Arch Linux

Anon7-2521

Member

Registered: 2011-04-12

Posts: 1

Archlinux on Macbook Pro (8,1)

I have a 2011 Macbook Pro (8,1) and I'm looking to install Arch. I was running Ubuntu on my previous MBP (5,5) but when upgrading, discovered that the graphics and wireless drivers are not available for this maching.

Here are the specs:

2.3 GHz i5 (Sandybridge)
4 GB DDR3
Intel HD 3000 GPU
Broadcom BCM43xx Network card (Airport Extreme)

It seems as if because the Sandybridge system is so new, it's not supported. Does anyone have any experience with this? I looked at this: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/MacBook, but it didn't go up to 8,1. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

etank

Member

Registered: 2010-10-19

Posts: 2

Re: Archlinux on Macbook Pro (8,1)

I am wanting to get arch dual booting on my Macbook Pro (8,1) as well. The weird thing for me is that I am not able to boot any livecd that I have tried (ubuntu, kubuntu, gparted, knoppix). The only reason that I am trying to boot to the live cd is so that I can use gparted to set up the partitions. I did hear that for the best chance of success it is best to use the 05/11 boot cd to do the install.

http://mirror.rit.edu/archlinux/iso/archboot/2011.05/

lilsirecho

Veteran

Registered: 2003-10-24

Posts: 5,000

Re: Archlinux on Macbook Pro (8,1)

Perhaps you would get better results with CTKArchLive flash install to ram.

If so, please advise in this thread.

EDIT: Well in order to obtain your goal you need to "trick" the EFI of the macbook pro..what you need to do is to use a cd to load initrd and vmlinuz kernel from you can enable USB flash access ..From there on it's easy ..

More detailed information can be found here :
http://www.pendrivelinux.com/usb-boot-c … buntu-810/

Hope this helps
The above copied from another forum..............................

EDIT2: Probably the info above is too old.

One item of interest says that the boot media should be vfat.  In the case of CTKArchLive it is udf.  I use the flash Compact Flash in a true IDE mode using a sata to CF adapter and it boots as a hdd either from USB2.0 or the Sata adapter.
CTKArchLive is a hybrid .iso permitting the above behavior.

Last edited by lilsirecho (2011-05-18 23:58:57)

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