Best Linux for old 2009 iMac

[timconsidine]

I have an old Imac 27" late 2009 model.
Anyone have anything similar successfully running Linux ?

I have hacked it so it runs Catalina, but can't get anything newer currently.

I'm struggling to find a Linux distro to put on it due to graphics issues.
Safe graphics mode works for the trial modes.
But installing to disk seems to remove the safe graphics mode and it boots to a blank screen

I have tried Mint, PopOS and Zorin Lite.
Any other suggestions of a Linux for old machines to try ?

[jdaviescoates]

@timconsidine sounds like you may be hitting similar issues to those described here

https://askubuntu.com/a/1334841

[micmc]

@timconsidine said in Best Linux for old 2009 iMac:

I have an old Imac 27" late 2009 model.
Anyone have anything similar successfully running Linux ?

I have hacked it so it runs Catalina, but can't get anything newer currently.

I'm struggling to find a Linux distro to put on it due to graphics issues.
Safe graphics mode works for the trial modes.
But installing to disk seems to remove the safe graphics mode and it boots to a blank screen

I have tried Mint, PopOS and Zorin Lite.
Any other suggestions of a Linux for old machines to try ?

I'd guess Puppy Linux would work. I do not know much about iMac however I run this perfectly well in an old 2005 Compaq Presario V2000 laptop with AMD Turion 64 processor.

It's comes fully loaded and extremely easy to use.

Try it out, let's hope that would help you revive your old pal

[LoudLemur]

@timconsidine

It must be terrible not being able to use that gorgeous 27 inch screen. I hope you can keep it going forever!

https://lxqt-project.org/

there is a jammy jellyfish version

[timconsidine]

@jdaviescoates yay !
Thanks for the link. TBH struggled to follow/apply exactly.
But it set me on the path to something working.

I tried various distros without much luck but got SparkyLinux Minimal GUI working with refind and managed to update GRUB to start with addition of nomodeset radeon.modeset=0 so it boots reliably.

Sparky Minimal is not sexy, but I kinda like its minimalist mode.

Now that I have a basic install working, I will maybe try adding something like Zorin or PopOS or a PuppyDog for different options.

EDIT : Managed to get Zorin Lite working also
So I have a choice of basic GUI and something more modern.
Job done for now,
Maybe need to install some fan control later.

[godofbiscuits]

@LoudLemur for what it’s worth, all iMacs pre-retina screens can be used as external monitors hooked up via HDMI. You can even use it as a dumb HDMI monitor while the machine itself is doing something entirely different, like being a file server. Probably even if it’s running Linux. The monitor trick is done in hardware.