Mac Mini 5,1 and Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise)

This page aims to describe the steps needed, to fully enable all features of the 5th Generation Mac Mini (release date: mid 2011) when using Ubuntu 12.04, Precise Pangolin.

You can find out, what model you have by typing at the terminal:

sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name

• If you have a different model, please go here and find the right wiki.

Overview

Anything not mentioned here probably already works out of the box. If not, please refer to the Ubuntu Apple Users forum.

• Feature	Support status
  Sound
  Suspend & Hibernate
  Desktop Effects (Compiz)
  HFS+
  Keyboard functions (Brightness,volume,...)
  Bluetooth
  External Monitor
  Wireless (AirPort)
  Mic
  Apple Remote Control
  Firewire

(works out-of-the-box)
(works, with remarks)
(needs manual install)
(won't work)
(not yet documented)

Basic Installation Instructions

Common things about installing and maintaining Ubuntu on Intel-based Macs: Intel CPU-based Macintosh Generic Installation Instructions

Installation works with the Apple USB Superdrive. Booting from USB disk following the instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/How%20to%20install%20Ubuntu%20on%20MacBook%20using%20USB%20Stick doesn't work with this machine.

1. Install rEFIt. See http://refit.sourceforge.net/ Note that rEFIt doesn't work properly with Mac OS Lion, so you have to follow the hack described at http://www.cvol.ca/2012/02/getting-refit-working-on-lion.html Reboot a couple of times until rEFIt starts during boot time.

2. Partition your hard drive using the Mac OS Disk Utility. You might want to update your Disk Utility using Software Update first, since there might be bugs which make partitioning fail.

3. Burn a copy of 12.04.1 64-bit or 12.04.1+mac 64-bit. See http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/burn-a-cd-on-mac-osx

4. Reboot onto the CD. Refit might recognize the CD and allow you to boot from it. Otherwise, hold down Alt/Option while booting to choose the CD from which to boot.
5. Follow the installation instructions to install Ubuntu.

Wireless (AirPort)

Wireless works following the instructions from https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBookPro8-2#Wireless

There is no official support yet in Ubuntu 12.04, but you can get it working with the following repository.

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mpodroid/mactel
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install b43-fwcutter firmware-b43-installer

For Precise, the Compat module should also be installed

sudo apt-get install linux-backports-modules-cw-3.3-precise-generic

Edit the /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf and add the line:

blacklist ndiswrapper

Create or edit the file /etc/pm/config.d/modules and make sure the wireless modules (b43 and bcma) are blacklisted:

SUSPEND_MODULES="b43 bcma"

Reboot and the wireless should work.

CategoryMac

CategoryMac