May222012

Can I install Ubuntu on an iMac or will it cause issues?

Tom Pullen asks:

I have an iMac 7.2, with OS X 10.5.8. I am thinking of installing Ubuntu, but was told by an Apple-certified repairman that Ubuntu would damage my hardware. Is this true?


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System: Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard)
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9 Answers -

0 votes

Windowsisbettr

May 22, 2012

Yes, you can. The repairman was wrong. I’m running a late 2011 iMac with i7, 4GB memory and Ubuntu 12.04- it runs like a charm without any hardware programs. Ubuntu is actually more reliable than 10.5

My advice- go for it.

0 votes

ha14

May 22, 2012

EFI-Booting Ubuntu on a Mac
http://www.rodsbooks.com/ubuntu-efi/index.html

well you can loose warranty, also you can face some damage because incompatibity or wrong installation; Some are lucky and some are not, plan ahead what you want to do.

0 votes

Mike

May 22, 2012

Without having it tested I agree with the others that there should be no problem installing Ubuntu on a Mac. As far as I know it works out of the box without any modifications necessary.

The only warning I want to give you is not to do or try to change anything to the EFI firmware using some Linux tool – just stay away from any EFI/BIOS tool.

The Apple supplied EFI has an overheat protection that will “fire up” the fans in case it gets hot. If this protection get’s broken and Ubuntu does not properly control the fans you could end up damaging your hardware.

Mike

Sorry, I just wanted to add that you can of course use BIOS emulation and EFI boot managers like rEFIt

May 22, 2012
0 votes

Adam Cooper

May 23, 2012

The best way to do it is to run virtual os like im doing. Wm seems to do it and selects all the drivers automaticly

0 votes

ubuntuman

May 25, 2012

no,it isn‘t…

0 votes

isabellefloyd

July 17, 2012

Short answer : no.

Tid bit longer answer : There really is no reason for it to damage your hardware.
It may not work as well with your hardware (because your iMac software was designed in parallel with your hardware. They were made to work together)… at first, because of compatibility issues. But there’s nothing that can’t be solved.

0 votes

Timothy Liem

August 13, 2012

generally you won’t find any trouble on installing Ubuntu on iMac. the repairman told you those kind of thing so Apple can monopolize your life (and money of course). I always hate how Apple play.

0 votes

Declan Lopez

August 26, 2012

Installing Ubuntu on a Mac should not damage the hardware.

0 votes

Jack greiner

October 28, 2012

No that repairman is making you stick to using macs if you have to ask someone ask a computer rapairman that work on pcs and macs