Why I Did This

This old 2011 MacBook Air originally belonged to my wife, but over time it became unusable for her day-to-day needs. After buying her a new Dell laptop, I decided to experiment with repurposing the MacBook into a Linux-based travel and utility device — instead of letting it collect dust.

First Attempt: Linux and Wi-Fi Woes

Some time back, I tried installing Kali Linux on this same MacBook, hoping to use it as a portable pen testing box. But I ran into a wall almost immediately: the built-in Wi-Fi adapter (Broadcom BCM4360) wasn’t supported out of the box on newer kernels. I spent way too much time troubleshooting, patching drivers, and trying workarounds — and eventually gave up.

That experience made me step back from the idea entirely… until I decided to try Linux Mint XFCE.

Why Linux Mint XFCE?

• Lightweight and fast — perfect for older hardware
• Still gets regular security and software updates
• Includes a friendly driver manager (huge bonus)
• Great app support — Firefox, VS Code, VLC, LibreOffice
• Clean, responsive interface with low overhead

Setup Experience

I flashed the Linux Mint ISO to a USB stick using Balena Etcher, booted using the Option key, and launched the live session. As expected, Wi-Fi didn’t work initially — but this time, Mint made it easy. I tethered my phone to get temporary internet, opened Driver Manager, and it immediately identified the Broadcom adapter. I selected the proprietary STA driver (v6.30.223.271-23ubuntu1), rebooted, and Wi-Fi was up and running without a fight.

What I Can Do Now

• Web browsing, video streaming, and media playback
• Lightweight development and scripting work
• Run Kali Linux in a VM for pen testing on the go
• Work offline with a full suite of local tools
• Fully customize the OS to suit my workflow

Conclusion

With Linux Mint XFCE, this MacBook Air has become more useful than it’s been in years. It boots fast, runs clean, and actually gets updates — something macOS on this device hasn’t seen in a long time. I finally have a reliable, flexible Linux laptop that I can use for testing, travel, and light dev work.

My next goal will be to do the same with a 2014 MacBook Pro I’ll be getting soon — with better specs and a Retina display, it’ll be interesting to see how far I can push that one as a daily-use Linux rig.

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