How to run the Debian 12.1.0 on an old Macbook 3.1

The plan

Since the last time I installed a Debian 11.2.0 on this old Macbook (see How to run the Debian 11.2.0 on an old Macbook 3.1 with dual boot), something went wrong with the network without understand what was going on. I deCided to try again with the new version of Debian and only with this OS on the computer.

So I make again the quiet same operation.

Objective : make my old Macbook 3.1 useful with a recent Operating System. Let’s do it with the last Debian (12.1.0 Bookworm at the time I wrote this post)

As you will see, after having installed Debian, a lot of things don’t run at all :

The keyboard is not recognized as a Mac keyboard (and works as a classic one, with the “-” on the “6” for example in the case of an AZERTY keyboard)
The Wifi doesn’t work (only ethernet network works)
Your printer can’t be used
The webcam doesn’t work (I have to admit that I did not arrive to make it running…)

Prepare the hard drives

Nothing special to do. Everything will be done during a classic Debian installation, formating the full harddrive.

Install Debian

1. Download a Debian image and create your installer : in my case I have downloaded debian-12.1.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso (I tried the debian-12.1.0-amd64-netinst.iso but encountered too many problems) and have created a bootable USB key (yes! this old Macbook can boot from an USB key)

2. Boot on the installer

Insert the USB Key
Start the Macbook holding the Key “alt” pressed
Choose to boot from the installer you have created

4. Create the 2 partitions needed on the free space

For Debian OS
For the Swap (usually the same space as the memory if between 2GB and 4GB)

You can also use the guided partitioner for install on the entire harddrive. But by default it will allow only 1GB to the Swap partition.

In my case with a 250GB Hard Drive :

Debian : 245.5GB
Swap : 4GB

5. Finish the installation and log in

Adjust the Debian configuration to the Macbook

As a reminder, the wifi doesn’t work, so before everything, keep your Macbook plugged to the ethernet network.

Keyboard configuration

Edit the keyboard config file :

nano /etc/default/keyboard

Insert the following configuration :

XKBMODEL="pc105"
XKBLAYOUT="fr"
XKBVARIANT="mac"
XKBOPTIONS="lv3:switch,compose:lwin"

BACKSPACE="guess"

Restart the Macbook to take into account the new configuration.

Wifi configuration

Verify the prerequisites

apt install bzip2
apt install ca-certificates
apt install pciutils
apt install wget
apt install debconf
apt install libc6

Verify repositories SourceList

nano /etc/apt/sources.list

If the following line does not exists in it, add it at the end :

deb http://ftp.fr.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib

Install fwcutter & firmware-b43

apt install b43-fwcutter
apt install firmware-b43-installer

Restart the Macbook to take into account the new configuration.

Printer configuration

You just have to run the following command line :

apt install printer-driver-all

Conclusion

Here is a tutorial than works for many Macbook. If it doesn’t work for you or if you want to follow the instructions on which I based my tests and this tutorial, you can go there :

I tried to make it easier in this post and I can guarantee that all I described works fine.

The only thing I did not try to make working yet is the webcam.