Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 on a Macbook Air 2014
I recently upgraded to a new MacBook Air 2014, replacing my aging 2012 MacBook Pro. After discovering how well Ubuntu runs on a MacBook (great OS running on excellent hardware!), I decided to install Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 alongside macOS El Capitan on this new machine. This dual-boot setup allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds: the sleek and user-friendly macOS for everyday tasks, and the power and flexibility of Ubuntu for development and open-source software.
🖥️ Step 1: Download the Right Ubuntu Version
The first step is to choose the right version of Ubuntu for your needs. There are several official flavors of Ubuntu, but since I use the Gnome desktop environment for most of my work, I decided on Ubuntu Gnome. To get started, download the Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 ISO file. I opted for version 16.04.1.
Next, follow the official guide to create a bootable USB stick on macOS. This will allow you to boot Ubuntu from the USB drive to install it on your Mac.
🔧 Step 2: Resize the macOS Partition
Before installing Ubuntu, you’ll need to create space on your SSD by resizing the macOS partition. My MacBook has a 256GB SSD, and I decided to allocate 100GB to macOS, leaving the rest of the SSD space for Ubuntu.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Reboot your MacBook and hold
cmd + ras it starts up to enter macOS Recovery mode. - Once in recovery mode, select Disk Utility from the menu.
- In Disk Utility, select your main SSD, and click Partition. This will allow you to resize the macOS partition.
- Reduce the size of the macOS partition, leaving the remaining space unallocated for Ubuntu.
Be cautious when resizing partitions to avoid accidentally losing data. It’s always a good idea to back up your important files before proceeding.
💾 Step 3: Install Ubuntu
After resizing your macOS partition, it’s time to install Ubuntu. Here’s how:
- Reboot the MacBook, and insert the bootable USB stick you created earlier.
- As the MacBook starts, hold the Option key (alt) to bring up the boot menu. You should see two options: your SSD and the USB stick. Select the USB stick to boot into the Ubuntu live session.
- In the live session, select Install Ubuntu to begin the installation.
During the installation process, you’ll be asked to choose the installation destination. Do not select the default option to replace macOS with Ubuntu. Instead, choose the expert installation options to manually partition the SSD. I used the following partitioning scheme:
- 4GB for swap: The swap partition acts as virtual memory, allowing your system to use disk space as additional RAM if needed.
- The remaining space for the root directory (
/): This will be used for the Ubuntu operating system and all your files.
Proceed with the installation and follow the on-screen instructions. Once the installation is complete, reboot your MacBook.
💡 Step 4: Fix Display Brightness After Suspend
After installing Ubuntu, I encountered a minor issue: after suspending the laptop, the display brightness would reset to either 0% or 100%. This issue is common on MacBooks with Ubuntu, but fortunately, there’s an easy fix.
I found a solution on GitHub for managing the MacBook’s backlight. After installing the patch, everything worked perfectly.
To install the fix:
- Open a terminal window in Ubuntu.
- Follow the installation instructions provided on the GitHub page.
Once installed, the brightness issue was resolved, and my MacBook now suspends and resumes without any display glitches.
📝 Additional Tips and Information
⚖️ Dual-Booting Considerations
When you set up a dual-boot system, it’s important to understand how both macOS and Ubuntu manage boot loaders. macOS uses EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) to manage the boot process, and Ubuntu installs a GRUB bootloader to allow you to select which OS to boot into.
By default, after installing Ubuntu, you’ll see the GRUB bootloader when you start your Mac. GRUB will allow you to choose between Ubuntu and macOS each time you boot. However, you may notice that the default boot option might be Ubuntu rather than macOS.
If you prefer to boot into macOS by default, you can change the boot order using the Startup Disk preferences in macOS or by modifying the GRUB configuration.
🍏 macOS and Ubuntu Compatibility on MacBooks
While Ubuntu runs great on MacBooks, some hardware features might not work out of the box, such as the webcam, trackpad gestures, and function keys. However, most of these can be resolved by installing additional drivers and tweaking system settings. The AppleHDA audio driver and i386 architecture support for some MacBook hardware are examples of common issues that have solutions available in the Ubuntu community.
For instance, if the trackpad isn’t working properly, you can try installing the libinput driver or configuring the touchpad settings via xinput.
🛡️ Backup Your Data Regularly
As with any major system configuration, it’s essential to back up your data regularly. Since I now have both macOS and Ubuntu installed, I use Time Machine (for macOS) and Deja Dup (for Ubuntu) to back up my files. This ensures that if anything goes wrong with one operating system, I can easily recover my important files.
💼 Using macOS-Specific Apps alongside Ubuntu
While I enjoy using Ubuntu for most of my work, there are certain macOS-specific applications I rely on, such as Xcode, Final Cut Pro, and Safari. Fortunately, thanks to the dual-boot setup, I can easily switch between macOS and Ubuntu depending on which apps I need to use.
If you need to run macOS applications alongside Ubuntu, you can also consider using virtualization software like VirtualBox or VMware Fusion. This allows you to run macOS within a virtual machine (though performance may not be ideal for resource-heavy applications).
🧠 Final Thoughts
Setting up a dual-boot system with Ubuntu Gnome 16.04 and macOS El Capitan on a MacBook has been a rewarding experience. It allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds: the ease of macOS for general use and the power of Ubuntu for development and open-source tools.
The process was relatively smooth, and with the additional fixes for things like the display brightness, I now have a fully functional dual-boot setup. If you’re a developer or someone who enjoys using Linux but needs macOS for specific tasks, a dual-boot system on a MacBook is an excellent solution.
Remember to back up your data regularly, take care when partitioning your drive, and enjoy the versatility of having two great operating systems on your Mac!