How to Install Ubuntu 14.04 on a Macbook Air

How to Install Ubuntu Linux on Macbook Air. This is model MacbookAir3,1 made in 2010. This may seem like a lot of steps, but you really only have to do it once. Once your OS is installed you just open the computer and start using it.

1. Obtain Ubuntu image and burn to DVD
http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/14.04/release/
ubuntu-14.04.2-desktop-amd64+mac.iso
This image is adjusted to work properly on Mac systems.

2. Backup data

3. Boot DVD from external drive. Start while holding C

4. Erase SSD using gParted
– go to System / Administration / Partition Editor
– choose Device / Create Partition Table…
– choose “msdos” for the type of partition table

5. Install Ubuntu without WiFi

6. Enable WiFi

7. select nVidia driver and reboot, to eliminate graphic glitches and crashes
– search for “drivers” to find Additional Drivers utility
– if no drivers show, use Ubuntu Software Center to activate nVidia restriced source
– select proprietary driver and click Apply, then exit
– sudo nvidia-xconfig
– reboot
– Upon logging in immediately run NVIDIA X Server Settings, select X Server Display Configuration, and click Save to X Configuration File.

Optional Optimizing Steps

1. disable Apport to prevent “System Program Problem Detected” popups
sudo gedit /etc/default/apport

2. Enable TRIM wear leveling on ext4
As of Ubuntu 14.04, scheduled TRIM is enabled by default for Intel, SAMSUNG, OCZ, Patriot and Sandisk SSDs. If you have another brand, you can disable the vendor check by editing the file /etc/cron.weekly/fstrim and add –no-model-check
sudo gedit /etc/cron.weekly/fstrim

3. Fix brightness keys
sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Add Option line to Device section:
Option “RegistryDwords” “EnableBrightnessControl=1”

4. Avoid long EFI wait “white screen” before GRUB
Boot from a Mac OSX USB device, then click Utilities/Terminal, and enter:
sudo bless –device /dev/disk0s1 –setBoot –legacy
Assuming that the bootloader is on sda1, otherwise /dev/disk0s2 if it’s on sda2, etc.

5. Turn off password lock when screen dims
– Settings / Brightness & Lock
– dim after 10 minutes
– lock off

6. Settings / Mouse & Touchpad / Tap to Click

source
ubuntu download