Filed under: Software, Features, How-tos, Productivity, Open Source
Installing Ubuntu 8.10 on a Mac
When it comes to virtualization on the Mac, it's mostly discussed in the context of running a variant of Microsoft Windows. This makes sense; the ease of getting Windows to run within OS X (on Intel hardware) is one of the key reasons many first-time Mac buyers are migrating to Apple. However, Windows is hardly the only game in town.
Although the annual proclamations of "the year of the Linux desktop" haven't really panned out, thanks to distributions like Ubuntu, more and more individuals are at least giving Linux a try. Today, Canonical made both the server and desktop versions of Ubuntu 8.10 (codenamed 'Intrepid Ibex') available for download.
Even before the Intel switch, PPC users could effectively run Linux distros on their machines, but virtualization coupled with Intel hardware has made running a VM of Ubuntu -- or any Linux distribution -- fairly painless. Using commercial software like VMware Fusion 2.0 or Parallels Desktop, or open source and free solutions like VirtualBox, you can set up an Ubuntu virtual machine much like you would with Windows.
If you have ever installed a Windows virtual machine, using Parallels, Fusion or VirtualBox, the process for installing Ubuntu is almost exactly the same. Download the Ubuntu 8.10 ISO image (a slow process today with the demand for the new release; it should speed up next week, and there are Bittorrent seeds for faster service) and then select that image for the virtual CD drive when creating your VM. The process, depending on your system, should take under 20 minutes from beginning to end.
Today, I set up a virtual machine of Ubuntu 8.10 in both VMware Fusion 2.0 and VirtualBox 2.04. Parallels Desktop works with Ubuntu, but I had problems trying to get Ubuntu 8.04 installed and am still reading reports of problems with 8.10. Parallels might work just fine with Ubuntu 8.10, but keep in mind that it might be kludgy.
Read on for more install options.
Laurent Bois wrote up a fantastic guide for installing Ubuntu 8.04 in VMware Fusion, but the process for 8.10 is exactly the same. If you are using Fusion, be sure to take note of the section about VMware Tools (the drivers and utilities to make the guest OS, in this case Ubuntu, work better within OS X, have a better graphical interface, share data, have copy-paste work across OSs, etc.). The official VMware build included with Fusion is incompatible with the current Linux kernel. If you try to compile those tools, you'll get nothing but errors. Thankfully, a set of Open Virtual Machine Tools is being maintained and Laurent's guide details how to download and compile them in Fusion.
LowEndMac wrote up a VirtualBox install guide last year and Steve has also detailed his VirtualBox experiences. I had a hard time getting the Guest Addons to install properly in VirtualBox and not all of my hardware was available, as it was in VMware -- but I was able to successfully install Ubuntu 8.10 just the same.
Have any more links or tips and suggestions for running a virtual instance of Ubuntu (or any other distro) within OS X? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
Oh -- and for anyone who wants to dual-boot OS X with Ubuntu (similar to a Boot Camp config for Windows), check out this approach, which leverages the parted partitioning tool and the rEFIt boot menu -- older guides here and here as well, and quasi-official instructions from the Ubuntu help site are here and here. If you're trying to dual-boot on a Hackintosh, see this guide from February. It isn't nearly as straightforward as doing a virtual machine, but it is possible.
Note that if you want to set up Ubuntu as a ride-along with your Windows config in Boot Camp, as Ricky points out below, there's another very simple approach: use the Wubi installer, which creates the entire Ubuntu root partition as a virtual disk file on your Windows partition, and then adds a boot manager to allow you to pick between Windows and Ubuntu at startup. Unfortunately the Mac-only Wubi build (Mubi) is still a work in progress, so if you know any developers with time on their hands...
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Cowicide said 6:26PM on 10-30-2008
My experience with Parallels and 8.1 Ubuntu was bad. I was able to install it and it runs fine but the Parallels tools would not install through terminal. So I investigated it and found that I needed to upgrade to 5624 in order to get Parallels tools installed in Ubuntu 8.1.
The update was a nightmare... Unbuntu and no other images would launch AT ALL after the update. I would get nothing but spinning beachballs and would have to force quit Parallels after trying to start up anything.
Thank God I was able to uninstall the update and reinstall Parallels back to 5608 and everything is back to normal and all my images appear unaffected by the crap. BUT, there's no Parallels tools installed with Ubuntu 8.1, so I can't run it as integrally with OS X at all.
This is making me very seriously consider ditching Parallels for other alternatives.
Reply
Christina Warren said 6:37PM on 10-30-2008
I think this is all associated with the new version of the kernel. VMWare's bundled tools break in 8.04 and up -- and I'm assuming its a similar situation with Parallels. I'll try to see if anyone has created or found an alternate toolset.
Cowicide said 7:11PM on 10-30-2008
Here's the Parallels thread on the issue. Lot's of dissapointed/angry customers.
http://forums.parallels.com/showthread.php?p=127865#post127865
Reg said 6:29PM on 10-30-2008
I also had problems installing under Parallels. I'm currently installing under Fusion right now to see how things go. Hopefully better. I'll post back.
Reply
Reg said 7:08PM on 10-30-2008
Just a followup:
Installed just fine with Fusion. Tools installed as well. One thing to note is that the tools do not support the version of X included with Ubuntu so you do not get the drag and drop features.
bebopredux said 6:35PM on 10-30-2008
I've had no problem installing any variant of Linux on my MBP with VMware Fusion. But.....I miss not being able to use Compiz ie; desktop effects.
How easy is it to dual boot with Boot Camp? I want to have a full blown install and not be crippled under virtualization.
Reply
Daniel Jaramillo said 10:16PM on 10-30-2008
Bootcamp is really easy to install and switching back and forth is no more difficult than what it used to be switching between OS 9 and OS X changing the Startup Disk on System Preferences.
I was really impressed with the smooth installation of Bootcamp and with the fact that ALL the hardware on my MacBook was supported (including Bluetooth and the iSight camera)
John Smith said 9:31AM on 10-31-2008
It's easy to install Linux alongside OS X while dual booting. You will need to install rEFIt first, then Linux. I am using the advanced features of Compiz Fusion and the experience is very good.
anselmoreal said 6:37PM on 10-30-2008
too may apple fanboys in this blog, the dont care about free software like linux, open office or firefox , that in fact do the work just like mac does.
Thanks TUAW you rock.
Reply
waiownsyou said 1:58AM on 10-31-2008
Apple fanboys on The Unofficial Apple Weblog? NO. FREAKIN'. WAY. I call shenanigans.
Ashwin said 6:40PM on 10-30-2008
Does VMWare Tools finally install?
Reply
Christina Warren said 6:42PM on 10-30-2008
Not the bundled tools, you have to get the VMware Open Tools http://open-vm-tools.sourceforge.net/
See the link for Laurent Bois's tutorial for details on getting it installed if you have trouble.
larrinski said 6:44PM on 10-30-2008
I had no problems installing Ubuntu 8.10 on my Macbook Air in VirtualBox. Runs great and looks good.
The only part I am still trying to get to work, is mounting a USB stick inside Virtualbox so I can make a bootable USB and then I can install 8.10 via rEFit on my Boot Camp partition...A bit of a pain not having a superdrive, but oh well!
Reply
jollyrogerjonesy said 6:53PM on 10-30-2008
Oddly I just setup the triple boot with Ubuntu on my work comp. Odd timing, maybe it's just the season.
Reply
Greg said 7:19PM on 10-30-2008
Or you can just do this all for free with QEMU, a Mac OS X port of Q.
Hehe, I realize how much I sound like an advertisement. Anyways, link: http://bellard.org/qemu/
Reply
James Madley said 11:49PM on 10-30-2008
I think you meant to say that Q is a native port of QEMU for Mac OS X.
Ed said 6:17AM on 10-31-2008
Or you can just do all this for free with VirtualBox, which is for Virtualization and not Emulation.
bender said 8:10PM on 10-30-2008
Under Vmware 2.0 Slackware 12.1 runs like a dream. The installation of the bundled tools installs without a hitch. Give it a whirl, Slackware is worth the try.
Reply
Mark said 8:55PM on 10-30-2008
You can simply install open-vm-toolbox using the Synaptic package manager. No manual downloading of packages needed!
The command line way is "apt-get install open-vm-toolbox".
Reply
Ricky said 10:05PM on 10-30-2008
You missed one of the easiest ways to install! If you have Windows on your Boot Camp partition, simply put the Ubuntu CD in the drive while running Windows and select the option to install on Windows. This will install Ubuntu on a virtual drive within Windows, but allow you to "Dual-boot" within the Windows Boot Camp partition. So when you start your Mac, you first choose Windows, then select Ubuntu in the next menu that comes up. The advantage of this is that you will essentially be running Ubuntu natively on your Mac (with some disk performance degradation due to the disk being virtualized), so you can use the fancy 3D stuff. And it's super simple to uninstall as well. This "Ubuntu-within-Windows" option originated from the Wubi project. Google it to learn more.
Reply