Anybody using a Mac Pro 6.1 for Linux? (Trash Can Mac)

[CptKrf]

I collect old (ancient, mostly) computers and someone gave me a really nice Trash Can Pro, i.e. Mac Pro 6.1 2013. It runs fine with Mojave but I have a far newer desktop for mundane stuff. It is very quiet and quite powerful and being Intel would make a fine Linux box. So I have tried it.

Debian Bookworm Live will boot and usually run a while, but then crashes. Installing Bookworm netinstall also starts but will not finish, usually crashing sometime after the HD setup and beginnng of program load. From the messages flashing by, it appears not to like the GPUs.

So, I started from the bottom, selecting the Advanced Expert install, allowing me to go through the procedures one step at a time. I gave it an absolute minimum load, with only the kernel and whatever drivers are needed to make it see the outside world. And it worked - so far.

Still playing with it. Apt-get works and also the basic stuff like build-essential and Syncthing. I suspect I won't have any major problems unless I get some driver that overrides the generic GPU driver.

So...

Anybody else have an old Trash Can for Linux? I would like to hear of your successes or failures, and especially of fixes you have found.

 

[ML_113]

I ran MX/antiX successfully on a MBP and a MBA (both Intel) circa 2010 (MBP) 2011 (MBA).
The trick is connect with the installer (on CD for the MBP) with wifi, be sure to have sound and picture working before hitting the install button.
Erase the whole thing, don't dual boot.
The MBP is older than yours, and I don't have the owner password. It is now my main daily surfing machine - it works with MX only.
The MBA is now back to High Sierra because I have enough junk. If I remember well it went to black (sorry white) screen for a long time before booting up. I almost gave up.