Replacing macOS with Linux on a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro (T2 Chip)

A Full Wipe Zorin OS 18 Guide That Actually Works

I’ll start with a confession.

I’m a self-confessed Apple fanboy. Over twenty years in. Multiple MacBooks, iMacs, iPhones, iPads, the whole ecosystem. I’ve always paid the premium because Apple hardware generally just worked, and for a long time that trade-off felt fair.

And to be clear up front: I still love my iPhone.
That’s staying as my primary mobile device. For now.

Apple still does mobile hardware and ecosystem integration exceptionally well. Face ID, battery optimisation, app quality, long-term support. I’m not interested in throwing away good tools just to make a point.

But this one stung.

When Apple released the macOS 26 developer beta, my 2019 Intel MacBook Pro was already excluded. A machine that cost nearly £3,500 at the time. A top-of-the-line configuration. And not even six years old.

The hardware is perfectly capable. The cutoff was not technical, it was strategic.

That was the moment the relationship changed.

At the same time, I’ve been quietly testing alternatives on the mobile side as well. I run /e/OS on a 5G Fairphone as a test device. As a senior engineer working in telecoms and IT, it’s been unexpectedly useful.

And honestly, it’s far better than most people expect.

/e/OS is effectively Android without Google.
No Play Services baked into the OS. No advertising-driven telemetry as the default. No silent data harvesting as a business model.

You still get:

A modern Android experience
OTA security updates
App compatibility via microG
A usable app store
Privacy controls that actually mean something

Is it perfect? No. Some apps behave differently. Push notifications can be less aggressive. Location accuracy isn’t always identical. But as a de-Googled, privacy-respecting daily driver experiment, it’s stable, usable, and surprisingly mature.

For people who want to step away from Google without diving into obscure ROMs or fragile builds, /e/OS is one of the most logical on-ramps available.

Which brings me back to laptops.

I already use Zorin OS and Ubuntu daily on other machines for work, infrastructure management, and engineering tasks. Linux isn’t new territory for me. What changed was intent.

Instead of treating Linux as “the other OS”, it was time to make it the primary one.

So I did the thing Apple never wants you to do:

I completely removed macOS and installed Linux as the only operating system.

This article documents exactly how I installed Zorin OS 18 on a 2019 Intel MacBook Pro with a T2 security chip, what broke, what didn’t, and the small but critical details that made the difference between a frozen installer and a fully working Linux laptop.

If you’re considering uncoupling yourself from Apple’s upgrade treadmill while keeping the parts of the ecosystem that still make sense, this is the playbook.

What You’ll Need (USB-C Macs Matter Here)

The 2019 MacBook Pro is USB-C only. This matters more than it should.

You will need:

A USB-C power adapter (keep the Mac powered throughout)
A USB-C hub with Ethernet and USB-A ports
A wired Ethernet connection
A USB keyboard
A USB mouse
A 16GB+ USB stick or USB-C external drive
Zorin OS 18 ISO
balenaEtcher

Why Ethernet Is Important

Without network access during installation, the installer can complete but hardware enablement may fail silently on T2 Macs.

My first attempt installed, but left input devices and Wi-Fi unusable.

Re-installing with Ethernet connected fixed everything.

System Used in This Guide

Model: MacBook Pro (2019)
CPU: Intel Core i9
GPU: Intel UHD 630
RAM: 16GB
Storage: NVMe SSD
Security: Apple T2 chip
Ports: USB-C only

Step-by-Step: Installing Zorin OS 18 (Full Wipe, No Dual Boot)

This process assumes:

macOS is being completely removed
No dual boot is required
You want a clean Linux-only system

Step 1: Download Zorin OS 18 and Create the Installer

Do this while macOS is still fully functional.

Download Zorin OS 18:
https://YOUR-AFFILIATE-LINK-HERE

Download balenaEtcher:
https://www.balena.io/etcher/

Create the installer:

Open balenaEtcher
Select the Zorin OS 18 ISO
Select your USB drive
Click Flash
Wait for completion
Safely eject the USB

Step 2: Back Up Everything

Before touching partitions:

Back up all personal data
Export passwords and vaults
Save 2FA recovery codes
Deactivate licensed software if applicable

Once the disk is wiped, there is no undo. YOU’LL LOOSE ALL DATA ON YOUR DISK!

Step 3: Update macOS Firmware

Even though macOS is about to be deleted, firmware updates still matter.

System Settings → Software Update
Install all updates
Reboot

T2 firmware updates are delivered via macOS. Once Linux is installed, firmware updates are no longer available.

Step 4: Disable Activation Lock (Critical)

On T2 Macs, Activation Lock exists below the OS.

Check:

System Settings → General → About → System Report → Hardware Overview

You must see:

Activation Lock Status: Disabled

If not:

System Settings → Apple ID
Sign out
Remove the Mac from Find My
Reboot
Re-check

Do not continue until this is disabled.

Step 5: Allow External Boot (T2 Security Settings)

Reboot while holding Command + R.

Open Startup Security Utility and set:

Secure Boot: No Security
External Boot: Allow booting from external media

Restart normally.

Step 6: Connect Hardware in the Correct Order

This order mattered.

USB-C power
USB-C hub (Ethernet + USB keyboard connected)
Zorin installer USB
USB mouse

Leave everything connected.

Step 7: Boot the Installer

Power on and hold Option (⌥)
Select EFI Boot
Choose Try or Install Zorin OS

Use the external keyboard.

Step 8: Start the Installer

At the desktop:

Click Install Zorin OS
Choose language and keyboard layout
Enable third-party drivers when prompted

Step 9: Partitioning (Simplified and Safer)

When asked for installation type:

Choose Something else
Delete all existing macOS partitions
Click Back
Select Erase disk and install Zorin OS

Let Zorin handle partitioning automatically. This is faster and avoids manual EFI mistakes.

Step 10: Reboot (Remove Only the Installer)

When installation completes:

Click Restart
Remove only the Zorin USB installer
Leave Ethernet, keyboard, mouse, and power connected

Step 11: First Boot Reality Check (Don’t Panic)

On first boot you will see:

Built-in keyboard not working
Trackpad not working
Wi-Fi not working
Touch Bar dark

This is expected on T2 Macs.

This is why Ethernet and external input devices are still connected.

Nothing is broken. We’ll fix this in minutes.

Step 12: Open Brave and Update the System

Zorin OS 18 uses Brave as the default browser.

Open Brave
Navigate back to this article
Open Terminal

Run:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Let this complete fully.

Step 13: Install T2 Drivers

Install the T2 bridge drivers:

git clone https://github.com/t2linux/T2-Ubuntu
cd T2-Ubuntu
./install.sh

Follow the prompts, then reboot.

Step 14: Final Reboot and Verification

After reboot:

Internal keyboard works
Trackpad works
Wi-Fi works
Bluetooth works
Touch Bar works
Audio works

At this point you can disconnect Ethernet and external devices.

Final Thoughts

This process isn’t difficult, but it is full of small traps Apple never designed for Linux users.

Once complete, the result is a fast, modern Linux laptop with excellent hardware, long-term software support, and zero artificial upgrade pressure.

For me, this wasn’t about abandoning Apple entirely.

It was about taking back control of hardware I already paid for.

And that feels right.

Tags: Linux Zorin OS