Maclive.net:: Installing RedHat on a Mac Mini?

Installing RedHat on a Mac Mini? from Technology Posts
May 23, 2005

I have to admit, they prospect of installing Fedora (Red Hat) Linux on a Mac Mini is tempting. For the price, the Mini is one hell of a computer. Personally, I would love to run all of my Servers on the Mac OS, but this install might be too much fun to pass up.

Here are the detailed "How-to" instructions. Also, feel free to post back with your comments. I would love to hear how it works out for others.

Combine this with the rumor of Apple's use of Intel based chips as reported by the Wall Street Journal, there could be some interesting turns in the future for Apple. In all likelihood, the Intel chip will only be used in the Mac Mini, but what keeps hackers from installing it on any Intel based system at that point?

Time will tell!

--
Steve

By smanke at 9:32 AM

Comments: 2

By Humbug on September 12, 2011 at 4:39 AM

The installation guide referenced fails at the first hurdle. I don't have a mac keyboard (like many with a mac mini) and so interrupting the boot process with c (or C or f12 or ctrl/break or escape) doesn't get me to firmware level. Also, try getting a CD out of a mac mini after partitioning a MBR for a RHEL install using the OSX install disk - impossible and utterly ridiculous so far - disk utility eject commented out, command line diskutil/dkutil eject don't error but dont eject, opening a mac mini up evidently requires mac shop or 2 decorator's spatulas. It's hard to imagine how I could be more frustrated. Oh - I can imagine - I twice called AppleCare on my iPhone 4, got through to a technician who then couldn't hear me (I live in a metropolitan area with good cell coverage). Utterly pathetic software, hardware and support in this situation.

By smanke on September 12, 2011 at 9:34 AM

@Humbug

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm not surprised that this isn't working anymore. The article went back to 2005, so it pre dated Apple's switch to Intel based chips. But, that said, I would think that installing RedHat would have only gotten easier after that.

Unfortunately, I haven't tried it myself. There doesn't seem to be a ground swell of people attempting this install. I thought there might be at the time.

I think with the current Intel support on the Mini, and the solid virtualization we now have, it might be that much less appealing. But that's only a guess.

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