Hi Phil,
I have not heard from anyone from the Linux Users
Victoria group. Did you end up sending anything out to them?
However, I have been ploddiing along exploring for
myself.
Thanks for the tip on Ubuntu.
I have installed it on my old MacBook Pro myself
after having first looked at Mint Mate and Mint Cinnamon and
Zorin OS from the boot USB and then I decided to install Ubuntu
and totally wipe MacOS.
Then I installed elementary OS wiping Ubuntu
completely because the Ubuntu Help App was totally unreadable
(some kind of graphics problem but the graphics in Ubuntu
elsewhere and all the Apps were fine so just a integrated Help
App problem) and the integrated Help App was important to me.
But couldn't find drivers (looking specifically for
Thunderbolt 2 which is what my Mac uses) and discovered in the
Ubuntu community that Linux doesn't have a driver for
thunderbolt 2.
So reinstalled Ubuntu completely wiping out
elementary OS. Thant got rid of the Ubuntu sign-in problem I
had the first time (didn't realise I had to use all lower case).
Ordered a lot of Linux bistro books from Amazon and
have sent back quite a few already, because the marketing
doesn't line up with the contents of the books.
Now I suspect that all the distros based on Ubuntu
have the ability to change the desk top to copy the way MacOS
behaves if one is prepared to spend a lot of time and use
Terminal commands. Can even do it on Linux Mint Cinnamon which
looks like Windows. But time consuming and I have no desire to
reinvent the wheel my age.
Zorin OS claims to let you click a
button and swap to a setup that behaves like MacOS instantly.
That is very appealing to me. It also seems to be the
case that most issues I might have will be answered by Ubuntu
documentation and community anyway because it is only the
superficial desktop layer that is altered to behave like MacOS
and I can always return that to the default settings without
losing any data of mine if I get stuck.
I also need to spend quite a bit of time
getting more familiar with Firefox because I stubbornly stay
with Safari because it's imbedded in my subconscious.
My plan is to keep doing iCloud mail on my 2019
MacBook Pro until and unless I get everything transitioned to
Proton Mail or the new Thunderbird mail accounts that will be
available next year on the thunderbird client. But I want to do
my internet searching and online shopping on Firefox on Linux to
get away from all the tracking etc. So will need
someone to help with the best way for me to move browser,
email & contacts data.
And most importantly, love that I don't
even have to install wifi on Ubuntu and all the other ubuntu
dependent distros. After just having updated software on
an iPhone 8 and MacBook Air 2013 and having to use wifi for an
hour, love that I don't hav to use wifi at all on Ubuntu
distros.
So, I need one of two things.
Ideally someone in Melbourne, who can
solve any problems that aren't immediately easily solved by me
or are time consuming.
e..g can someone use Terminal to get into the
MacBook thunderbolt 2 driver on one of my 2 Macbook Airs before
I destroy the MacOS on both of them and copy the code to creat a
Linux driver for thunderbolt 2 and instal it in whichever Linux
distro I end up staying with? And less exciting, help with the
transition of contacts, email, browser data etc.
Also, reduce my learning curve with Firefox and
whatever I use in place of Pages by changing the new Apps to
suit my Safari and Pages habits.
So the Melbourne person am looking for would be
someone with experience in Intel Macs 2013 to 2019 especially
those with thunderbolt 2, including use of their terminal
commands, and experience with at least one Senior/Beginner
friendly Ubuntu based distro (not the IT geek versions) and
extensive and creative use of Linux Terminal Commands and
willingness to educate themselves on Zorin OS and Ubuntu OS and
the full range of customisation options for Firefox and whatever
App I use in place of Pages.
If a suitable person in Melbourne does
not materialise, the second option is: can some of this,
especially the essential bits, be done over the phone with
someone not in Melbourne?
I admit to conversations with my friend's husband
Les in Sydney. He has been keep for me to install Mint. He has
used Mint Mate for 15 years. But he's a windows man. And I
don't like Windows. It's too cluttered. But he did put Mint
Mate & Mint Cinnamon and Zorin OS on a boot USB after
testing it worked on an old Macbook he bought at a market and
then mailed it to me and guided me over the phone initially in
looking at them live from the USB without destroying MacOS. And
he did tell me that I could add an ISO file for elementary OS to
his Ventor USB which I did. But he's my age with the long list
of health problems we have at our age and clearly wants to stick
with Mint Mate.
So I need someone younger and preferably
enthusiastic about what I am trying to do. I actually surprised
myself that I managed to install these Linux OS's myself. But I do want someone who takes the role of AppleCare
and tells me what to do when I get stuck.
And someone in Melbourne for things
like printer problems. Men seem to be better at that kind
of thing. Women are too scared of breaking things. One reason
I have achieved what I have to my surprise is because it was an
old Mac so it didn't matter if I broke it. All my important
files are on the 2019 Mac anyway and its time machine backups.
Oh, that's another thing. I want to replicate time
machine backups as much as possible and I gather I have to use a
combination of Timeshift for the OS and Deja Dup for my user
files. So that is an early priority.
So did you put out something to the Linux Users
group? What do you suggest from here?
Thanks Linda
Morning Linda,
Yes there has been a couple of issues with the group
splintering into 2, we are in the process of putting it
all back together again :)
Call me when you have a minute and we'll have a chat
about what we can do to help
Cheers Phil in Sunny Mildura
--
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can
never tell if they are genuine. Abraham Lincoln"
Regards,
Phil Steel-Wilson
Phil'll Fix IT Mobile Computer Services
[+61](0)447 64 55 34
https://philfixit.com.au
Linux user no: #564977
SHOP MAGIK | APRA No: #867466
Over 25 years experience in the IT industry.
If you are happy with my service and rates,
please recommend me to your family and friends.
Boring stuff follows . . .
Treat all email communication as confidential.
It is for the intended recipient only.
If you have received this email and,
you are not the intended recipient please contact,
abuse@philfixit.com.au
On 3/08/2026 8:20 pm, AG wrote:
HI Phil,
Thanks for getting back to me.
I didn't expect it because just after I sent the
message, I discovered the your last newsletters were 2
years old, so assumed the Linux Users Group of
Victoria had folded due to too many members leaving
Victoria due to the political situation here or dying
during the pandemic. Many other groups have folded
for these reasons and AUSOM seems to be struggling
with a shortage of members.
I won't call you tonight. Need to get dinner.
But will call you soon.
Linda
On 1 Aug 2026, at
7:03 am, Phil'll Fix IT Mobile Computer Services
<phil@philfixit.com.au> wrote:
Hi Linda,
And thanks for reaching out, i am very pleased to
hear from you.
I would love to have a chat with you about your
computing needs to ensure we do the right thing :)
Feel free to call me or email back to this address.
I am a sysadmin with Linux Users Victoria and we
have an absolute wealth of knowledge throughout the
group.
There is nothing we cant sort out :)
--
"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you
can never tell if they are genuine. Abraham Lincoln"
Regards,
Phil Steel-Wilson
Phil'll Fix IT Mobile Computer Services
[+61](0)447 64 55 34
https://philfixit.com.au
Linux user no: #564977
SHOP MAGIK | APRA No: #867466
Over 25 years experience in the IT industry.
If you are happy with my service and rates,
please recommend me to your family and friends.
Boring stuff follows . . .
Treat all email communication as confidential.
It is for the intended recipient only.
If you have received this email and,
you are not the intended recipient please contact,
abuse@philfixit.com.au
On 31/07/2026 5:22 pm, Linux Users of Victoria
wrote:
--- Name ---
Linda
--- Email ---
ag.t1@icloud.com
--- Comment or Message ---
HI, I have been a MacOS user for 12 years (loved
it at the beginning) & at 81 yo & health
issues, haven't got the time to continue pushed
upgrades of software & hardware & total
control & continually having to learn new
stuff. and cyber security.
I accept that it is hard to live in this world
without IT, but with little life left, I want to
minimise it.
Wondering if you have any members who have a lot
of experience with MacOS various vintages and
hardware, who would like to earn a bit of money
installing & maintaining the most suitable
Linux distribution on one of my od MacBook Pro
& MacBook Airs (all top of the range for
their era - 2013-2014 vintage with thunderbolt 2
ports and requiring everything permanently cabled:
keyboard, mouse, superdrive, USB-A & USB-C, 2
time machine backup external 4TB drives, Brother
& HP Lazer printers, sound system, iPhone sync
cable due to my EMF hypersensitivity which
prevents me from using bluetooth & wifi).
Whatever distribution it is, needs to have the
briefest learning curve because although I was an
IT expert 50 years ago, I have significant health
problems & brain fog now so want something
simple safe and reliable which does all the
necessary computing to participate in this world,
ie. communicate with my home care package provider
(SAH now) and my friends, family, health
professionals, regular support workers, buy all my
food & other needs online, do all my banking
& listen to my favourite music.
Have also fpiund it difficult to buy a Linux book
that doesn't just pay lip service to Mac Users -
they are all highly windows user focused. If you
know of some that is for the layman, not compute
geeks, that woudl help me, I'd love to know.
Linda