mac-arch

Arch installation guide on Mac

• :ballot_box_with_check: display
• :ballot_box_with_check: audio
• :ballot_box_with_check: internet connection, wifi
• :ballot_box_with_check: keyboard (work perfectly as normal keyboard)
• :ballot_box_with_check: trackpad & external mouse
• :ballot_box_with_check: screen backlight
• :ballot_box_with_check: keyboard backlight
• :ballot_box_with_check: fan
• :ballot_box_with_check: battery (not best but quite good)
• :black_square_button: webcam: not tested but someone say it work perfectly with bcwc-pcie, more detail here

Contents

• Before you start
• Install arch dual boot
  • Make space for Arch
  • Make installer USB
  • Boot it up
  • Connect wifi
  • Partition
  • Format & Mount
  • Install base packages & generate fstab
  • System config
  • Install the bootloader
  • Make arch duo bootable
• Install to make arch usable
  • Set tty default font
  • Install drivers
  • Install require packages
    • Required packages for display
    • Required packages for window manager
  • Keyboard
  • Screen display
  • Window management
  • Better network management
  • Trackpad
  • Sound
  • Fan
  • Screen backlight
  • Keyboard backlight
  • Webcam
• Improvement
  • Improve DHCP connection speed
  • Turn on firewall
  • Enable Trim for SSD
  • Fixing lid closing to suspend
  • Power saving for Intel chip

Before you start

It's seem Macbook with T2 Security isn't support linux very well, view this discussions

⚠️Batterry Issue: I'v used arch and artix for couple year on my MBP, everything is fine, smooth, but there is a problem, because OSX is apple stuff, so they make it very well, when using linux on Macbook, you must accept the risk. The only problem i've ever faced is that my battery degrades very quickly.

Install arch dual boot

Make space for Arch

Use Disk Utility Partition feature to add new Partition for Arch, follow this guide

Or if you already know how to use Disk Utility, then create a partition with FAT32 format.

Make installer USB

Download arch's iso here

Find usb by using diskutil list, then:

# Assume usb disk is /dev/diskX
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX
dd if=path/to/arch.iso of=/dev/diskX bs==1m

Boot it up

Hold bold alt/option when system bootup, then choose boot from USB

:warning: If you are using Retina Macbook, tty font will be very small. To get larger font, connect to wifi and run these commands:

sudo pacman -Sy terminus-font
setfont /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts/ter-132b.psf.gz

Connect wifi

Use wifi-menu then choose wifi to connect, then check connection with:

ping -c 3 google.com

Partition

View all your patitions to choose correct one

use fdisk -list

Open cgdisk with:

cgdisk /dev/sdaX

Create these new partitions:

Format and mount

Assuming you have this when run fdisk -l:

Now let format and mount partition:

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda4
mkswap /dev/sda5
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda6
mount /dev/sda6 /mnt
mkdir /mnt/boot && mount /dev/sda4 /mnt/boot
swapon /dev/sda5

Install base packages & generate fstab

Run these commands:

pacstrap /mnt base base-devel
genfstab -p /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab

:warning: If you are using SSD drive. Open fstab config file:

vi /mnt/etc/fstab

If you are using ssd, remove all discard in all lines, and make sure it look like:

/dev/sda4   /boot   ext2   defaults,relatime,stripe=4        0 2
/dev/sda6   /       ext4   defaults,noatime,data=writeback   0 1

System config

arch-chroot /mnt /bin/bash
echo arch > /etc/hostname   (Change arch with your hostname)
ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh /etc/localtime  (Use tab to select your zoneinfo easier)
useradd -m -G wheel -s /bin/bash your_username
passwd your_username   (Create your password)

Open /etc/sudoers file (with sudo) and uncomment this line to get sudo right for our user:

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

Uncomment en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8 (Or what ever locale you want) line in /etc/locale.gen file, then run:

locale-gen
echo LANG=en_US.UTF-8 > /etc/locale.conf
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8

Modify your /etc/mkinitcpio.conf file to insert keyboard after autodetect in the HOOK section (If it not exist). Then run:

mkinitcpio -p linux

Install the bootloader

We will boot using OSX native EFI boot loader, so install this:

pacman -S grub-efi-x86_64

Change /etc/default/grub to look like:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet rootflags=data=writeback"

Then create boot.efi with GRUB

grub-mkconfig -o boot/grub/grub.cfg
grub-mkstandalone -o boot.efi -d usr/lib/grub/x86_64-efi -O x86_64-efi --compress xz boot/grub/grub.cfg

:heavy_exclamation_mark: Important: Copy boot.efi to your usb or save it somewhere, we'll need this to duo boot.

To copy it to usb, use:

mkdir /mnt/myusb && mount /dev/sdb /mnt/myusb 
cp boot.efi /mnt/myusb/

Or upload it to file.io:

curl -F "file=boot.efi" https://file.io

:heavy_exclamation_mark: Important: If you have only wifi, please install those below, if not you'll not able to use wifi-menu after reboot

pacman -S iw wireless_tools wpa_supplicant dialog

Exit chroot and reboot (back to mac world)

exit
reboot

Make arch duo bootable

When OSX loaded. Using Disk Utility to format /dev/sda3 (128MB HFS+ we have created before) with Journaled format.

Then create this file structure:

|___mach_kernel   
|___System   
    |___Library   
        |___CoreServices   
            |___SystemVersion.plist   
            |___boot.efi              (Is the file we'v copy, upload in the previous step)   

Edit SystemVersion.plist content:

<xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>ProductBuildVersion</key>
    <string></string>
    <key>ProductName</key>
    <string>Linux</string>
    <key>ProductVersion</key>
    <string>Arch Linux</string>
</dict>
</plist>

To make arch auto boot with out holding alt/option, run this command:

sudo bless --device /dev/disk0s4 --setBoot

Now when reboot and welcome to arch world :hearts:

Install to make arch usable

Set tty default font

:warning: Font in retina screen is very small, so this maybe the first step you do after install arch. If you can see the font clearly, you don't have to do this step.

Install terminus-font: sudo pacman -S terminus-font

create file /etc/vconsole.conf with content:

FONT=ter-132b

Install these default fonts (to make browser look suckless):

yay -S ttf-dejavu ttf-linux-libertine ttf-mac-fonts ttf-ms-fonts ttf-opensans ttf-ubuntu-font-family ttf-symbola

Install drivers

sudo pacman -S xf86-video-intel xf86-input-libinput mesa

Install require packages

Required packages for display

Using pacman to install all these packages:

xorg-server: graphical server
xorg-xinit: starts graphical server
xorg-xrandr: resize & rotate utility for X
xorg-xwininfo: querying windows infomation on X server
xorg-xprop: detecting window properties tool
xorg-xdpyinfo: display infomation unity
xorg-xset: to configure keyboard
xorg-xev: indentifying keycodes
xcompmgr: remove screen-tearing, add shadow, transparent...
xwallpaper: set wallpaper
arandr: UI for screen adjustment

Required package for window manager

Install these packages with pacman:

i3-gaps: main graphical user interface and window manager i3status: generate status for i3bar i3blocks: status bar dmenu: minimal app launcher

Keyboard

If you want normally keyboard instead macbook's keyboad, install this patch

Read more in wiki

After install run these commands:

mkinitcpio -p linux
sudo modprobe -r hid_apple; sudo modprobe hid_apple

Remapping other keys, i like to switch caplocks with esc keys

Create ~/.Xmodmap file with this content:

# Swap ESC and CAPLOCKS
remove Lock = Caps_Lock
remove Esc   = Escape
keysym Escape = Caps_Lock
keysym Caps_Lock = Escape
add Lock = Caps_Lock
add Esc   = Escape

then add:

if [ -f $HOME/.Xmodmap ]; then
  xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap
fi

to ~/.xinitrc

Screen display

Edit those files: (use 'xdpyinfo | grep -B2 resolution' to find your screen dpi)

~/.Xresources

Xft.dpi: 220
Xft.autohint: 0
Xft.lcdfilter:  lcddefault
Xft.hintstyle:  hintfull
Xft.hinting: 1
Xft.antialias: 1
Xft.rgba: rgb

~/.xinitrc

# Adjust keyboard typematic delay and rate
xset r rate 270 30

# Start X at 220 DPI
xrandr --output eDP1 --mode 2880x1800 --scale 0.5x0.5
xrandr --dpi 220

# Serve Xmodmap
if [ -f $HOME/.Xmodmap ]; then
  xrdb -merge ~/.Xmodmap
fi

# Merge & load configuration from .Xresources
if [ -f $HOME/.Xresources ]; then
  xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources
fi

# Let QT and GTK autodetect retina screen and autoadjust
export QT_AUTO_SCREEN_SCALE_FACTOR=1
export GDK_SCALE=2
export GDK_DPI_SCALE=0.5

# Finally start i3wm
exec i3

For multiple display view this

Window management

Edit ~/.bash_profile, add this:

if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ -n "$XDG_VTNR" ] && [ "$XDG_VTNR" -eq 1 ]; then
  exec startx
fi

Better network management

Install these:

sudo pacman -S wpa_supplicant wireless_tools networkmanager

For GUI support, install:

sudo pacman -S nm-connection-editor network-manager-applet

Start NetworkManager service and disable default dhcpcd service to prevent conflict:

sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager.service
sudo systemctl enable wpa_supplicant.service
sudo systemctl disable dhcpcd.service

Start the service

sudo systemctl start NetworkManager.service

Trackpad

Install xf86-input-mtrack-git to get trackpad gestures like in osx:

A few more config to make touchpad and mouse work better:

Natural scrolling:

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-touchpad.conf

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "touchpad"
    Driver "libinput"
    MatchIsTouchpad "on"
    Option "Tapping" "on"
    Option "NaturalScrolling" "true"
    Option "ClickMethod" "clickfinger"
    Option "AccelProfile" "flat"
    Option "TransformationMatrix" "1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.3"
EndSection

Natural scrolling for external mouse:

/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/30-pointer.conf

Section "InputClass"
    Identifier "pointer"
    Driver "libinput"
    MatchIsPointer "on"
    Option "NaturalScrolling" "true"
    Option "AccelProfile" "flat"
    Option "TransformationMatrix" "1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.3"
EndSection

Sound

Install: pacman -S alsa-utils pulseaudio

Create /etc/modprobe.d/snd_hda_intel.conf with content:

# Switch audio output from HDMI to PCH and Enable sound chipset powersaving
options snd-hda-intel index=1,0 power_save=1

Then restart and use speaker-test -c 2 to test:

To adjust volume:

amixer set Master 2+
amixer set Master 2-

Fan

Use mbpfan

Install & Test

git clone https://github.com/dgraziotin/mbpfan
cd mbpfan
make
make install
make tests

Config

/etc/mbpfan.conf

[general]
# put the *lowest* value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_min"
min_fan_speed = 2000

# put the *highest* value of "cat /sys/devices/platform/applesmc.768/fan*_max"
max_fan_speed = 6100

# try ranges 50-63, default is 63
low_temp = 50

# try ranges 58-66, default is 66	 
high_temp = 65

# take highest number returned by
# "cat /sys/devices/platform/coretemp.*/hwmon/hwmon*/temp*_max"
# divide by 1000	 
max_temp = 84

# default is 1 seconds
polling_interval = 1

Then run these commands:

service mbpfan start
sudo cp mbpfan.service /etc/systemd/system/
systemctl enable mbpfan.service
systemctl start mbpfan.service

Screen backlight

Use light

light -S 50  # sets brightness to 50%
light -U 10 # decrease by 10%
light -A 10 # increase by 10%

Keyboard backlight

Use kbdlight

Then use this to adjust keyboard backlight:

kbdlight up [<percentage>]|down [<percentage>]|off|max|get|set <value>

Webcam

https://github.com/aur-packages/bcwc-pcie-git

Improvement

Improve DHCP connection speed

In /etc/dhcpcd.conf add to the end:

# Disable IP ARP checking
noarp

Turn on firewall

Run these commands:

sudo pacman -S ufw
sudo systemctl enable ufw
sudo ufw enable

Enable Trim for SSD

Run these commands:

sudo systemctl enable fstrim.timer
sudo systemctl start fstrim.timer

Fixing lid closing to suspend

In /etc/systemd/logind.conf, add those at bottom:

HandlePowerKey=suspend
HandleLidSwitch=suspend

Power Saving for Intel chip

Thermald is a deamon regulating the CPU speed, when your CPU runs too hot.

yaourt -S thermald
sudo systemctl enable thermald
sudo systemctl start thermald

sudo pacman -S tlp
sudo systemctl enable tlp.service
sudo systemctl enable tlp-sleep.service
sudo systemctl start tlp.service
sudo systemctl start tlp-sleep.service

sudo pacman -S cpupower

Mine is MJLQ2 so set this

/etc/default/cpupower

max_freq="2.2GHz"