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Running Linux on My MacBook

djhworld.github.io

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Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#21

Post by einr »

peteretep wrote: post #5

Thank you for writing this! Whenever I see people using Linux as their main laptop OS, I'm struck by remembering the amount of tinkering needed circa 1999 which was the last time I did it. Having read this -- the custom scripts, the "suspend still doesn't work properly" -- it feels like that's still the case.

You're trying to run a generic operating system on a closed platform whose vendor publishes no documentation on anything. Some manual work is to be expected.

I can assure you it is not 1999 anymore and things are a lot smoother today when you're not trying to coax proprietary black-box appliances into doing things they were explicitely designed not to do.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#23

Post by oarsinsync »

viraptor wrote: post #18
peteretep wrote: post #5

Thank you for writing this! Whenever I see people using Linux as their main laptop OS, I'm struck by remembering the amount of tinkering needed circa 1999 which was the last time I did it. Having read this -- the custom scripts, the "suspend still doesn't work properly" -- it feels like that's still the case.

You're seeing an extreme case here. Macbooks are actively breaking other OSes. Better to treat it as: "look how much you can bend Linux to work on a proprietary toaster", rather than "look how hard it is to run Linux on a laptop". Newer generations of macbooks just won't work at all. There's no workaround for recent sound (unless it gets reverse engineered) or wifi (unless you rewrite Linux stack to work around broke…

On the one hand, yes, Apple is generally extremely hostile towards users tinkering with their platforms, be it iOS or macOS, so it theoretically should be harder.

On the other hand, on the pre-2016 models, the components in use are largely off-the-shelf components, much like other manufacturers.

The major difference between Apple laptops and other vendors laptops is that the variation of components in use is significantly smaller on the Apple range, while 'non-apple brands' encompasses a huge variety of different hardware.

I would suspect that if you bought any random laptop, you'd have high odds of picking one that has various components that are not well supported, with even less online support available for you than if you tried it on Apple hardware. If only because the number of people using Apple hardware is so damn high, and the number of people on your particular component configuration is significantly smaller.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#24

Post by izacus »

tuananh wrote: post #7

Every post like these, the TODO list is super long. This reminds me again why I don't want Linux in the first place.

The list to get macOS working on other laptops is even longer - I thought it would be obvious to all of you that it would be hard to make a machine designed to run a proprietary OS.

Just like you buy an Apple machine to run MacOS well, you can easily buy a machine to run Linux well (Dell, Lenovo, System76 are just a few manufacturers who build MacBoook class hardware with Linux preinstalled).

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#25

Post by hajderr »

j7ake wrote: post #14

Converting a machine that works well out of the box into a machine that requires custom scripts and constant tinkering to handle simple tasks seems like a waste of time.

Yup, Never ever would I try this. A running pc laptop is a much smarter choice.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#26

Post by izacus »

mjg59 wrote: post #9
djhworld wrote: post #4

Author here. Post is a bit rambling but I just wanted to document somewhere the things I encountered along the way with links to resources, to save someone having to trawl the web for it next time.

One of the problems with replicating this with more modern Apple hardware is that Apple have increasingly moved away from the "traditional" PC hardware platform, and their more modern laptops have adopted various design patterns that were traditionally associated with more embedded devices (such as using SPI for their input devices). This is a completely reasonable set of design choices on Apple's part, but it means…

They also started to add separate controllers running separate OSes (e.g. T2 chip) which have completely undocumented protocols and are protected by DRM.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#27

Post by bananamerica »

Please notice that OP is trying to run the i3 tiling window manager which is very minimal (as all TWMs) and expressly targets tinkerers and advanced users. A beginner friendly distribution with a complete desktop environment usually provides a much easier plug and play experience.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#28

Post by djhworld »

j7ake wrote: post #14

Converting a machine that works well out of the box into a machine that requires custom scripts and constant tinkering to handle simple tasks seems like a waste of time.

Couldn't agree more, but what's the fun in tinkering if you can't kill some time doing it?

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#29

Post by pjmlp »

djhworld wrote: post #8
tuananh wrote: post #7

Every post like these, the TODO list is super long. This reminds me again why I don't want Linux in the first place.

I think the real answer is buy a laptop that just works and don't bother with Apple devices. However it's nice to be able to re-purpose old hardware, even if it's a bit of a hill to climb :)

While that is my answer as well, it isn't a guarantee of success, I have had laptops sold with Ubuntu LTS break on me.

Specially when FOSS gets into the way and a perfectly working driver blob was replaced by WIP FOSS driver, just because it feels good to push it down on the users, for example the way broadcom driver got replaced a couple of years ago.

Re: Running Linux on My MacBook

#30

Post by rvz »

peteretep wrote: post #5

Thank you for writing this! Whenever I see people using Linux as their main laptop OS, I'm struck by remembering the amount of tinkering needed circa 1999 which was the last time I did it. Having read this -- the custom scripts, the "suspend still doesn't work properly" -- it feels like that's still the case.

Since you even need to 'maintain' scripts on either upgrades or whenever you want to move to another distro, chances are that those scripts will break upon that migration or upgrade. Then more tweaking, digging, googling and more command line testing to fix that simple annoyance for hours or even days.

I know I don't want to play around with my desktop just get work done and for Macbooks, its either macOS or Windows with WSL2 which the former gets out of the way and "just works" and no need for tweaking.

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