I successfully installed Roon Core on my late 2007 Mac Mini with the Mac version of Ubuntu Server 14.04. Thanks to those in this thread who helped me get wireless running and this old machine booting without a monitor (A DVI adapter did the trick).
RoonServer runs, but is obviously hampered by the aging hardware. Importing albums takes a while and playback is all but impossible if scanning is happening in the background. When playing only, hi-res stutters over RAAT and doesn’t play at over Airplay. Lossless plays over both, but plays without delay over RAAT.
I won’t be using it in this config and will be setting it up as a RoonBridge for the porch. This experiment also gives me confidence to try my own NUC build if I choose, though I may just go ahead and buy a Mac Mini when the new models come out and sell the 2015 HD version that is now my RoonServer.
If you are going to install Linux on the mini then You might as well buy a NUC.
Else you will just be paying apple tax on memory, SSD etc. with out any added value or performance.
I wouldn’t install Linux on a new Mac Mini. The question for me is if I want to use my laptop for all the things I currently use the Mini for, CD rips, DVD rips, downloads, etc.
I used the 2007 mini as an experiment because it was abandoned and in my closet.
replacing the drive in that Mac Mini with an SSD would be the #1 thing you can do to improve performance considerably. OS X or Linux, both would benefit.
Yep. I get that re the SSD. Thing is the 2007 Mac Mini tops out at OS X 10.5 or so, well under the requirements for Roon. So, I considered it a success to get RoonServer running at all on it. There is no way it will be my server, it was just an experiment to get my Linux chops up to speed and to see if there was any use for this old lady of a Mac. For now, it’s a RoonBridge.
