Macbook successes?

Weeks · 2007-02-21 18:31:48

I'm considering buying a macbook. I've browsed the previous macbook threads and read of some success. But shadowman's wiki page hasn't been updated and it looks like he was unable to get it working. So I'm a little unsure.

So, again, is anyone using a macbook as their arch linux box regularly? Is everything working okay, even the 3d acceleration?

uwolfer · 2007-02-23 14:51:56

Arch works really good on my MacBook. Everything is working (there are even MacBook patches included in the stock arch kernel (<=2.6.20).

AndyRTR · 2007-02-23 14:59:38

i need feedback for x86_64 on (core2duo) macbooks as well! no reports so far.

we patch grub and kernel from 2.6.20 on. next testing iso soon coming out should be ready to install on intelmacs.

Weeks · 2007-02-24 11:25:41

AndyRTR wrote:

i need feedback for x86_64 on (core2duo) macbooks as well! no reports so far.
we patch grub and kernel from 2.6.20 on. next testing iso soon coming out should be ready to install on intelmacs.

Aren't all macbooks core2duo? Meaning the post above yours is all the feedback you need?

uwolfer wrote:

Arch works really good on my MacBook. Everything is working (there are even MacBook patches included in the stock arch kernel (<=2.6.20).

Including 3d acceleration? dri? does xgl and/or aiglx work okay?

Last edited by Weeks (2007-02-24 11:35:10)

Sekre · 2007-02-25 15:18:04

Weeks wrote:

Aren't all macbooks core2duo? Meaning the post above yours is all the feedback you need?

no, only the ones bought around christmas (can't remember exact date though).
The earlier like mine is plain core duo

Been running arch on mine (with no selfpatched software) using lilo since grub don't want to install itself,
with no real problems at all. Except for some things like sound in, webcam and pretty crappy 3D performance in
games like enemy territory and world of warcraft to name two. But other stuff works great like beryl, and halflife.

Don't run arch daily though so there may be more problems that I'm not aware of.

chaosgeisterchen · 2007-02-25 16:35:09

3D accleration is supposed to work. It's powered by a plain GMA950, which runs AIGLX/beryl perfectly well.

Xilon · 2007-02-25 19:27:47

I have successfully setup my Macbook (core duo, one of the first), It worked great with my custom kernel and mactel patchset, and I've been testing the 2.6.20-3 Arch kernel since it came out and have had no problems. I installed Arch Linux on the Macbook with the stock Arch kernel initially, after which I installed the new kernel since the FN key as well as other things simply did not work with the mactel patchset, you don't have to worry about that anymore though.

I haven't setup suspend yet (I am working on compiling a vanilla kernel with the mactel patchset, suspend2 and gensplash) so I don't know how well that works. I would assume it works the same on any other laptop. I think I have 3d acceleration running but I haven't tried using Beryl or anything like that. I have yet to test the iSight as well, but apart from that everything else works.

While setting up I was mainly following the Macbook gentoo-wiki entry, and Arch wiki entries on specific things (like suspend, wifi).

Oh, the way I installed it was to install Bootcamp and refit from Mac OSX, then simply installed Arch Linux as per usual, and now I have to go through refit and grub as per the boot process Hopefully I will be able to get rid of one of the bootloaders.

Weeks · 2007-02-28 14:22:03

Yeah, the gentoo wiki pages[1][2] are great and seem to claim everything works fine on core2duo macbooks as well. The only problem is that nsiwrapper is needed for wifi and the ati driver is needed for graphics; this isn't an awful thing but I've heard some non-too-great things about the ati drivers.

Hmm...

[1] http://gentoo-wiki.com/HARDWARE_Apple_MacBook
[2] http://www.odi.ch/prog/macbookpro/index.php

webloch · 2007-03-08 10:20:31

I've read a number of posts that assert success stories with macbooks, but I have a single problem that rather hampers the entire process of installation. I have a macbook black, when I try to boot from the CD, from refit or directly, the Arch setup prompt does not accept any keyboard input, almost as though something additional needs to be loaded first, like usb or usb-hci. You get the idea.

Does anyone have a solution? or at least the same problem?

Xilon · 2007-03-10 05:07:53

the keyboard requires usbhid, which should be loaded. You could try plugging in an external USB keyboard and try that

sud_crow · 2007-03-15 00:26:21

webloch wrote:

I've read a number of posts that assert success stories with macbooks, but I have a single problem that rather hampers the entire process of installation. I have a macbook black, when I try to boot from the CD, from refit or directly, the Arch setup prompt does not accept any keyboard input, almost as though something additional needs to be loaded first, like usb or usb-hci. You get the idea.
Does anyone have a solution? or at least the same problem?

Hi,

I read about this while searching some feedback before deciding to buy a macbook, and found this:

If you have strange keyboard problems (double keypresses) or other problems while booting from the install CD, use the following command line on the boot prompt:
install noapic irqpoll acpi=force
If you cannot type anything in the CD/DVD boot prompt (found this problem on MacBook Core 2 Duo), you can fix this with an external USB keyboard. This problem seems to be related to refit, since disabling it and booting while holding the C button pressed (boots directly from CD) fixes this.

This is for Debian, so take it with a grain of salt. But i think it should work.

Here is the source: http://wiki.debian.org/MacBook

tom5760 · 2007-03-15 02:25:30

For me (I am actually installing 0.8 b2 on my macbook as I type this), I needed to use an external USB keyboard for installation. If you can get yourself one of those, you should be fine. I don't know of any other way right now.

EDIT: Actually, I forgot to mention that the keyboard worked fine on the 0.8 b1 install, but I dont have that cd anymore.

Last edited by tom5760 (2007-03-15 02:26:11)

rex_79 · 2007-05-13 21:21:18

AndyRTR wrote:

i need feedback for x86_64 on (core2duo) macbooks as well! no reports so far.
we patch grub and kernel from 2.6.20 on. next testing iso soon coming out should be ready to install on intelmacs.

Here am I

Fresh archlinux install on a macbook core 2 duo x86_64. Here my report:

Installation works fine except for lilo, I need to reboot with konppix, chroot on my archlinux partition (/dev/sda3) and then run lilo -v -b /dev/sda3.

Xorg setting up with xf86-ati-drivers (I don't try 3d) but following the article on arch wiki I found those problems:

1) cpufrequtils installed fine but speedstep-centrino doesn't exists on module list, instead cpufreq_conservative works.
2)

[root@miles applesmc]# cpufreq-info 
cpufrequtils 002: cpufreq-info (C) Dominik Brodowski 2004-2006
Per favore, comunicare errori e malfunzionamenti a linux@brodo.de.
analisi della CPU 0:
  nessun modulo o modulo cpufreq sconosciuto per questa CPU
analisi della CPU 1:
  nessun modulo o modulo cpufreq sconosciuto per questa CPU

(for no italian users sounds like no module or cpufreq's module unknow for this CPU)

3) Fan speed very high (like 5000 rpm). Seems that applesmc doesn't load the correct value and some of the file present on the wiki (like/sys/devices/platform/applesmc/fan0_manual and /sys/devices/platform/applesmc/fan0_target_speed) so you can't control you fan speed.

That's all, this is a fresh install so I don't have had much time to work on it but on the previous gentoo 64bit installation I haven't had all those trouble so maybe I have to hack on it quite a bit.

bye
Rex

tom5760 · 2007-05-14 00:27:01

So yeah, the latest version of the kernel changed the applesmc filenames. They should now be "/sys/devices/platform/applesmc/fan1_manual" and "/sys/devices/platform/applesmc/fan1_output" I changed the wiki to reflect this.

rex_79 · 2007-05-14 11:59:39

Thanks tom5760!! Now all goes whell:

[root@miles applesmc]# cat /proc/cpuinfo 
processor    : 0
vendor_id    : GenuineIntel
cpu family    : 6
model        : 15
model name    : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU         T7600  @ 2.33GHz
stepping    : 6
cpu MHz        : 1000.000
cache size    : 4096 KB
physical id    : 0
siblings    : 2
core id        : 0
cpu cores    : 2
fpu        : yes
fpu_exception    : yes
cpuid level    : 10
wp        : yes
flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm
bogomips    : 4660.02
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment    : 64
address sizes    : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

processor    : 1
vendor_id    : GenuineIntel
cpu family    : 6
model        : 15
model name    : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU         T7600  @ 2.33GHz
stepping    : 6
cpu MHz        : 1000.000
cache size    : 4096 KB
physical id    : 0
siblings    : 2
core id        : 1
cpu cores    : 2
fpu        : yes
fpu_exception    : yes
cpuid level    : 10
wp        : yes
flags        : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm syscall nx lm constant_tsc pni monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr lahf_lm
bogomips    : 4655.12
clflush size    : 64
cache_alignment    : 64
address sizes    : 36 bits physical, 48 bits virtual
power management:

[root@miles applesmc]# sensors
coretemp-isa-0000
Adapter: ISA adapter
temp1:       +56°C  (high =  +100°C)                     

coretemp-isa-0001
Adapter: ISA adapter
temp1:       +56°C  (high =  +100°C)

Remaining issues:

wifi (I have to try the madwifi svn release)
touchpad (I'm working on it)

bye
Rex

Husio · 2007-05-14 14:18:54

Everything except isight and microphone is working here... And won't install it until skype for linux will be able to use webcam.

High|ander · 2007-05-14 20:14:51

i'm just a little curius here:

Why install linux on a mac? Doesn't macOSX work good? Or is it just for the fun of it?

rex_79 · 2007-05-14 20:36:10

Uhm I can answer... why not?

Just 'cause osx is good (IMHO) but Linux is another story, and arch (or any other distro you like) make you feel at home.
I think that linux + osx are the best dual boot you can have

BTW I was able to put the wifi on macbook online with the svn madwifi driver.

svn co http://svn.madwifi.org/branches/madwifi-hal-0.9.30.13
cd madwifi-hal-0.9.30.13
make
make install

modprobe ath_pci

and there you go configure the network using arch default settings for wireless and there you can surf the web without wire

I don't have to setup anything because I have a router with mac address filtering so I don't need to setup wep keys and stuff like that but the arch linux wiki is a good place to start for a working wireless setup

bye
Rex

wmli · 2007-05-15 18:01:11

rex_79 wrote:

High|ander wrote:
Why install linux on a mac? Doesn't macOSX work good? Or is it just for the fun of it?
Uhm I can answer... why not?
Just 'cause osx is good (IMHO) but Linux is another story, and arch (or any other distro you like) make you feel at home.
I think that linux + osx are the best dual boot you can have

Drifting off-topic but is there something in particular that you miss? I thought OSX is freeBSDish? Not Linux but ...

Last edited by wmli (2007-05-15 18:02:03)

Xilon · 2007-05-17 16:54:58

I have never had any problems, even without the mactel patches in the stock kernel I was able to install Arch, of course I rolled my own kernel then.

I have the 2.0 ghz Core Duo white Macbook. Everything works so far, but I have not tested iSight or the microphone as I simply don't use it. I have been unable to get suspend working but I haven't put much effort into it and it's probably not a Macbook-specific problem. The important things - wifi, touchpad, graphics, X, FN key, brightness, eject, etc. - work flawlessly.

One thing I'd like to mention is that i did not install rEFIt at all this time. I use the EFI bootloader to boot into grub. Next time (if there is a next time) I format i will try and run Linux from EFI, having a legacy BIOS is really annoying and I was forced to use LVM so that I could seperate /home. The way I boot is i press the option key when booting, that gives me an option between the two OSs. I keep OSX for firmware updates. From what I can remember there is a very easy way to configure EFI (something like putting an efi directory in / and editing files in that) so I will try and set it up so that Linux is the primary OS - I'm sick of pressing option each time I boot .

@wmli:
I miss the customasation, the flexibility, the speed of development and generally being totally FOSS. Yes, OSX is an awesome Operating System, it beats Windows hands down and does have aspects of BSD in its core. To me OSX is very similar to Windows, not as an Operating System but the userbase. Most of the software you find will be shareware, even small trivial apps will be shareware, stuff that should be in the system itself (like ShapeShifter - a theme changer) are shareware. I don't want to buy or crack software that does what the system is lacking, or for something that's totally free and open source on another.
OSX, ironically enough, isn't very customisable, and you can't do it for free. To change any icons or the themes you have to buy 3rd party software, something that I don't have to do on Linux. You also don't have a package manager, sure installation is WAY easier than on Windows, but I want management, I want to know what's on my system and I want to be able to easily remove it. OSX when installed takes up something like 15-20GB (with pre-installed software). It's REALLY hard to get rid of most of the crap, and this reminds me of Windows Dell computers. On Linux I can have a fully featured OS under 4 gb total (usually ~2GB, currently I am using 2.5GB).
There's a lot of stuff that you can do or are able to use on Linux that isn't available on OSX and that's why I use it. Of course OSX also has it's advantages, it's a great OS but it's definitely not for me.

Last edited by Xilon (2007-05-17 17:04:13)

tom5760 · 2007-05-17 18:23:43

Xilon wrote:

@wmli:
I miss the customasation, the flexibility, the speed of development and generally being totally FOSS. Yes, OSX is an awesome Operating System, it beats Windows hands down and does have aspects of BSD in its core. To me OSX is very similar to Windows, not as an Operating System but the userbase. Most of the software you find will be shareware, even small trivial apps will be shareware, stuff that should be in the system itself (like ShapeShifter - a theme changer) are shareware. I don't want to buy or crack software that does what the system is lacking, or for something that's totally free and open source on another.
OSX, ironically enough, isn't very customisable, and you can't do it for free. To change any icons or the themes you have to buy 3rd party software, something that I don't have to do on Linux. You also don't have a package manager, sure installation is WAY easier than on Windows, but I want management, I want to know what's on my system and I want to be able to easily remove it. OSX when installed takes up something like 15-20GB (with pre-installed software). It's REALLY hard to get rid of most of the crap, and this reminds me of Windows Dell computers. On Linux I can have a fully featured OS under 4 gb total (usually ~2GB, currently I am using 2.5GB).
There's a lot of stuff that you can do or are able to use on Linux that isn't available on OSX and that's why I use it. Of course OSX also has it's advantages, it's a great OS but it's definitely not for me.

+1

Thats the main thing for me too. I like being able to tweak anything I want to. Package management is nice (I know about fink and macports, but I want something unified). I agree with everything Xilon said.

ganja_guru · 2008-03-23 19:05:43

I'm happy to report that after quite a a bit of work, almost everything works on my macbook pro. This includes, but not limited to
-Keyboard Brightness control
-Keyboard volume control
-Keyboard backlight control
-trackpad (with 2 finger right click and scroll)
-fglrx and compiz-fusion with indirect rendering
-power management
-wireless
-isight
-bluetooth

The ubuntu,gentoo and arch wiki's are your friends. I still haven't gotten down to setting up lirc, so I'll post back when that's done.

ganja_guru · 2008-03-25 15:57:57

hmmm ...looks like lirc will have to wait till 0.8.3 with the macmini driver is released..the cvs version does not work too well.

Arch Linux

#1 2007-02-21 18:31:48

Macbook successes?

#2 2007-02-23 14:51:56

Re: Macbook successes?

#3 2007-02-23 14:59:38

Re: Macbook successes?

#4 2007-02-24 11:25:41

Re: Macbook successes?

#5 2007-02-25 15:18:04

Re: Macbook successes?

#6 2007-02-25 16:35:09

Re: Macbook successes?

#7 2007-02-25 19:27:47

Re: Macbook successes?

#8 2007-02-28 14:22:03

Re: Macbook successes?

#9 2007-03-08 10:20:31

Re: Macbook successes?

#10 2007-03-10 05:07:53

Re: Macbook successes?

#11 2007-03-15 00:26:21

Re: Macbook successes?

#12 2007-03-15 02:25:30

Re: Macbook successes?

#13 2007-05-13 21:21:18

Re: Macbook successes?

#14 2007-05-14 00:27:01

Re: Macbook successes?

#15 2007-05-14 11:59:39

Re: Macbook successes?

#16 2007-05-14 14:18:54

Re: Macbook successes?

#17 2007-05-14 20:14:51

Re: Macbook successes?

#18 2007-05-14 20:36:10

Re: Macbook successes?

#19 2007-05-15 18:01:11

Re: Macbook successes?

#20 2007-05-17 16:54:58

Re: Macbook successes?

#21 2007-05-17 18:23:43

Re: Macbook successes?

#22 2008-03-23 19:05:43

Re: Macbook successes?

#23 2008-03-25 15:57:57

Re: Macbook successes?

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