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Linux beats Windows to Intel iMac

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the because-you-can dept.

Ctrl+Alt+De1337 writes "The Mactel-Linux folks have now successfully booted Linux on a 17" Core Duo iMac. They used the elilo bootloader, a modified kernel, and a hacked vesafb to boot from a USB drive. No GUI pictures for now, just white text on a black background. The distro of choice was Gentoo, and instructions and patches are promised this weekend."

8 of 537 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Modified kernel? by 11223 · · Score: 0, Troll

    Thanks for the idea! I'm sure that the legions of people who are hard at work on getting Windows to boot on the iMac have never thought of this before.

  2. Re:Modified kernel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    who modded this insightful?????

  3. Who says they did it first? by |Cozmo| · · Score: 1, Troll

    Microsoft doesn't run around posting news stories every time they get something to boot. They also don't release things they just hacked together after staying up all night drinking mountain dew to make the front page of /. Chances are MS has had prototypes of these systems in their labs being worked on before the public even knew there was an Intel Mac. Getting the kernel to boot, kinda, is nowhere near the same as releasing a version of windows that runs on a particular platform.

    1. Re:Who says they did it first? by vertinox · · Score: 1, Troll

      Microsoft doesn't run around posting news stories every time they get something to boot.

      Well that is mostly because every time they do get something to boot, the box gets infected in 90 seconds with an internet worm virus. ;)

      --
      "I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
      -Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
  4. Is this news? by mrkitty · · Score: 0, Troll

    Windows doesn't run on sun hardware (sparc) either. Linux is known to run on multiple chipsets. So seriously is this news? Sounds more like the linux crowd patting itself on its back again.

    --
    Believe me, if I started murdering people, there would be none of you left.
  5. Re:Why? by teslar · · Score: 0, Troll
    Why does anyone want to take a step back from a polished, finished OS? What does this gain the user?

    Consider this
    :
    1. Take one clueless Mac fanboy
    2. Take one Intel Mac with Gentoo, a pretty Bootsplash picture and booting directly into something like ratpoison.
    3. Point out to the Mac fanboy that he is looking at MacOS 10.5 of which you have secured a sneak preview copy.
    4. Point out to the Mac fanboy that there is no mouse attached to your Mac.
    5. Point out to the Mac fanboy that this is because Apple is taking simplicity to a new level with the "0 Button Mouse approach (tm)".
    6. Tell the Mac fanboy to have some fun while you put the kettle on.
    7. Leave the room.
    8. Watch in secret as the Mac Fanboy suffers a complete breakdown. It really is quite funny. The panic in their eyes. The droplets of sweat forming on their foreheads. The spasms in their right arm as they keep reaching for the mouse. The tears. And the scream, the scream is really beautiful. No two ever scream alike.
  6. Re:FUD ALERT by mdman · · Score: 1, Troll

    You gotta be kidding me? Mac hardware is substantually more expensive.. Software as well.

  7. Why would you do this? by johnnnyboy · · Score: 0, Troll


    Why on earth would you use Linux when you have a commercially supported Unix desktop already?

    OSX is great in my opinion.

    I believe this was really this is a waste of time.
    Atleast, its nice to hear linux beat Windows to the chase. Linux can run on anything!

    --
    "If a show of teeth is not enough, bite ... but bite hard!"