Installing Ubuntu on MacBook Pro 2017

The Story

My MacBook Pro 2017 was running macOS Ventura, and it had become unbearably slow and prone to overheating. Daily tasks felt like a chore, so I decided to downgrade the OS to the version it originally came with: macOS High Sierra. However, after discussing it with ChatGPT, I learned that macOS Mojave would be a better choice for performance and compatibility.

I used Internet Recovery to downgrade to High Sierra and then upgraded to Mojave. This solved the overheating and performance issues, but it came with a new problem: many of the apps I use daily—like WhatsApp, GIMP, Inkscape, and Chrome—were incompatible due to requiring a newer macOS version.

Trying to Install Windows 11

Next, I thought of installing Windows 11 via Bootcamp. However, with only 250GB of SSD space, I couldn’t partition the drive using Disk Utility. Instead of diving deeper into this complicated process, I decided to take a different route and install Ubuntu.

Ubuntu on MacBook Pro

Below, I’ll walk you through the steps I followed to install Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro 2017. These steps should work for other MacBook models as well, but some adjustments might be necessary.

Making a Bootable Drive

To create a bootable USB for Ubuntu, I used Rufus on a Windows PC.

1. Download the Ubuntu ISO file from the official website.
2. Insert a USB drive (8GB or larger) and open Rufus.
3. Select the Ubuntu ISO file and your USB drive in Rufus.
4. Ensure “GPT” is selected under Partition Scheme for compatibility with MacBooks.
5. Click Start and let Rufus create the bootable USB.

Booting from USB

1. Insert the USB drive into your MacBook.
2. Restart the MacBook and hold down the Option key as it boots up.
3. From the boot menu, select the USB drive.

Installing Ubuntu

1. Follow the installation wizard after booting into Ubuntu.
2. Since I no longer needed macOS, I chose to use the entire drive for Ubuntu. If you prefer to keep macOS, you can partition the drive and set up a dual-boot system.

Sound Not Working?

After installation, I noticed that the sound wasn’t working. This is a common issue with Ubuntu on MacBooks due to the lack of drivers. Here’s how I fixed it:

• Install wget using the command apt-get install wget
• Then apt install wget make gcc linux-headers-generic
• Now clone this git using git clone https://github.com/davidjo/snd_hda_macbookpro.git
• Now open the directory cd snd_hda_macbookpro/
• Install ./install.cirrus.driver.sh
• Now reboot the system

Can’t Hear the Fan?

Another issue was that I couldn’t hear the fan, which made me worry about overheating. The fan control is not enabled by default on some systems.

1. Install a fan control utility like macfanctl: sudo apt install macfanctld
2. After installation, the system should automatically adjust the fan speed based on temperature.

Conclusion

Switching to Ubuntu gave my MacBook Pro 2017 a new lease on life. It resolved the performance and overheating issues while providing access to all the software I need. However, there are challenges like configuring sound and fan control, which require some effort.

If you have an older MacBook and are facing similar issues, Ubuntu could be a great alternative to breathe new life into your device. Good luck with your installation!