Ok just wanted to start off by saying hi, this is my first post and I am new to this forum. Ok so here is my question I have a MacBook Pro (Early 2008) edition and I am trying to find out if I install Linux on my Mac will all the hardware that comes with the Mac work correctly once Linux is installed. The reason if your wondering, why I asked this question is because I had heard through different sources on the internet that both the Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.38.35) firmware that was in my AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x8C) wireless card, and the wireless card itself would not work with Linux because their is no driver support for this card! So then I started wondering if there was any other issues with the other hardware components on my computer! Any help on this question is greatly appreciated!

Here are the specs for my computer also........

MacBook Pro (Early 2008)

CPU
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed: 2.4/2.5 GHz
FPU: integrated
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Data Path Width: 64 bit
Address Width: 64 bit
ROM: EFI
RAM Type: PC2-5300 SO-DIMM
Minimum RAM Speed: 667 MHz
Onboard RAM: 0 MB
RAM slots: 2
Maximum RAM: 4 GB
Level 1 Cache: 32 kB data, 32 kB instruction
Level 2 Cache: 3/6 MB onchip, 1:1
Expansion Slots: 1 ExpressCard/34

Video
Screen: 15.4 LED-backlit TFT/17" active matrix TFT (LED-backlit available BTO)
Video Card/Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
VRAM: 256/512 MB GDDR3
Max Resolution: 24 bit 1440x900/1680x1050
Video Out: dual-link DVI
Camera: iSight

Storage
Hard Drive: 200/250 GB 5400 RPM (w/SMS) (200/7200, 300/4200 available BTO)
ATA Bus: Serial-ATA
Optical Drive: 24x/24x/16x/8x/8x/8x/8x CD-RW/DVD±RW/DVD+R DL DL

Input/Output
USB: 2/3 2.0
Firewire: 1
Firewire800: 1
Audio Out: stereo 24 bit mini, Optical S/PDIF
Audio In: stereo 24 bit mini, Optical S/PDIF
Speaker: stereo
Microphone: mono

Networking
Ethernet: 10/100/1000BaseT
Airport Extreme: 802.11n
Bluetooth: internal 2.1+EDR

Welcome to LQ!
now, I have never used a mac

But, I do know that Mepis can be installed on OSX(is that what you have?)
and being that Mepis is Ubuntu based
I would say it's worth a try.

this from the OSX readme in new Antix-8.2(smaller mepis)

http://www.mepis.org/docs/en/index.p...-CD_with_a_Mac
hope that helps a little...

Hi Snowman, this is Falcon (no just kidding ),
Welcome. The quickest way to find out about hardware compatibility is to check the HCL's. There's one on this site but loads and loads of others.

You can also google using {name of hardware} and linux as your search words and you'll quickly tap into a wealth of information. If what you want to do can be done that somebody as surely done it already and (hopefully) posted the relevant information. It's out there; all you have to do is find it.
cheers,
jdk

And if typing linux into all your searches gets boring you could use google's special engine for all things linux: link here

Thanks Tredegar. I didn't know about that. LQ is the place to be!
jdk

Snowman:

I'm pretty new to Linux, just made the switch to Linux on all of my PCs/Server (with 1 exception)!! One thing that was helpful for me, was to boot Linux CD or thumb drive(ubuntu in my case),and test the drivers from that environment.

Good luck and have enjoy linux!!