Reinvigorating an old macbook with Linux? Good idea or not?

[marcopoll]

Hello, I am trying to find out if it is a good idea to install Linux on my old macbook in order to give it some more life. The idea is to remove OS X all together because it runs so very slow and is painful to wait for anything to get done.

Any ideas and thoughts will be appreciated

The macbook specs are:

Processor
CPU: Intel Core Duo (T2xxx)
CPU Speed: 2.0 GHz
CPU Cores: 2
FPU: integrated
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
Register Width: 32-bit
Data Bus Width: 32-bit
Address Bus Width: 32-bit
Level 1 Cache: 32 kB data, 32 kB instruction
Level 2 Cache: 2 MB on-processor
ROM: EFI
RAM Type: PC2-5300 SO-DIMM
Minimum RAM Speed: 667 MHz
Onboard RAM: 0 MB
RAM slots: 2
Maximum RAM: 2 GB It has the maximum 2GB

Video
Screen: 13.3" active matrix TFT
GPU: Intel GMA950
VRAM: 64 MB shared (see notes)
Max Resolution: 1280x800
Video Out: mini-DVI
Camera: iSight

 

[Going Bald]

Before you wipe your drive, create a Linux Live USB and boot with it. If the USB boots fine on a Windows PC but not on the Macbook, then forget Linux on the Macbook.

OTOH, if it boots fine on the Mac, you might clone your Macbook HDD and install Linux or just replace the HDD with an SSD and save the HDD in case you want to put it back in and sell the Macbook.

 

[marcopoll]

Thanks for the ideas Going Bald, I’ll try the Linux USB and write my results in this post.