Puppy Linux (Ubuntu base) is super lightweight and made my old MacBook Air usable again. Here are the steps I followed to get it running with a frugal install.

Step 1 — Partition the Drive with GParted

Use GParted to set up the internal drive with 2 partitions:

Partition Size Format Flags
1st ~300 MB FAT32 boot, esp
2nd Remaining space ext3 or ext4 —
  • The FAT32 partition is where the bootloader files live — this is a UEFI requirement. Some computers look specifically for a FAT32 partition to find bootloader files.
  • The ext3/ext4 partition is where the frugal install(s) go.

Step 2 — Run Frugalpup Installer

  • Launch the Frugalpup Installer main program.
  • On the main window, click the Puppy button to begin the install.
  • Work through the install process, selecting the ext-formatted partition as the install destination.

Step 3 — Create a Directory for the Install

When prompted to select a partition:

  • A window will pop up offering to create a directory for the frugal install.
  • Create the directory and name it after the Puppy version (e.g. fossapup64).
  • Important: Press Enter to create the directory — do NOT press the OK button.
  • Read the window info carefully, then complete the install.

Step 4 — Install the Bootloader

When back at the main Frugalpup window:

  1. Click the Boot button.
  2. Select the location of the frugal install on the internal drive (usually pre-selected — just click OK).
  3. Select the small 300 MB FAT32 partition as the bootloader location (scroll the selection window if needed).
  4. Choose a bootloader type:
Option Use case
UEFI UEFI computers only
mbr Legacy BIOS computers only
both Boot on anything

Choosing UEFI or both will also install the files needed to support Secure Boot.

Secure Boot Note

When you first boot from the internal drive on a UEFI computer with Secure Boot enabled, a process will start to install the Puppy security key into the computer’s firmware — alongside the other trusted keys already loaded.

I had one computer that would not boot if Secure Boot was disabled. The fix was to enable Secure Boot and install the UEFI bootloader type, which then walked through adding the Puppy security key.

Adding More Frugal Installs Later

To add another Puppy version to the same drive, just run Frugalpup Installer again for the new version. When you run the bootloader install step, it will automatically create boot menu entries for all installs it finds on the drive.

Install Wi-Fi — Broadcom Driver (MacBook Air 2014)

The MacBook Air 2014 uses a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip. Install the driver with:

sudo apt-get install broadcom-sta-source broadcom-sta-dkms broadcom-sta-common

Download Puppy Linux

Get the latest Puppy Linux builds from the official collection:

👉 https://forum.puppylinux.com/puppy-linux-collection

Software I Install on Puppy Linux

  • Install Flatpak
  • Install Anki via Flatpak
  • Install LocalSend

Reference

Original instructions sourced from the Puppy Linux forum — saved here for my own notes.

👉 https://www.forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?p=79229&hilit=macbook+efi#p79229