MacMiniIntel. This page describes how to install Debian on an Intel-based Mac Mini. please simplify ie Verify that your computer has the latest firmware: Partition & USB installs Tested on Mac Mini 3.1 2009 OS X 10.8.2 Install Refit, this will be removed but is needed briefly, later.
(Note that you can install rEFIt on a USB stick and boot from that, which is especially useful if your goal is to have just Debian on the system as it simplifies partitioning). Open Disk Utility and add Debian Partition with Format MS-DOS(FAT) then, Bless this partition: $ sudo bless -mount /Volumes/DEBIANHD -setBoot Download your chosen .iso convert .iso to .img $ hdiutil convert -format UDRW -o . then $ diskutil list note Debian partition identifier ie disk0s4 unmount Debian partition $ diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk0s4 copy img to Debian partition $ sudo dd if=debian-xxx.img of=/dev/disk0s4 bs=1m reboot and now use Refit to select and install Debian.
Install Grub on Debian partition /dev/disk0s4 not MBR see installation guide. Sound. Installing Debian GNU/Linux on the Mac Mini. Noise It's quiet -- very quiet.
But not silent. The only noise is the barely audible hum from the hard disk. Thanks to the fluid dynamic bearings, this isn't the annoying high-pitched whine that older 2.5" disks produced. I'm very pernickety about noise, and I find it quite acceptable. The Mac Mini has a fanless external 85W switch-mode power supply, about half the size of the Mac itself (picture here), moving a major source of heat out of the metal chassis. The optical drive is relatively loud when in use. Inside the Mac Mini Upgrading the RAM requires opening the case. In fact, the PDF is a complete maintenance guide, presumably written for Apple service technicians. You'll need a putty/spreading knife, be sure to buy the very thinnest possible. Please don't attempt to open your Mac unless you're familiar with opening consumer electronics devices. Linux Hardware support I did not expect the 802.11g wireless ("Airport Extreme") to ever work.
Ben Herrenschmidt (all praise BenH!) Xen on Intel Mac-Mini. This is my brief guide to getting Xen functioning on an Intel mac-mini.
Please note, I have only briefly tested this installing and booting WindowsXP on my mac-mini, but it seemed to work just fine. Good luck! The intel macs are nice, small, quite, fairly-inexpensive machines that support the VT instructions required to boot unmodified Operating Systems using Xen. When they were announced, I thought it would make a very nice dev/testing box. However, a little extra work was needed to get Xen working.
Because these machines are EFI based, you will need the latest Apple firmware which enables the Compatibility Support Module (CSM). You will need to install your linux distro of choice. I find it is easiest to modify a working installation into a xen dom0. Once you have a working linux installation on your mac, you will need to install the grub boot loader. Basically to switch to grub you will need to copy the files in /lib/grub/i386-pc/ to /boot/grub/