so sorry if this is a stupid question.

No, you didn't read my previous post thoroughly enough. Linux works beautifully and much easily on a PowerPC Mac. That includes Powerbooks, iBooks, and older iMacs. Just make sure you download the PPC version of whatever distro you want.

[rodpck]

hey hybee,
the macs osX is based on unix, so all the basic commands can be used from >utilities>terminal
to run other linux apps you can use the X11 app that comes with the installation disk. to install another operating system you'd need to make partitions on your hard drive, that might need to delete your actual os. you can find lots of apps at darwinports.opendarwin.org
i'm not sure but i think that bootcamp is used by the intel based macs to switch between mac os x and windows. good luck!

[hybee]

Ok, I didn't know what a powerPC was, thanks. (I am a total noob when it comes to things like this)

[hybee]

Ok, I have downloaded it, and wish to partition my hard disk. How is this done?

[MikeTbob]

I can't help you with the "Mac/PPC" part but for partitions in Linux, you must have at least 3 partitions
/
/boot some distro's use /home instead of /boot
/swap
Unless you Install Fedora which has (LVM) Logical Volume Management, and will do this for you. I don't know what you downloaded and I'm not sure if your version has LVM.

[rodpck]

hey hybee
first of all i recomend you to do the following: save all the files you want to keep since partitioning will erase your hard drive! and create a cd image with the file you downloaded with the linux os you're interested in. when you're ready you can proceed. go to apps>utilities>disk utilities and select your hard drive (the one in capital letters e.g. TOSHIBA GAS02938...) and then there'll be a tab that says "partitions" click on that tab. there you'll have to select your partition scheme, miketbob says you need at least 3 partitions. if you're interested in keeping the mac os x i'd recomend you to do that, if you're only interested in using linux from now on you can use 2 partitions instead. select the sizes you want for each partition, this will depend on your hard drive size, but i'd recomend you to make one of them bigger so you can distinguish when you have to pick one to install the os you want. when you're done that just click on "create partitions" and the process will start. after that you'll have to start your computer with the image you created with the linux os and keep the key "c" press when you hear the bell until your computer startsup with the cd drive. i hope you find this information useful, i'd just like to know why you want to shift your os to linux? is there any reason for apps that you can't run on your powerbook or just for a change?
good luck with the installation!