To do so, first you have to check if your OS X partition is encrypted with FileVault. If you want to keep both systems on your MacBook Pro with dual booting, you will have to manually resize the Macintosh HD partition to open space for Garuda Linux. If you want to remove OS X completely and install Garuda Linux you can proceed to step “Download”. (MacBook Pros older than 2013/2014 may also contain a Recovery HD Partition)

Macintosh HD: a HFS+ partition that contains your OS X.

EFI: a 200 MB Fat 32 partition which is used for the UEFI boot.

This is the typical partition layout you will find in a MacBook Pro: The MacBook Pro is partitioned using the GPT scheme by default.

If you don’t have OS X installed on your MacBook Pro anymore, you have 2 options: ignore any firmware updates and proceed to the next step or reinstall OS X, update everything and then remove it or use it alongside with Garuda Linux in dual boot mode. To do this, check for Software Update’s available in your Apple Store and the System Preferences.Īfter installing any updates, reboot the computer and check again to ensure that everything has been properly installed. Since backing up important information can be very time consuming, it’s advisable to properly conclude this step before proceeding.īefore installing Garuda Linux on your MacBook Pro, it is important to ensure that the latest firmware for your hardware is properly installed. This is even more critical if you will have to resize your current OS X partitions to accommodate Garuda. The first step before installing any OS is to back up your current one. It is also advised to verify the Arch Linux forum prior to the installation to know which problems you might have during or after the installation process.

To find out if your Macbook Pro is compatible with Garuda (which is based on Arch Linux), it is recommended to check the extensive Arch Linux wiki article and the specifications of your Mac’s hardware. If you choose to proceed, do so at your own risk.

However, know in advance that this may cause hardware compatibility issues that will not be covered here. The purpose of this guide is to give general orientation about how to install Garuda Linux on a MacBook Pro.

Install linux on old macbook