Macbook Pro 7,1 and Ubuntu 11.10 (Oneiric Ocelot)


This page aims to describe the steps needed, to fully enable all features of the 13.3 MacBookPro 7,1 (release date: mid 2010) when using Ubuntu 11.10, codename 'Oneiric Ocelot'.

Please note that before going through any of the suggested fixes for this hardware, or installing any additional drivers, please make sure you RUN UPDATE MANAGER first and apply all updates to the system.

IconsPage/terminal.png You can find out, what model you have by typing at the terminal:

sudo dmidecode -s system-product-name


If you have a different model, please go here and find the right wiki.

Overview

Anything not mentioned here probably already works out of the box. If not, please refer to the Ubuntu Apple Users forum.

IconsPage/ok.png (works out-of-the-box)
IconsPage/ok.png IconsPage/info.png (works, with remarks)
IconsPage/warning.png (needs manual install)
IconsPage/dont.png (won't work)
IconsPage/question.png (not yet documented)

Basic Installation Instructions

Common things about installing and maintaining Ubuntu on Intel-based Macs: Intel CPU-based Macintosh Generic Installation Instructions.

Triple Boot, Basic Installation Instructions

If you are attempting to triple boot (OSX, WIN7 using bootcamp and now adding Ubuntu) you probebly installed rEFIT. rEFIt has a built in limitation that messes up the Hybrid MBR that bootcamp set up, so now either booting into windows doesn't work or choosing Ubuntu in GRUB always boots into windows (depends on how you partitiond your HD). So go here or here for detailed explenation, the solution on both is the same.

Previous communtiy documentations relied heavily on the MactelSupportTeam/PPA to improve/fix functionality in Ubuntu, but this PPA is currently NOT AVAILABLE IN ONEIRIC. The good news is that most functionality works out-of-the box and requires minimal tweaks.

CPU

Sometimes only one core gets recognised and enabled instead of two by the OS. To check the number of cores enabled, open the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run this command

cat /proc/cpuinfo | grep 'cpu cores'

If you get the number 2 then you're OK.But if dual-core support is not automatically enabled you'll need to edit a file called grub, so again in the terminal run:

gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub

And add:

acpi_apic_instance=2

to the end of the line labeled:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=

The end result should look like this:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=acpi_apic_instance=2


In case you want it in rescue mode as well, add the same 'acpi_apic_instance=2' to the end of the line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=

Now it's necessary to update Grub:

sudo update-grub

Sound

Sound works but volume is low, that's because in Alsamixer the "Front Sp" volume setting is at 40% instead of 100%. Also the red-light on the headphone-jack is always on, so enter the following in terminal -

alsamixer

Alsamixer app will open, now press use the right-arrow key untill you get to "Front Sp" and change push the volume up to 100%. Now to turn off the red headphone light, go to "S/PDIF" and change the value from "00" to "MM" (by hitting M (for Mute) on the keyboard). This will turn off the optical out once, it will come back on after reboot. To exit, just press ESC button.

If you want the red Optical headphone led not to come on after each reboot then go to CogWheel icon on the 'start menu', choose 'Startup Applications' and do the following:

Click Add
Name : Restore Alsa State
Command : /sbin/alsactl restore
Comment : Turn off Optical Out

You only need ""/sbin/alsactl restore"" bit, the others are there to help you understand what it does.

Suspend & Hibernate

Works out of the box.

Desktop Effects (Compiz)

Works out of the box.

HFS+

Not Tested.

Wireless (AirPort)

This can be easily installed by connecting the computer to the internet using an ethernet cable, then clicking the 'Ubuntu' logo from the panel on the left. Search for 'Additional Drivers' and install 'Broadcom STA wireless driver'. After installation reboot your computer and your wireless should be working.

I have noticed that the wireless performance is slow sometimes but this problems seems to be intermittent. This MIGHT be fixed by installing the compiling latest wireless driver from the broadcom website.

iSight (WebCam)

Works out of the box.

Touchpad (appletouch)

Works out of the box. You can enable two finger scrolling by going to going to 'Mouse and Touchpad' settings and selecting 'Two-finger Scrolling' and 'Enable Horizontal Scrolling'.

You can enable more multitouch gestures using the thouchegg app so open our new best friend, the terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run this commands:

sudo apt-get install touchegg

Now, to access the touchegg configuration app, go to the left poppup panel and press 'dash home', go to the Search and type 'touchegg', it will show you one icon so press it and configure away Smile :)

Video

Usually I notice an option to install proprietary nvidia display drivers on 'Additional Hardware' but it wasn't there on this release. So, I decided to add the latest Nvidia display driver. On terminal run the following commands -

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nvidia-current


After that is installed you have to run the following command to generate 'xorg.conf' file which is located at '/etc/X11' -

sudo nvidia-xconfig

Now, after a reboot, the Fn1 & Fn2 brightness keys are disabled (we'll fix this later) and you have the proprietary Nvidia video driver installed.

External Monitor

Not Tested

Keyboard functions (Brightness,volume,...)

The Eject(F13), Volume Keys(F10-F12), Media Keys(F7-F9) and Keyboard Backlight(F5-F6) keys all work out of the box.

Now we'll re-enable the brightness buttons we disabled after installing the proprietary Nvidia video driver listed above, so open the terminal again and do the following:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Under

Section "Screen"

Add

Option  "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1"

Before

EndSection

So that section would look something like this (note yours might not be exactly the same) -

Section "Screen"
    Identifier     "Screen0"
    Device         "Device0"
    Monitor        "Monitor0"
    DefaultDepth    24
    SubSection     "Display"
        Depth       24
    EndSubSection
    Option      "RegistryDwords" "EnableBrightnessControl=1"
EndSection

Now another quick reboot and your brightness control should be working now.

Microphone

Works out of the box.

CD/DVD Writing

Works out of the box.

Bluetooth

Works out of the box. Bluetooth by default stays on when you boot into ubuntu. You can turn if off by clicking on the Bluetooth icon on the top and click 'Turn off Bluetooth'. If you want to turn it off by default during boot, do the following -

sudo gedit /etc/rc.local

Before

exit 0

Add

rfkill block bluetooth

Save and exit. You can now turn on your Bluetooth by clicking 'Turn on Bluetooth' from the Bluetooth icon from the notification area.

Apple Remote Control

Not Tested

FireWire

Not Tested


CategoryMac

MacBookPro7-1/Oneiric (last edited 2013-12-14 02:34:34 by knome)