Linux Mac Mini
The following are two complete guides to installing Linux as the only Operating System on an Intel Mac Mini.
Desktop:
1. Unpack your shiny new Mac Mini. Marvel at its design.
2. Plug in your keyboard, mouse, monitor and power supply.
3. Hit the power button.
4. Keep choosing 'No, I don't want to set up XYZ' until you arrive at a beautiful, but soon to be annihilated desktop.
5. Throw your mouse pointer to the top left corner of the screen.
6. Click the mighty blue apple.
7. Choose 'About this Mac'.
8. Choose 'More Info'.
9. Choose 'Hardware'.
10. Choose 'Life'.
11. If your 'Boot ROM Version' is 'MM11.0055.B08' or above, you're good to go. If not, install BootCamp, reboot, and go to 5.
12. Insert your Linux CD or DVD of choice. Insert gently, but fully. Be mildly alarmed at the way the disc is dragged in.
13. Click the mighty blue apple.
14. Choose 'Shut Down...'.
15. Click 'Shut Down'.
16. Hold down 'C' on your keyboard. Keep it held down.
17. Hit the power button.
18. Keep that 'C' key held down. Don't let go. Not yet.
19. When the boot screen of your Linux installer appears, let go of 'C'.
20. Install Linux as normal.
21. Enjoy
Server:
1. Unpack your shiny new Mac Mini. Marvel at its design.
2. Plug in your keyboard, mouse, monitor and power supply.
3. Hit the power button.
4. Keep choosing 'No, I don't want to set up XYZ' until you arrive at a beautiful, but soon to be annihilated desktop.
5. Throw your mouse pointer to the top left corner of the screen.
6. Click the mighty blue apple.
7. Choose 'About this Mac'.
8. Choose 'More Info'.
9. Choose 'Hardware'.
10. Choose 'Life'.
11. If your 'Boot ROM Version' is 'MM11.0055.B08' or above, you're good to go. If not, install BootCamp, reboot, and go to 5.
12. Insert your Linux CD or DVD of choice. Insert gently, but fully. Be mildly alarmed at the way the disc is dragged in.
13. Click the mighty blue apple.
14. Choose 'Shut Down...'.
15 Click 'Shut Down'.
16. Hold down 'C' on your keyboard. Keep it held down.
17. Hit the power button.
18. Keep that 'C' key held down. Don't let go. Not yet.
19. When the boot screen of your Linux installer appears, let go of 'C'.
20. Install Linux as normal.
21. Add the following to /etc/rc.d/rc.local (or equivalent, if using a strange or orange version of Linux):
setpci -s 0:1f.0 0xa4.b=0
This will force your Mac to auto-reboot in the event of a power failure. Do not ask why the arguments are as they are.
22. Make sure sshd is running.
23. Go to Maplin's.
24. Buy a 75 Ohm resistor.
25. Go home.
26. Shove the pins of the resistor into sockets 2 and 7 of the VGA end of the VGA adapter that came with your Mac. The outside socket on each side of each row of sockets is numbered so you know which ones to shove into.
27. Plug in the DVI-VGA-adaptor-and-resister. This allows the Mac to boot Linux with no monitor attached.
28. Skillfully and carefully configure your server.
Notes:
If you're going to be running your Mac Mini as a server, you'll probably want to replace the hard drive with something rated for 24/7 usage. The Hitachi Travelstar E7K100 drives seem to be the drives of choice.
I have a very minimal kernel .config for kernel 2.6.22.1 on the Mini. When I say minimal, I mean it. No USB, no firewire, no video, no CD, only the ext3 filesystem.
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