A wave of free Mac-style desktops is arriving as Intel Macs lose Apple support, but early tests found missing keyboard shortcuts and odd menus.
A growing number of free computer systems are copying the look of the Mac. They run on Linux, a free alternative to Windows and macOS. The Register tried two of them briefly. One looked impressive, but basic keyboard shortcuts did not work in either.
Cutefish is also working on a layer called Reef, meant to run Mac apps. It is still a work in progress.
The Register ran LordOS in a virtual machine, which is a pretend computer inside a window. It installed and booted without trouble. But standard keystrokes did not work, and some menu options appeared twice. An About option showed up in both the app menu and the Help menu, which is not how a Mac does it. ZacOS-9, tested the same way, had the same keyboard gap.
LordOS has also gone through nine test releases in three weeks. That points to a fast-moving, unfinished project.
Macs used Intel processors from 2006 to 2020. Those machines are falling off Apple's support list. Only four Intel models ran last year's macOS 26, known as Tahoe, and it is the last major macOS for Intel Macs.
A community tool called OpenCore Legacy Patcher keeps older Macs going with unofficial updates. Its 3.0 release candidate adds macOS 26 support. The Register also thinks AI coding tools are speeding up these projects, since building for extra chip types can take little added work.
Treat these lookalikes as early and unfinished. Do not put one on a computer you rely on. An old Mac also has other free paths. Many open source apps, such as Firefox, Thunderbird and LibreOffice, already run on macOS.
The Register expects more of these. It counted one such project in 2025, two in October and four more in November. How many will mature is not yet known.
If an older Intel Mac is losing updates, free Mac-style systems may help one day, but today they are rough and best left to testing.
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