MacBook Aluminum

jryarch · 2009-08-15 20:42:32

FALK wrote:

jryarch wrote:
FALK wrote:
Can anyone tell me if the macbook pro 5.5 has the anti-capslock "feature"?
Yep it does. I don't have the time to try if your workaround works (since I don't understand what to do).
su
setleds -L +caps < /dev/console
Works on the apple alu keyboard.

Ok it seems to work for once, but turns off the led afterwards and falls back to the anti-lock. I can't test it very well since it falls back, but I guess if it's not supposed to fall back the workaround doesn't work..

FALK · 2009-08-16 12:54:40

jryarch wrote:

FALK wrote:
jryarch wrote:
Yep it does. I don't have the time to try if your workaround works (since I don't understand what to do).
su
setleds -L +caps < /dev/console
Works on the apple alu keyboard.
Ok it seems to work for once, but turns off the led afterwards and falls back to the anti-lock. I can't test it very well since it falls back, but I guess if it's not supposed to fall back the workaround doesn't work..

Try to switch caps lock with some other key (escape for vim in my case). You can test it with /usr/bin/xev

zenlord · 2009-08-17 16:06:57

OK, new macbook owner in the house. Installing linux should not be a problem anymore, but the usage of rEFIt is troubling...

I have:
- made 5 partitiions (OSX / SHARE / LINUXBOOT / LINUXSWAP / ARCHLINUX) in OSX
- boot into arch linstaller 9.08 via USB
- installed Arch perfectly
- NOT been able to install grub.

The wiki said it should be installed where /boot is, and not in the MBR. Grub always refuses to install. So I turned back to the wiki, and that said I had to go into the rEFIt partition editor to update the MBR tables. So I did that, but now I cannot acces my linux installation (OK, I get that I need grub for that), nor can I get into the USB installer.

Both options 2 and 3 in rEFIt result in a black screen stating 'Operating System missing'.

I guess I should have updated the MBR sooner? I will try to delete all the partitions in OSX and restart all over. Can anyone confirm that I'm about to do the right thing here?

Zl.

Stythys · 2009-08-18 21:07:05

first of all, mbr is limited to four partitions. as for operating system missing, I'm pretty sure that means you installed grub *before* syncing the partition tables, and also make sure grub is installed to the partition your linux boot is on (/dev/sdax) instead of just /dev/sda

jryarch · 2009-08-18 21:47:36

@zenlord
What MBP are we talking about? I'm on 5.5 and installing grub also failed here. I can't remember exactly what I did, but I used some custom grub install commands to get it to work.

As a sidenote, the macbook wikis totally fail for the 5.5 (summer 2009 edition) but I've gotten quite some stuff to work.

@FALK
I tested with xev before, but what do you mean by "switch" and what does vim have to do with it? It's quite simple: after running the setleds command, anti-capslock is still on.

FALK · 2009-08-18 22:08:14

jryarch wrote:

@FALK
I tested with xev before, but what do you mean by "switch" and what does vim have to do with it? It's quite simple: after running the setleds command, anti-capslock is still on.

Problem is I use vim and have mapped escape to caps lock and vice versa. This is annoying with the anti-capslock. The fix I have found for the alu keyboard is to enable the led which tricks the keyboard into disabling the feature, but without actually enabling caps lock.
If you want to test it then do this:

make a file called .xmodmap and add:

remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Control = Escape
keysym Escape = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Control = Escape

#xmodmap .xmodmap

Enable the led and open xev and tap the key quickly, it should register immediately. Hope you can answer

Another way is to boot mac os x, go to keyboard preferences, choose keyboard modifiers and swap the keys. It also disables the feature, but only in mac os as far as I know.

zenlord · 2009-08-19 08:36:26

Stythys wrote:

first of all, mbr is limited to four partitions. as for operating system missing, I'm pretty sure that means you installed grub *before* syncing the partition tables, and also make sure grub is installed to the partition your linux boot is on (/dev/sdax) instead of just /dev/sda

1. OK, I knew that MBR was limited to 4 primary partitions, but I thought that the partitioner would either complain or make an extended partition...
2. Yes, that's what I did. I now know I was wrong doing so.
3. I tried to install it to /dev/sda3 (LINUXBOOT partition).

My problem now is that I can't get rEFIt back to it's default state. Even after removing all partitions (except for the OSX HD), restoring the only remaining partition and synching the partition tables with rEFIt, I still see a 'legacy OS'-option in rEFIt. Removing and installing rEFIt again did not change anything.

I think that's also causing my 'arch installer'-USB-stick to fail everytime I try it: I get a third option 'linux', but selecting it always returns the error 'missing OS'. I'm going to investigate the possibilities of rEFIt some more and also I'll try to use the arch installer on CD - you never know...

@jryarch: yes, it is a 5.5 summer edition. Since I have not gotten around to install it, I can't say if the wiki is outdated for our model. Would you be so kind to update the wiki with your experiences? That way I can spend my time searching for solutions that are useful to us both. I hope to have some time this weekend. THX!

Zl.

jryarch · 2009-08-20 22:28:49

@zenlord: as said before, I am really busy at the moment. This weekend I will look into the wikis and try to remember what I did to get grub running. As I'm only a beginner with refit and other Mac partitioning stuff, I've been kind of lucky I guess. Altough trying some stuff did get me far as most is now running fine.

industrie13 · 2009-08-22 09:34:08

Seems to be a common theme. I also have a summer 2009 macbook pro (5.5) and failed to install grub on it to /dev/sda3 both with the regular arch install cd and the chakra live cd. Wondering how to workaround it.

jryarch · 2009-08-22 17:27:36

I'll probably write some doc off-wiki, as I don't know where to start in the wikis. The macbook_aluminum wiki is ready for removal and I've asked in the discussion of macbook where to place the 5.5 info. There were plans on the macbook page to rename it to Apple, and how to organise the apple-wikis in general.

Grub: Can you guys give me the exact error of the arch GUI-installer, and console grub-install error. Again, for me it's a long time ago, and running grub-install /dev/sda4 (I've got a NTFS partition in between Mac and Linux) it installs fine on kernel 2.6.30-ARCH (AMD64) with grub 0.97-16.

industrie13 · 2009-08-22 18:38:21

hi, the grub console error-message for 'grub-install /dev/sda3' was

probing devices to guess Bios devices
df: warning: cannot read table of mounted filesystems
could not find device for /boot:
not found or not a block device

where i have the following partition scheme:

1: efi
2: hfs+ (mac os x leopard)
3: ext4 (arch)
4: ntfs (win)

i also used the latest x86 arch install disc, with kernel 2.6.30 and grub 0.97-16. the result above was the same, when i tried it with /dev/sda3 formated in ext3.

Last edited by industrie13 (2009-08-22 18:39:01)

jryarch · 2009-08-23 11:54:59

I think I did something like this:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p= … ostcount=2

Can you please test?

industrie13 · 2009-08-24 17:17:43

Hi jryarch,

thanks for the link. I tried it once with refit uninstalled and it got

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
error15: file not found
grub> root (hd0,2)
error22: no such partition

However, I also tried it with refit installed, and MBR and GPT-tables synced, and it worked as it should!
I can't remember the grub messages exactly, but it installed, showed up in refit afterwards and booted flawlessly. Thanks, you made my day

Btw. I used

grub>setup (hd0,2)

instead of

grub>setup (hd0)

jryarch · 2009-08-24 20:11:12

That's great news!

I think I also had refit installed and those tables synced (I really don't know what it means though).

Could you maybe keep a "log" of what you're trying to install and how you did it? This is the easiest way to form some guide for others, and lets me help you whenever you get stuck.
Some parts can be done by reading the macbook thread, but a lot won't work that way (sound for instance).
First thing to do is install pommed from AUR! (more about pommed later, I edited the source to make it "check" less often, and eat less resources)

I'm really short on time atm (tests at my university -.-), but I promise to create some guide "later"..

industrie13 · 2009-08-25 19:13:51

Should be no problem to make a log of my installations and tries to get the MBP running under Arch.

But it will need some time here too. At the moment I only have the basesystem installed, and before I'll make a complete full featured install with X11 and DE and so on I'll wait for the end of the week when 'Sow Leopard' becomes available.
I plan to make a fresh install of all 3 OSes and (re-)setup all from the ground.
So the earliest point I can deliver some informations is propably somewhen next week.
But at least this way I am able to keep track of how to make a proper triple boot install.

Last edited by industrie13 (2009-08-25 19:14:33)

jryarch · 2009-09-08 21:56:32

Now here's something new, I've been trying to triple boot with windows XP / Win7 for 4 days now, and it simply seems impossible on the 2009 MBP 13inch The only way to install windows XP is by using bootcamp (which can't do anything for linux), and after creating linux partitions with GParted and syncing MBR again with refit, can't get XP to work anymore Normally you "just" have to change the boot.ini in xp to use the 4th partition instead of the 3rd, but that doesn't seem to do the trick..

So if anyone got it to triple boot, I'm looking forward to hearing!

dennis123123 · 2009-09-10 10:37:35

A few comments...

jryarch wrote:

The only way to install windows XP is by using bootcamp

Not true: http://derekhat.com/install-vista-on-a- … -bootcamp/
thats for Vista, but principle is the same.

jryarch wrote:

Normally you "just" have to change the boot.ini in xp to use the 4th partition instead of the 3rd

MBR will only boot from the first 4 partitions.

0. EFI
1. MacOS ??
2. Arch ??
3. Win7
4. XP

Are you perhaps forgetting EFI counts as the first partition of those 4 available?
Maybe posting partition layout and boot.ini could help

jryarch · 2009-09-10 21:05:30

Hi Dennis,

with windows XP / Win7 I mean I tried both, but not at the same time. After installing XP (on the 3rd partition), I changed boot.ini to use the 4th partition and created a new partition using GParted and syncing in refit afterwards. So it looked something like this:

1. EFI
2. MacOS 10.5.8
4. Ext3 linux
3. Windows XP NTFS

If I didn't change boot.ini, xp didn't startup with the can't find hal.dll (using wrong partition), after changing to partition 4 I still had the same problem.. It may have something to do with the fact that the partition number was still 3 (2?) while being the 4th (3rd) partition in a row now?

industrie13 · 2009-09-14 08:15:04

didn't visit the forums for a while, but here is, what i did to triple boot:

but before, it would be the best, you delete all the partitions you created with gparted. I often read, that you should only use gparted on a mac to format, but never to partition because it would mess up the partition table.

1. from disk utility or command line create a second and third partition and format with the following filesystems:

1. EFI
2. MacOS hfs+
3. Arch hfs+
4. Win fat32

2. boot from your win install cd, install it at the fourth partition (the fat32 formated one, but of course you can reformat it with ntfs during install), install the bootcamp drivers from your os x dvd

3. boot into the gparted cd and format the third partition with ext3 or ext4

4. boot into mac os x and download and install refit from: http://refit.sourceforge.net/, note: there is an option to install linux drivers with it, it must definitely be checked
- reboot twice and at the second boot sync partition tables from the refit boot options menu, winxp as boot option should already be visible

5. now boot into your arch linux install cd and install it on /dev/sda3, install grub at /dev/sda3 too ... if it doesn't work, use the grub commands in the thread above (message #87 and #88)

6. after installtion refit should see arch too

industrie13 · 2009-09-15 08:01:21

update:

- pommed 1.28 now works with the latest mbp
- alsa still gives no sound

zenlord · 2009-09-17 16:59:32

OK, I'll give it a next try this weekend.

I went back to a vanilla OSX-stage and installed snow leopard. I guess I'm ready to install linux on it now. Report back later.

nTia89 · 2009-09-17 17:17:21

industrie13 wrote:

update:
- pommed 1.28 now works with the latest mbp
- alsa still gives no sound

check macbook wiki page
and put in Discussion your fix / experience

THANKS

jealma · 2009-09-23 21:21:48

Anyone having trouble with VirtualBox and Arch on MBP 5,2? I tried kernel 2.6.30.6 and 2.6.31 from testing, but I continually get acpi GPE storm, and CE hpet increasing stuff in dmesg. My clock skips a few seconds every time and the virtual machines are totally unworkable, they won't even boot sometimes. I really thought I had stuff working neatly, but this bug is killing me. Ubuntu 9.04 with 2.6.28 has no problems with GPE storm.

By the way: I tried hpet=off, noacpi, acpi=off, noapic, etcetera, all nada.

Last edited by jealma (2009-09-23 21:22:25)

Rydgel · 2009-10-01 08:09:50

jryarch wrote:

Whiii sound on my MBP 5.5 (13inch June2009 model)!
I've basically moved in some new alsa modules (on a very ugly way) that will probably be included in the .32 kernel. For people who don't have a clue what's inside /lib/modules, just wait for this kernel.
Originally I used this post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p= … stcount=98
Here's my ugly PKGBUILD with a precompiled "-march=nocona" package : http://86.80.126.176/packages/alsa-snapshot/
I tried to install the package, move out the conflicting files from my current kernel and installed the package again. Alsaconf created /etc/modprobe.d/50-sound.conf like this:
alias snd-card-0 snd-hda-intel
alias sound-slot-0 snd-hda-intel
Now after a reboot, sound works fine

Hi
I've got the latest MBP 13inch (5.5) and I can't get the sound to work.
The first time I installed alsa-utils and alsa-oss, then put options snd_hda_intel model=mbp3 in the modprobe.conf. But no sound at all.

Then I took your PKGBUILD and installed alsa-snapshot. I ran alsaconf and it did show my sound card (nvidia stuff ?). The setup did not run fine and show an error. And still no sound.

And now I can't get any mixer in alsamixer, I can't even run the daemon alsa.

EDIT: Working now !

Last edited by Rydgel (2009-10-01 20:31:19)

jryarch · 2009-10-04 10:30:00

Rydgel wrote:

Hi
I've got the latest MBP 13inch (5.5) and I can't get the sound to work.
The first time I installed alsa-utils and alsa-oss, then put options snd_hda_intel model=mbp3 in the modprobe.conf. But no sound at all.
Then I took your PKGBUILD and installed alsa-snapshot. I ran alsaconf and it did show my sound card (nvidia stuff ?). The setup did not run fine and show an error. And still no sound.
And now I can't get any mixer in alsamixer, I can't even run the daemon alsa.
EDIT: Working now !

That's great Please remember that upgrading your kernel can seriously mess up the bootup, where the kernel halts when loading the modules! I would remove the alsa-snapshot before upgrading, have a totally different kernel to fall back to (like -ice), etcetera before trying to upgrade. I haven't got it to work on the .31 kernel, but I probably did something wrong. So please be warned and carefull.

EDIT: Also, when I reinstalled the drivers I saw the package created /lib/modules/2.6.30-ARCH/kernel/sound/acore and renamed it to core. Did you also had to do this?

About the options snd_hda_intel model=mbp3 in the modprobe.conf: I believe this is for the older MBPs? That's why the wiki is messed up imo..

industrie13 wrote:

update:
- pommed 1.28 now works with the latest mbp

I don't know what happened to pommed 1.28, but changing brightness in X still doesn't work, keyboard light turns off again when I go over 100% (is this a bug or feature?) and pommed 1.27 also works with MBP 5.5. So I don't understand what you mean?

Last edited by jryarch (2009-10-04 10:39:57)

Arch Linux

#76 2009-08-15 20:42:32

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#77 2009-08-16 12:54:40

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#78 2009-08-17 16:06:57

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#79 2009-08-18 21:07:05

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#80 2009-08-18 21:47:36

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#81 2009-08-18 22:08:14

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#82 2009-08-19 08:36:26

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#83 2009-08-20 22:28:49

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#84 2009-08-22 09:34:08

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#85 2009-08-22 17:27:36

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#86 2009-08-22 18:38:21

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#87 2009-08-23 11:54:59

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#88 2009-08-24 17:17:43

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#89 2009-08-24 20:11:12

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#90 2009-08-25 19:13:51

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#91 2009-09-08 21:56:32

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#92 2009-09-10 10:37:35

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#93 2009-09-10 21:05:30

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#94 2009-09-14 08:15:04

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#95 2009-09-15 08:01:21

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#96 2009-09-17 16:59:32

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#97 2009-09-17 17:17:21

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#98 2009-09-23 21:21:48

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#99 2009-10-01 08:09:50

Re: MacBook Aluminum

#100 2009-10-04 10:30:00

Re: MacBook Aluminum

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