ubuntu on new retina macbook : any experience ?

[frigaut]

@Baughn

There is no installation CD. This hardware is very new and not yet supported by the latest stable kernel, notwithstanding the latest ubuntu kernel.

If you don't know how to build a kernel, there are 2 options:

1) You learn how to do it, along with all the hacks you'll need to make this machine work. You are in for a long journey, full of frustrations but also full of joy. You'll learn linux on the way. It's fun and rewarding, but that's a significant time investment. If you choose this option, we can't hold your hand. That would defeat the learning exercise. You'll find tutorials all over the web.

2) You just wait for this machine to be supported. Most of the things to make it work properly should be in by the time 3.7 comes out, I assume, meaning 4-5 months from now.

I burn about 20W at full display brightness and 13W idle at low display brightness. So battery life is going to be anywhere between 4 and 6 hours depending on use and display brightness settings.

[bfroemel]

Concerning display port (i.e., not Thunderbolt): has anyone already experimented with external monitors/beamers/.. ?
I only tried briefly, but it seems that I only get output when the Nvidia GPU is active. On nouveau the internal screen isn't available as an output and .. which currently bothers me most: no 'hotplug' :/

Unfortunately, I can't try further myself until after the weekend.

[Baughn]

@Baughn

There is no installation CD. This hardware is very new and not yet supported by the latest stable kernel, notwithstanding the latest ubuntu kernel.

If you don't know how to build a kernel, there are 2 options:

1) You learn how to do it, along with all the hacks you'll need to make this machine work. You are in for a long journey, full of frustrations but also full of joy. You'll learn linux on the way. It's fun and rewarding, but that's a significant time investment. If you choose this option, we can't hold your hand. That would defeat the learning exercise. You'll find tutorials all over the web.

2) You just wait for this machine to be supported. Most of the things to make it work properly should be in by the time 3.7 comes out, I assume, meaning 4-5 months from now.

I burn about 20W at full display brightness and 13W idle at low display brightness. So battery life is going to be anywhere between 4 and 6 hours depending on use and display brightness settings.

Well, I do know how to build a kernel. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to try cooking up my own installation.. USB stick, I suppose.

No matter. It'll be "fun".

[frigaut]

Concerning display port (i.e., not Thunderbolt): has anyone already experimented with external monitors/beamers/.. ?
I only tried briefly, but it seems that I only get output when the Nvidia GPU is active. On nouveau the internal screen isn't available as an output and .. which currently bothers me most: no 'hotplug' :/

Unfortunately, I can't try further myself until after the weekend.

I was able to display on external monitor with the nvidia blob. hotplug ok, but it's because it understands the connector as a minidisplay port, not a thunderbolt connector.

I haven't tried with nouveau.

With the intel card, I only get eDP1 and VGA1 available according to xrandr. I assume the card is not actually connected (physically?) to the miniDP and the HDMI connectors (?).

[frigaut]

Well, I do know how to build a kernel. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to try cooking up my own installation.. USB stick, I suppose.

No matter. It'll be "fun".

Yes, USB stick. and don't forget the nointremap and nomodeset boot kernel option when booting the installer, otherwise it doesn't boot.
Good luck.

[enchanterchi]

Yes, USB stick. and don't forget the nointremap and nomodeset boot kernel option when booting the installer, otherwise it doesn't boot.
Good luck.

How to add these two options? I can't access the USB stick from MAC OS on the MacBook Pro

[frigaut]

How to add these two options? I can't access the USB stick from MAC OS on the MacBook Pro

I iuse another distro, but I assume the ubuntu install images come with GRUB. You can add these parameters in the grub entry (select the corretc line and hit tab).

[atte]

I iuse another distro, but I assume the ubuntu install images come with GRUB. You can add these parameters in the grub entry (select the corretc line and hit tab).

I don't think it is grub on the CD/USB but just press 'e' to edit.

[bfroemel]

Thanks frigaut! I can confirm your findings about the outputs. Also it appears to be impossible to use an external screen in OSX if the Intel GPU is forced: so one must use the Nvidia GPU (and the closed source driver for now) for external screens/beamers.

btw: in case someone wants to see a Linux screenshot including a picture of the screen:
https://plus.google.com/111653446152...ts/g1N9VyfTv7t

I used larger fonts/text scaling for all the open applications, although the Windows 7 virtual machine in the upper right part is using the default 96 dpi settings.

[frigaut]

Thanks frigaut! I can confirm your findings about the outputs. Also it appears to be impossible to use an external screen in OSX if the Intel GPU is forced: so one must use the Nvidia GPU (and the closed source driver for now) for external screens/beamers.

I can confirm that, although xrandr list the VGA as one of the output when using the intel driver, pluging in an external connector doesn't list anything available under the VGA1 output.
Bummer.