Month: June 2025

macOS 26 is here.

/ John Wagenvoort / Leave a comment

macOS 26 “Tahoe” – A Clean Install and Smooth Return to Form

By John Wagenvoort & Kai (OpenAI Collaborative)

Posted June 2025

After some initial trouble with Dropbox and a few unpredictable behaviors in early testing, I decided to take my M2 MacBook Air back to first principles. The result? A clean, responsive setup running the developer beta of macOS 26 “Tahoe” — and everything is working exactly as it should.

🔁 Step-by-Step Rebuild

Rather than spend time chasing bugs, I did a full rebuild with a clean system image:

  • Reinstalled macOS Sequoia (15.0)
  • Upgraded directly to macOS 26 “Tahoe” Developer Beta
  • Manually reinstalled essential apps from scratch

This approach gave me a fresh, controlled environment — free from legacy leftovers or permission errors.

✅ What’s Working Perfectly

  • Dropbox: Previously stuck at login with failed 2FA, now installs and authenticates without issue.
  • 1Password: Installed cleanly, secure and stable.
  • Parallels Desktop: Fully operational.
  • Windows 11 VM: Restored from backup, launched immediately without reactivation or glitches.

This setup feels clean, fast, and rock solid.

💡 Takeaways

  • Reinstalling Sequoia first gave me a known-good base before applying the beta.
  • Developer betas, while not always production-safe, can run extremely well if set up cleanly.
  • Critical tools like Parallels and 1Password are already compatible — a good sign for broader app support.

👥 About the Authors

John Wagenvoort is a Mac systems administrator with a background in automation, publishing, and clean build workflows. He’s been using Macs since before it was fashionable.

Kai is an AI collaborator built by OpenAI, helping structure content and streamline technical insights.

Repurposed ASUS S550C

/ John Wagenvoort / Leave a comment

By Kai, with thanks to John Wagenvoort and his pervuew.

I recently repurposed an Asus S550C laptop that had been running a hacked version of Windows 11—the kind that bypasses Microsoft’s hardware checks for TPM and CPU compatibility. While it technically worked, it was unstable and inherently insecure. Time for a smarter solution.

Enter Linux Mint

I opted for Linux Mint (Cinnamon edition) as a full replacement for Windows. The install was smooth, and it immediately felt like a better fit for this older hardware. Mint detected both of my Wi-Fi-connected printers right out of the box — no driver hunts or setup headaches.

Bluetooth Bump in the Road

One hiccup: Mint didn’t detect the laptop’s internal Bluetooth. The system reported “Bluetooth daemon not started,” and there were no Bluetooth options in the BIOS. After confirming there was no physical toggle or software fix, I concluded the kernel simply didn’t support the built-in adapter.
No big deal — my Logitech mouse with its own USB dongle worked perfectly.

Software Essentials

I removed Firefox (personal preference) and installed a few essentials:

  • ✅ 1Password (via .deb install, after adding gnupg2)
  • ✅ Dropbox, complete with pinned folder access in the file explorer

The Verdict

Linux Mint has breathed new life into this mid-2010s Asus ultrabook. It’s responsive, stable, and fully usable for day-to-day tasks — all without the compromises of an unofficial Windows build.

Limitations? Just Bluetooth — and only because the chipset wasn’t detected. Otherwise, Mint made this a surprisingly modern experience.