Can I install Linux and Windows on a Mac to triple boot the hardware?
I’m quite the newbie at operating systems etc., so forgive me if my question is dumb. Is it possible to install Linux and Windows on a Mac, to run side by side with OS X? I’m about to start a new study, and I would like the new retina MacBook Pro for it, but for my study I’m definetely going to be programming C# and for that I’ll prefer Windows. And I’ve recently started exploring C++, and I really love Linux and would like to make some apps for it, so that’s why I’d like to have Linux on there as well. Question summary: On a new retina MacBook Pro, is it possible to install Windows and Linux next to Mac OS X so I can choose which OS I want on boot?
6 Answers 6
It’s possible to install them in multiple partitions and multiboot. But the resulting setup will be a little «rigid».
Doing OS X and Windows is easy. Adding Linux to the mix is a little more complicated.
I suggest you do not multiboot and only install OS X as the main OS and then use a virtualization solution, like Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion. With those you can basically run a whole operating system, like Windows or your favorite Linux distribution, as if they were OS X applications.
+1 I’ve been using Parallels for the past week (only got my iMac a little over a week ago). So far I have not run into anything that doesn’t work well in Parallels. A friend of mine runs some Linux distribution from Oracle under Parallels and has had no problems. I was thinking of using BootCamp at first, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to be necessary.
I recommend that you check out rEFIt for your Partition boot manager on Mac. It works great for triple booting a mac, with robust documentation.
First install refit, then install Windows via BootCamp Assistant in Mac. You will need to partition your Mac drive again and install Linux (settings depend on the distro). It should work out of the box. If you need more help, post on www.superuser.com
A fairly easy way to do this is to install Windows through Bootcamp, then Ubuntu Linux using Wubi. This negates the need to install a boot loader. There’s a writeup on it at lowendmac.
If you want to get a little more technical, or use a different Linux distro, a little familiarity with boot loaders might help. Here’s a good triple boot guide that goes over the process, step by step.
Technically, it’s possible using Apple’s default boot manager utility, Boot Camp. You’ll need to make some extra effort to install Linux however, as Boot Camp supports Windows only officially (but, as I said, some people have already done it).
I have a triple boot MacBook Pro (late 2013) with OS Sierra, Windows 10 and Ubuntu 16.04.
I install macOS first, then Ubuntu, then Windows 10
Format the SSD in Recovery Mode and do a clean install of Mac OS. Boot into mac os and use UNetbootin to make a bootable Ubuntu thumb drive. Boot into macOS and make 3 more partitions. I have a 500 GB SSD. partition 1 mac os 210 GB. partition 2 Windows 10 (fat 32) 117GB. partition 3 Linux 67.4 GB. partition 4 linux swap area 5GB.
- Shut down. Boot into macOS and install rEFInd.
- Shut down, insert Linux usb boot drive and Boot into Linux (ubuntu 16.04 LTS) thumb drive and install linux into linux partition (mount point /). Install swap area to swap area partition.
- Shut down and remove linux thumb drive. Make sure Linux boots.
- Shut down.
- Boot into macOS and configure rEFInd the way you want it (or leave it stock).
- Insert blank 8GB thumb drive for Bootcamp and boot into macOS. Using Bootcamp, install Windows 10 to windows 10 partition- making sure to format the windows 10 partition during installation.
- Make sure to stay at computer during install and restarting of windows during installation making sure to boot into the Windows drive and not the thumb drive. Bootcamp drivers will install and restart. Make sure the computer boots to the Windows hard drive icon and not the thumb drive.
- When done remove Windows usb drive created by bootcamp. This is now a bootable windows installation disk for later installs.
The only problem is when you have a mac os major update or you reload the mac os as the boot files will be changes to the standard mac boot loader.
I clone the EFI boot drive and re-copy it over when mac os messes everything up. Otherwise, you have to redo the whole process when a major os update to mac is installed.
I bought an 8GB usb thumb drive for bootcamp bootable windows disk, a 4 GB usb thumb drive for gparted boot disk, a 8GB thumb drive for linux boot disk, 128 GB JetDrive lite SDXC card for time machine mac os backup. a 128GB thumb drive for windows 10 backup and a 64 GB for linux backup.
(Make sure you have UNetbootin, Windows 10.iso, Ubuntu.iso, gparted and rEFInd somewhere on your Mac partition before you backup macOS. That way you don’t have to re-download all these files and all files will be there for you to re-install everything in case of problems.)
0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0 1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1 2: Apple_HFS OS Sierra 310.0 GB disk0s2 3: Apple_Boot Recovery HD 650.0 MB disk0s3 4: Microsoft Basic Data WINDOWS 10 117.0 GB disk0s4 5: Linux Filesystem LINUX 67.4 GB disk0s5 6: Linux Swap 5.0 GB disk0s6 Install Linux on Mac:
How to Install Linux on Mac
If you’re one of the PC enthusiasts that naturally want the best of each world, you may have experienced the craving for Linux software without necessarily throwing your MacBook out the window. MacOS is great, especially for video editing, and your MacBook has amazing battery life.
But you also want to experiment and use the open-source operating system alongside OS X. This means that getting a separate, cheaper laptop is out of the question. The only viable option may be to install Linux on Mac.
Why you might want to install Linux on your Mac
MacOS may be one of the most innovative operating systems, coupled with premium hardware and specs, but it may not be perfect for some of your needs. Some applications provide better results if rendered from another operating system, such as Linux. You may find that you need to install and run Linux on Mac.
Here are some reasons you might want to install Linux on your Mac:
- To satisfy your curiosity: Out of curiosity, you may want to find out what would happen if you had Linux running alongside your most recent version of macOS. You want to find out if it may perform any better on a Mac, or whether it would open up a new world of possibilities to you.
- Have everything on one laptop: You want to utilize the power of two operating systems, but don’t want to spend extra cash on a separate device. The solution is to install Linux on Mac, and run it alongside macOS X. It makes things a bit easier for you since all you need is a single device.
- Better security: One thing about the Linux software is that it has no room for malware. This means that you will never have to worry about viruses finding their way into its shell and crashing the system, as is often the case for other operating systems, especially Windows.
- Easy customization: Because of its flexibility, Linux allows the kind of customization you will never find on Mac OS or Windows. This is because, unlike Windows and Mac OS, Linux is open-source. You can edit or change code to have it exactly as you wish.
How to install Linux on your Mac
It’s possible to get the best of both Mac OS and Linux, but you need to learn how to install Linux on Mac. If you aren’t a tech geek, or aren’t good at hacking, you will need the assistance of reliable and efficient software, such as Parallels Desktop.
Here is how to install Linux on Mac using the Parallels Desktop software:
- Download a set of Linux virtual machines from the main installation Assistant Menu.
- Choose your preferred Linux distribution and download it.
- Once downloaded, you can install and begin running Linux on your Mac.
The process will be longer and more complicated if you have no virtual desktop, such as Parallels Desktop. This is because you will need to create a bootable Linux USB drive, which you will then plug into your Mac to initiate the installation process. You will need a USB mouse and keyboard because Linux may not recognize the drivers on your MacBook. When the process is over, restart your Mac, and hold down the Option key. Choose Linux OS from the menu to start using it.
Conclusion
If you want to have the best of both Mac OS and Linux on your MacBook, you will have to install and run Linux on your Mac. The fastest way to install Linux on Mac is through the use of reliable virtual desktop software, such as Parallels. Click here to learn more about Parallels Desktop.