-56
Why is Linux Mint better than macOS?
(leminal.space)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
-56 points (22.5% liked)
Linux
62524 readers
266 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
If you have a desktop/laptop, you run Linux.
If you have a Mac, you run OSX.
Im not sure where you’re going with this OP, unless you’re looking for purchasing advice. It’s kinda like asking if a car or truck tire is better, with the answer being “well, do you have a car or a truck?”
Apple abandons macOS* updates after a computer is over 7 years old or so.
At that point Mint or similar distros are your primary option for running a secure OS on excellent but aging hardware.**
Sleep/wake, battery management, and trackpad don't work quite as well, and you usually have to install the Broadwell wifi driver manually, and the camera will be fussy, but otherwise it is the better OS for an old Mac.
* (no longer called OSX since they left v.10 behind a long time ago).
** you can force a later macOS onto older models, but it's not very stable.
Well, the next question is “what do you do when you drive?” Cars and trucks have wildly different roles they’re good at.
So basically, what do you want your computer to be good at doing? That dictates your hardware purchase and the OS you will end up using.
Ignore the downvotes. Mint or Debian or Fedora can be great on Macs earlier than 2016.
I currently have it installed on a 2008 iMac and a 2012 MacBook Pro.
I also have ZorinOS On a MacBook Air that works great, and Debian on a MBPro 2014, and am about to install Fedora on another MBPro, 2013. Those are mostly server experiments, though.
Yes, I wind up with a lot of old macs that I am reluctant to recycle!
When you create the live USB installer, you can test it out before installing by booting from the USB stick.
You will probably need to have a way of establishing a wired connection, however, in order to install the Wi-Fi drivers.