From macOS to Linux on an Intel MacBook
An honest, friendly walkthrough for anyone with an Intel Mac laptop who wants to leave macOS. Not a sales pitch and not a hazing ritual — just the steps, the trade-offs, and the things we wish we'd known.
Why we wrote this
A colleague of ours wanted to switch his Intel MacBook to Linux. The guides we found online were either gatekeeping ("just use the command line") or hype ("Linux is perfect now") — and neither matched what we were actually living. So we wrote down what we did, what surprised us, and what we'd warn the next person about. This is that document.
We're starting with one model — our colleague's MacBook Pro 13″ 2018 (MacBookPro15,2) — and filling in the install steps as we go through them ourselves. The general parts (risks, decisions, backups, the apps you'll use afterwards) apply to any Intel Mac laptop. As more readers try it on more models, we'll add per-machine pages. If you spot something wrong, tell us — we'd rather fix it than be polite about it.
Read this first
Linux on an Intel Mac is doable, but how smoothly it goes depends almost entirely on which exact model you have. Some are an easy weekend. Some require an external webcam plugged in for video calls. The 16-inch MacBook Pro currently doesn't work well enough to recommend.
So step one is figuring out which one you've got. From there the guide branches into the right path for you, and won't ask you to read anything that doesn't apply.
What you're signing up for
- Time
- A weekend for the install, plus a week or two of "where is X?" friction afterwards.
- Money
- Free, unless your Mac has a T2 chip — then you may want a USB webcam (around 30 EUR).
- Skill
- Comfortable with your computer; willing to follow careful instructions; not afraid to paste a few commands into the Terminal.
- Risk
- Low if you take a Time Machine backup first. The backup is the road home.
This might not be for you if…
- You depend on Mac-only software (Final Cut, Logic, the Adobe suite).
- You rely on iMessage on the desktop or AirDrop with your iPhone.
- Your laptop is a 16-inch MacBook Pro.
- You aren't willing to keep a USB webcam attached (T2 models, if the internal one doesn't cooperate).
The full risks page goes into all of these in detail.
If your main use is browsing, email, video calls, and media, ChromeOS Flex is worth considering. It's easier to live with and Google handles photos for you. Heads-up: Google doesn't formally certify any of these MacBooks for ChromeOS Flex, but it often runs anyway — try it from a USB stick first. The reason to pick Linux instead is mostly: you'd rather not have Google in the middle, and you want to own your machine. Both are valid. This guide assumes you've picked Linux.
Find your machine
The fastest way: Apple menu › About This Mac. The line that matters is the Model Identifier (you may need to click "More Info" or "System Report"). Match it in this table:
| Your machine | Identifier examples | Path |
|---|---|---|
| Intel MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro without a Touch Bar (2015 or earlier, plus 13" MBP 13,1 / 14,1) | MacBookPro12,1 and earlierMacBookAir7,2 and earlierMacBook10,1 and earlier |
Easy No Touch Bar path |
| MacBook Pro 13" or 15" with Touch Bar, 2016 or 2017 (T1 chip) | MacBookPro13,2 / 13,3MacBookPro14,2 / 14,3 |
Smooth T1 Touch Bar path |
| MacBook Pro 13" or 15" 2018–2020 (except 16"), or MacBook Air 2018+ — all with the T2 chip | MacBookPro15,xMacBookPro16,2 / 16,3 (13" 2020)MacBookAir8,x / 9,1 |
Involved T2 path |
| MacBook Pro 16-inch, 2019 or 2020 | MacBookPro16,1 / 16,4 |
Caution 16-inch path |
Not sure which row applies, or your identifier isn't listed? The identify-your-Mac page walks you through it in detail, and Apple keeps the official identifier list up to date.
What you'll need
- The MacBook and its charger.
- A USB stick, 16 GB or larger. Anything on it gets erased.
- An external drive for a Time Machine backup.
- If you have a T2 Mac: an external USB keyboard and mouse for the install (the built-in ones don't work in the installer). On pre-T2 Macs you can skip this.
- An unhurried weekend.
How this guide is structured
Two phases. Assess first, so you make an informed call. Install only once you've decided.
Assess
- Identify your Mac. Find your Model Identifier and the chip era.
- Read the risks. Seven honest things to know before committing.
- Read your model's assessment. What works, what doesn't, what it'll cost in time and gear. (Pick from the table above.)
- The migration reality. What changes in your day-to-day: photos, passwords, iCloud, printers.
Install
- Try it without installing. Optional but recommended on older models.
- Backup & prep. Time Machine, Find My Mac, dual-boot decision.
- Create the installer USB. (We'll write this after we've done it on our colleague's machine.)
- Install. (Coming as we go.)
- Post-install drivers. (Coming as we go.)
- Daily life. Apps, photos migration, where things live. (Coming as we go.)
And if it doesn't work out: how to roll back to macOS.