mbp-ubuntu

UBUNTU 20.04 ISO with Apple T2 patches built-in (Macbooks produced >= 2018).

All available Apple T2 drivers are integrated with this iso. Most things work, besides those mentioned in not working section.

Kernel - https://github.com/marcosfad/mbp-ubuntu-kernel

Drivers:

• Apple T2 (audio, keyboard, touchpad) - https://github.com/MCMrARM/mbp2018-bridge-drv
• Apple SMC - https://github.com/MCMrARM/mbp2018-etc
• Touchbar - https://github.com/roadrunner2/macbook12-spi-driver/tree/mbp15

Tested on: Macbook Pro 16,1 16" 2019 i9 TouchBar

Boot ROM Version:	220.270.99.0.0 (iBridge: 16.16.6571.0.0,0)
macOS Mojave: 10.14.6 (18G103)

How to install

• Turn off secure boot - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208330

• Download .iso from releases section - https://github.com/marcosfad/mbp-ubuntu/releases/latest

  • If it's splitted into multiple zip parts, you need to join splitted files into one and then extract it via unzip or extract them directly via 7z x or 7za x
    • https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/40480/how-to-unzip-a-multipart-spanned-zip-on-linux

• Burn the image on USB stick >=8GB via:

  • dd - dd bs=4M if=/home/user/Downloads/ubuntu-20.04-beta-minimal-mbp.iso of=/dev/sdc conv=fdatasync status=progress
  • rufus (GPT)- https://rufus.ie/
  • balenaEtcher- https://www.balena.io/etcher/
  • don't use livecd-iso-to-disk, because it's overwriting grub settings

• Install Ubuntu

  • Boot directly from macOS boot manager. (You can boot into it by pressing and holding option key after clicking the power-on button).
    • There will be three boot options available, usually the third one works for me. (There are three of them, because there are three partitions in ISO: 1) ISO9660: with installer data, 2) fat32, 3) hfs+)
  • I recommend to shrink (resize) macOS APFS partition and not removing macOS installation entirely from your MacBook, because it's the only way to keep your device up-to-date. macOS OS updates also contains security patches to EFI/Apple T2
    • HowTo: https://www.anyrecover.com/hard-drive-recovery-data/resize-partition-mac/ # Steps to Resize Mac Partition
  • You should use standard partition layout during partitioning your Disk in anaconda, because i haven't tested LVM scenario yet. https://github.com/marcosfad/mbp-ubuntu/issues/2
    • /boot/efi - 1024MB fat32
    • /boot - 1024MB EXT4
    • / - xxxGB EXT4

• Put wifi firmware files to /lib/firmware/brcm/

  • tutorial - https://github.com/mikeeq/mbp-fedora-kernel/#working-with-mbp-fedora-kernel

• You can change mappings of ctrl, fn, option keys (PC keyboard mappings) by creating /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf file and recreating grub config. All available modifications could be found here: https://github.com/free5lot/hid-apple-patched

# /etc/modprobe.d/hid_apple.conf
options hid_apple swap_fn_leftctrl=1
options hid_apple swap_opt_cmd=1

grub2-mkconfig -o /boot/efi/EFI/ubuntu/grub.cfg

Not working

• Dynamic audio input/output change (on connecting/disconnecting headphones jack)
• TouchID - (@MCMrARM is working on it - https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux/issues/71#issuecomment-528545490)
• Thunderbolt (is disabled, because driver was causing kernel panics (not tested with 5.5 kernel))
• Microphone (it's recognised with new apple t2 sound driver, but there is a low mic volume amp)

TODO

Known issues

• Kernel/Mac related issues are mentioned in kernel repo

• Macbooks with Apple T2 can't boot EFI binaries from HFS+ formatted ESP - only FAT32 (FAT32 have to be labelled as msftdata).

• ctrl+x is not working in GRUB, so if you are trying to change kernel parameters - start your OS by clicking ctrl+shift+f10 on external keyboard

Docs

• Discord: https://discord.gg/Uw56rqW
• WiFi firmware: https://packages.aunali1.com/apple/wifi-fw/18G2022
• Linux on a MBP Late 2016: https://gist.github.com/gbrow004/096f845c8fe8d03ef9009fbb87b781a4

Ubuntu

• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDCustomization
• https://itnext.io/how-to-create-a-custom-ubuntu-live-from-scratch-dd3b3f213f81

Github

• GitHub issue (RE history): https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux/issues/71
• VHCI+Sound driver (Apple T2): https://github.com/MCMrARM/mbp2018-bridge-drv/
• hid-apple keyboard backlight patch: https://github.com/MCMrARM/mbp2018-etc
• alsa/pulseaudio config files: https://gist.github.com/MCMrARM/c357291e4e5c18894bea10665dcebffb
• TouchBar driver: https://github.com/roadrunner2/macbook12-spi-driver/tree/mbp15
• Kernel patches (all are mentioned in github issue above): https://github.com/aunali1/linux-mbp-arch
• ArchLinux kernel patches: https://github.com/ppaulweber/linux-mba
• ArchLinux installation guide: https://gist.github.com/TRPB/437f663b545d23cc8a2073253c774be3
• hid-apple-patched module for changing mappings of ctrl, fn, option keys: https://github.com/free5lot/hid-apple-patched
• Audio configuration: https://gist.github.com/kevineinarsson/8e5e92664f97508277fefef1b8015fba

Credits

• @mikeeq - thanks for the amazing work in mbp-fedora
• @MCMrARM - thanks for all RE work
• @ozbenh - thanks for submitting NVME patch
• @roadrunner2 - thanks for SPI (touchbar) driver
• @aunali1 - thanks for ArchLinux Kernel CI
• @ppaulweber - thanks for keyboard and Macbook Air patches
• @kevineinarsson - thanks for the audio settings
• @roadrunner2 - thanks for the overview