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Can't partition SSD on Mac

I'm trying to partition the internal SSD of my Macbook Pro 2020 because I want to install and dual boot Linux on it.

After opening Disk Utility and selected my internal SSD (APPLE SSD AP0512N Media) I find that the ( +/- ) button, the Name field, and the Format box are all grayed out, which makes me unable to partition the internal SSD.

Can someone help me?




About my Mac:


MacBook Pro 2020, Intel.

Macintosh HD 512 GB

macOS Ventura Version 13.4.1 (c)

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 13.4

Posted on Jul 17, 2023 11:07 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 17, 2023 1:19 PM

Don't install Linux to the internal SSD. That will almost always result in something going wrong since people tend to realize they don't have enough room on one or both partitions.


Plus Linux doesn't not run very well on 2018+ Macs due to the T2 security chip plus the proprietary hardware Apple uses on them. Most likely WiFi will not work, plus there may be some other built-in hardware which will not function. See these articles for some of the issues with running Linux on the Apple USB-C laptops including a couple articles specifically for the 2018-2020 T2 Macs (I don't know if these are still being updated). I'm sure there are other sites out there with similar information about these USB-C Macs (you need information specific to a 2020 model or at the very least 2018-2020 models).

https://wiki.t2linux.org/


https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux


https://gist.github.com/roadrunner2/1289542a748d9a104e7baec6a92f9cd7?permalink_comment_id=2969196



If you want to try using Linux on a USB-C Mac (actually any Mac or actually any computer), it is best to use Linux in a VM as others have suggested. If you really need to run Linux on bare metal for some reason, then it is best to install Linux to an external USB3 SSD although for a T2 Mac you will need to use the Startup Security Utility to modify the Mac's security settings to allow booting from USB. For most people, running Linux in a VM is more than sufficient and will be much easier.


3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 17, 2023 1:19 PM in response to samuele_pasquale

Don't install Linux to the internal SSD. That will almost always result in something going wrong since people tend to realize they don't have enough room on one or both partitions.


Plus Linux doesn't not run very well on 2018+ Macs due to the T2 security chip plus the proprietary hardware Apple uses on them. Most likely WiFi will not work, plus there may be some other built-in hardware which will not function. See these articles for some of the issues with running Linux on the Apple USB-C laptops including a couple articles specifically for the 2018-2020 T2 Macs (I don't know if these are still being updated). I'm sure there are other sites out there with similar information about these USB-C Macs (you need information specific to a 2020 model or at the very least 2018-2020 models).

https://wiki.t2linux.org/


https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux


https://gist.github.com/roadrunner2/1289542a748d9a104e7baec6a92f9cd7?permalink_comment_id=2969196



If you want to try using Linux on a USB-C Mac (actually any Mac or actually any computer), it is best to use Linux in a VM as others have suggested. If you really need to run Linux on bare metal for some reason, then it is best to install Linux to an external USB3 SSD although for a T2 Mac you will need to use the Startup Security Utility to modify the Mac's security settings to allow booting from USB. For most people, running Linux in a VM is more than sufficient and will be much easier.


Can't partition SSD on Mac

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