Linux on Intel Macs
My recommended setup for running Linux on Intel Mac hardware.
- Distro: Linux Mint, because it has the best support for Broadcom WiFi drivers AND for locking to the LTS version of the Linux Kernel to prevent breakages with that driver
- Version: 22.1 (starts on Linux Kernel 6.8, which supports Broadcom)
- Desktop environment: Cinnamon, because it is the most modern and has the easiest pinning permanent taskbar icons
Which Desktop Model to Buy
| Machine | Single-core performance | Multi-core performance | System architecture modernity | RAM upgradeability | Storage upgradeability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mac mini 2012 | Low (≈500–700 Geekbench 6) | Low–moderate (≈1100–2300) | Very outdated Intel Ivy Bridge | Yes (up to 16GB) | Excellent (2× SATA bays + SSD mods possible) |
| Mac mini 2014 | Moderate (≈600–900) | Moderate–low (≈1500–7000 depending CPU) | Outdated Intel Haswell (dual-core common) | No (soldered) | Limited (single SATA drive) |
| Mac mini 2018 | High (≈1100–1300) | High (≈4000–7000+ i7) | Modern Intel Coffee Lake | Partial (up to 64GB depending model) | Moderate (proprietary PCIe SSD, replaceable) |
| Mac Pro 2013 | Moderate (≈700–1100 Xeon) | High (≈4000–14,000 depending config) | Aging Xeon + AMD GPU architecture | Yes (up to 64 GB) | Moderate (proprietary Apple PCIe SSD, replaceable with adapters) |
| Mac Pro 2019 | Very high (≈1000–1200 Xeon W) | Very high (≈8000–20,000+) | Modern modular workstation architecture | Yes (up to 1.5TB ECC RAM) | Excellent (fully modular PCIe SSD system) |