Although the number of uses for a 2009-era Mac Mini aren’t very long, using them to run new-and-upcoming operating systems like Haiku on would seem to be an interesting use case. This is what [The Phintage Collector] recently took a swing at, using both the 2024 Beta 5 release and a current nightly build. The focus was mostly on the 32-bit build, as this has binary compatibility with BeOS applications, but the 64-bit version of Haiku was of course also installed.
One of the main issues with these Mac systems is that they use EFI for the BIOS, so you’re condemned to either take your chances with the always glitchy CSM ‘classical BIOS’ mode, or to make Haiku and EFI get along. While for the 64-bit version of Haiku this wasn’t too much of a struggle, the 32-bit version ran into the problem that the 64-bit EFI BIOS really doesn’t like 32-bit software. After a while the 32-bit version of Haiku was thus abandoned for a later revisit.
With the 64-bit version a lot of things just work, though audio couldn’t be made to work even with a USB dongle, and there’s no hardware acceleration for graphics, so gaming isn’t really going to happen either. The positive thing here is probably that as a test system for 64-bit Haiku such a Mac Mini isn’t too crazy, it being just an Intel system with an Apple-flavor EFI BIOS.
If you’re into giving it a shot yourself, the video description page contains a lot of resources to consult.
Installing haiku on anything is akin to punching yourself in the genitals
Why not use Debian or Lubuntu instead? People are becoming stupid just to make a YouTube video.
Well if you look at the channel he has been covering the history of be for the last month or so.
People are becoming stupid just to criticize a youtube video
Why not just use MAcOS instead? Hackers are becoming stupid. /s
Despite Unix-like design, MacOS is not free software.
macOS isn’t “Unix-like”; it’s an officially certified Unix.
It’s not free, but comes with the hardware. So “Why not just use MAcOS instead?” is at least a valid question.
But I completely understand the “because it’s there” idea of wanting to install the exotic Haiku OS on this 17-year-old Mac :-)
Got any proof? Last time I checked you can’t download its source code to audit and compile it yourself – which is POSSIBLE with Linux kernel and most distros. This is the fundamental requirement of being in the FOSS family of operating systems (away from Microslop et. al.)
MacOS is not System V Unix, and is certainly not a Linux. It is more like BSD, and is “certified” as such (official or otherwise) as a “UNIX 03” OS.
Anyone asking if a *BSD IS “certified” UNIX, or whether Darwin kernel is open source, needs to turn in their geek card.
If they insist MacOS isn’t UNIx because the desktop environment isn’t open source, well, bless their heart. GUIs are cosmetic things
Why “despite”? Traditionally, UNIX installations cost real money, and quite a bit at that. Linux is a different story.
Presumably because that’s an ancient machine long past its EOL and is unsupported… Linux should be fine (likely even ChromeOS Flex).
The page says there are 2 Comments here, but there are none. 12:40 pm EDT
“Trying To Install Haiku On A 2009 Mac Mini
2 Commentsby: Maya Posch
April 12, 2026 “
Now it says there are 3.
Now it says 4, and so on.
I booted my MacMini a few weeks ago and it’s pretty useless: not even wanting to run Safari on the modern interweb. I’d love a simple OS to upgrade to.
Simple linux my 2012 mini runs kubuntu like a hot champ … if your idea of useful is web browser only and apps an 9 year old phone could do
My early 2009 imac runs freecad like a bat out of hell… but its got a dedicated gpu
The reason I wanted to use it was as a router (my ISP locked the WiFi router and won’t let DNS etc be modified) and as a media player under the TV. Problem there is that there’s no HDMI output: DVI and a 3.5mm headphone.
Don’t mix use cases of routers, and app clients. That’s a very poor security practice as the attacker surface is vast.
Have a router.
Have a media center.