Reviving a 2015 MacBook Air with Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide to Breathe New Life into Your Old Mac

I have a 2015 MacBook Air with an Intel i5-5240U processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB hard drive. Although I kept it updated with the latest macOS versions (increasingly difficult due to limited disk space), and that was a mistake. This caused the MacBook to slow down drastically, to the point that I barely used it anymore… basically, it became a glorified paperweight.

The installation and user experience with Ubuntu has improved significantly since I last tried it about six or seven years ago. The process is super straightforward and efficient. Thanks to Ubuntu, my laptop has regained its speed! Here’s the step-by-step installation process:

Prerequisites

• An old laptop or computer (in this case, a MacBook Air 2015).
• A USB drive with at least 8GB capacity (I used a 128GB one, which is more than enough).

Ubuntu Installation Steps

1. Download Ubuntu: Start by downloading the Ubuntu image from its official website. You can do this from the MacBook itself (if it’s still usable) or from another computer, as I did. Which version to choose? I recommend the latest LTS (Long-Term Support) version, which offers five years of maintenance and security updates. I installed Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

2. Create a bootable USB: The downloaded image will be in .iso format, which is a disk image. To create the bootable USB on Windows, I used Balena Etcher, which is straightforward and effective. This software has three main steps:

- Select the image: Click on “Flash from file” and choose the .iso file you downloaded.
- Select the target drive: Make sure you pick the USB drive and not your computer’s hard drive.
- Start the process: Confirm everything is set, and click “Flash.” Writing and verification may take a few minutes.

Installing Ubuntu on the MacBook

1. Boot from the USB drive: Connect the USB drive to the MacBook (which should be powered off), then turn it on while holding down the Option/Alt (⌥) key. You’ll see a list of recognized bootable drives, and you should select the USB icon.

2. Test before installing: Once Ubuntu loads, you’ll have two options: “Try” or “Install Ubuntu.” I recommend choosing “Try” to check if it recognizes all essential drivers. In my case, everything worked! From the backlit keyboard to the trackpad, WiFi, and special function keys.

3. Install Ubuntu: When you’re ready, click on the install icon on the Ubuntu desktop. The process is entirely guided and intuitive. You’ll only need to select language, keyboard configuration, and timezone. After a few minutes, Ubuntu was installed and ready to go.

Results and Conclusions

And voilà! My MacBook Air feels like new. With Ubuntu, its performance is much smoother, boot times are quick, and the user experience is excellent. While I didn’t perform benchmark tests before wiping macOS, I can assure you the difference is incredible: the laptop flies!

So, if you have an old computer and think your only options are recycling or discarding it, consider installing Linux. You could give it a second life with Ubuntu, Mint, or any other distribution. My recommendation is Ubuntu because, as I mentioned, the process was easy and the results fantastic.

Until next time!