It happened again. I got bit by the Linux bug and downloaded the new point-one release of Ubuntu. After the iso was done downloading, I grabbed unetbootin and threw it on a USB key. Five minutes later I was ripping through the install and partitioning my Macbook Pro to accept a dual boot. Little hacky stuff aside, it’s a smooth ride.
When I rebooted, with rEFInd bringing the business at startup, I had the choice to boot to Ubuntu before finally… seeing nothing but a blank screen.
To provide a little clarity and context here, let me begin by saying I recently factory defaulted and reloaded my Mac after a multi-day spiral of knowledge in the subject of internet privacy. I wiped my laptop to start fresh, with my new VPN connection and a history-free OS, I changed up to an add-on heavy install of Firefox and thought I was off to the races – until I saw Ubuntu pop up on my reddit feed.
I guess I pursued the installer to run Ubuntu again, if for anything else, for the experience. I like solving all the little problems I’m used to seeing with Linux. Getting this key or that driver to work just perfectly is a small road of challenges. Lots of room for mini dopamine rushes when I find all the little fixes. I’m trying to keep it fresh, too, anticipating a few Linux courses coming up in my BA InfoSys program. I think there’s something to be said, too, for the simple fact that not a whole lot of people run Linux daily. I know, I know – thousands of people do, but look around in the mainstream and they are vastly outnumbered – at least where I live. It’s got to be the same feeling that anybody involved in a niche has, when they are running their gear – it’s mine, and it’s the best. I like that feeling and Linux dishes it out, deep.
Finally, I had to format my Mac again. Well, not that I had to, but after a little consideration after the changes had already been written to the drive, I figured I’d just run a different distro in a VM environment anyway, as there’s some stuff I’d like to experiment with in a safer, less permanent way. I’ve also decided to just keep on swimming with plain-jane OSX. It does everything I need and although I’m not completely sure what it does and doesn’t feed the mighty Apple Empire without my consent directly, I’m comfortable, it’s clean and fast and hell – it works.
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