Reviving An Old Friend…With A New OS!
A Shame To Throw Away Such A Lovely Machine!
Sadly, old Apple Macs do not hold any particular value, except perhaps to geeky fans. The horrendous flaw in Apple products - their refusal to embrace upgradability (nor self-repair) - means that even recently replaced models start to depreciate in price (if not worth) like a lead brick!
Typical of this is my old 2009 20inch iMac, a beautiful machine with a fantastic display but which has been left behind by Apples ‘innovative’ choices in both hardware and software to become nothing more than a very large paper weight!
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| Above: eBay is littered with cut-price circa-2010 iMacs! It would almost be cheaper for me to buy one of these slightly newer, bigger and slightly better spec’s examples than spend the money upgrading my 2009 20 inch model… But that’s not the point. I’m trying to save my old iMac from simply being thrown in the recycle bin, which would be very wasteful. Better to resurrect it. |
This machine has been gathering dust in our attic for neighbours on 10 years now as I struggle to come up with an way to pass it on to someone who wants it or dispose of it in any other way. I just could bring myself to simply take it to the local recycling yard as the thing is just so dar pretty! And so, there it has lain, at the back of the attic…
As part of my ongoing quest to clear out all the ‘junk’ from my man cave I uncovered this beauty once again and in so doing so reactivated the quandary of just what to do with it - this time it’s a case of ‘do something or bin it’. It’s serious.
Last Ditch Options… LINUX lifeline?
While mulling over the problem I happened across quite a few videos on YouTube by people in exactly the same boat as me - they had an ‘obsolete’ Apple Mac and wanted to do something ethical with it (rather than just consign it to the trash).
The overwhelming solution I found was to ditch trying to keep Mac OS limping along (as there are workarounds) and replace it with an even more niche operating system… LINUX!
Above: This is an overview of a Linux MINT destro installed on a 2011 iMac, but there are plenty of YouTube videos detailing the process of installing MINT and other versions of Linux on older iMacs. This just happens to be a nice showcase of MINT running and what it looks like and what it comes with.
This will take me down an even more nerdy rabbit hole, but the principle behind the change in systems is sound. While Mac OS in its more modernised forms drags down the performance of older Mac, Linux offers a svelte OS that promises to provide modern application support on the leanest of hardware platforms. It’s like a fat runner who can no longer sprint going on a diet and then finding that he can at least jog again!
Well, that sounds good enough, but why bother (aside from the refusal to simply throw away a heap of expensively produce parts which would be a sin)?
In theory, a Linux computer would allow me to conduct at least mildly sophisticated - if run of the mill - computing tasks, meaning that I have a second PC available to me on my workbench. Something I’ve been thing would be handy for a while…
Above: There are a LOT of Linux versions (‘distorts’) out there, and if you do want to go down the Linux path you will have to do a bit of research as to which distortion is best for you and your hardware. But, another option for the Mac user is whether you can find a Linux version that looks most like Mac OS, to help you with the transition.
For example, when doing model or craft builds I often want to watch YouTube or web based tutorials or Google information of ‘how to’ do certain tasks or get fixes or work around for modelling problems. While I can resort to either getting up and walking over to my main PC (and then going back and forth between that and my workbench) OR using my smartphone and looking up solutions on a small screen - it would be nice to have a moderately large screen actually right there on my workbench to reference my enquiries or watch tutorials. Simples.
Above: Another example of the migration to Linux - the MINT distribution in this case - but also a good tutorial for any Mac users that want to safety net of having a Mac OS partition available as well accessible via a boot manager. Best of both worlds? (Well, only if you really must hang on to an obsolete version of the Mac OS for some reason. But it is an option.)
So a refurbished one-piece iMac would be the ideal machine to act as an auxiliary computer, without it taking up a lot of space on my already cluttered work bench!
So, How To Go About The Operation?
Long story short, this is kinda a two state operation. First I have to check the condition of my iMac, its current stats and make sure it’s in any fit state for any upgrade. Essentially, I have to make sure it has enough horse power to run Linux, which means checking the RAM and the hard drive space.
AND BEFORE THAT… I just have to get the machine to start up so I can check its specs! LOL
This kicked off even more raking about in cupboards and the attic to find the bits and pieces that I needed to fire up the iMac; a power cord, a mouse and a keyboard.
The original Apple keyboard and mouse are long gone, so I searched through our storage boxes for replacement accessories that would be compatible. I eventually found an old wired HP two button mouse and shoddy unbranded budget ‘emergency’ keyboard… Neither perfect, but they should work in theory (I am trying to keep this upgrade down to a minimal budget outlay).
Eventually, I also uncovered a suitable power cord, and as it happens this item was actually an original Apple item. Score!
So, after giving the old iMac a good dusting and a polish, I plugged in the cord and peripherals and pressed the power button…………. (Tense wait, and then…) ‘BONG’…….
In a bit of a state of shock, I checked out the current Mac OS and the specs of the iMac. It is, indeed, a mid 2009 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2gb of DDR2 SDRAM…
Hmmmm, a wee bit basic. It *should* run Linux but I have seen a video where the user installed FEDORA Linux and although it ran it ran very sluggishly. SO… I will have to do two things before getting to the Linux installation stage:
1. Upgrade the basic iMac’s RAM and drive as best and as cheaply as I can, and then…
2. Choose a ‘DISTRO’ or ‘distribution’ of Linux which is the leanest version I can find.
The hardware side is pretty straightforward and - amazingly - kinda cheap to do. A 16gb set of RAM modules for my iMac will only set me back £14 and a suitable (but small) SSD can be got for £30ish.
SO that brings us to the best candidates for a Linux distro. According to ‘the internet’ the following distributions of the OS are recommended for this type of job; Elementary OS, Linux Mint, Deepin Linux, Manjaro.
Of these, MINT is known for its stability and user-friendly interface, Linux Mint is an excellent option for those transitioning from macOS to Linux. It offers moderate customization and a familiar environment for users of all levels. And indeed, I have seen several examples of this type of iMac cross-grade done using MINT. It does seem to be the preferred ‘Mac friendly’ replacement OS.
What Next?
OK, my rudimentary research into what I need to do and get done, I will start by preparing my iMac for the brain transplant. Today I will order the RAM from Amazon, and then I will check out a few YouTube videos to see what the best (cheapest) SSD model to get…
Off we go! Wish me luck.
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