I'm trying to boot Linux (Mint on USB) on my new MBP 2019, and having fought my way around two layers of firmware restrictions, I finally got the system to boot, but the keyboard and trackpad aren't recognised. Does anyone know how to get drivers for these?
Thanks Martyn
MacBook Pro 13”, macOS 10.15
I don't believe any Linux distro currently has full support for the 2018+ T2 systems yet. I believe you need to use kernel version 5.5 or 5.6 which was just recently released. I don't recall which kernel version has the T2 chip support. I think kernel version 5.4 or maybe 5.5 may have support for the Keyboard & Trackpad.
The only way to currently "install" Linux to a T2 Mac is by first installing Linux onto an external drive on another UEFI booting computer. Then install the latest kernel. You will also need to install the proper WiFi drivers if they are available (I have no idea which driver to use). Once you have the proper kernel and drivers installed, then you need to create an image of the boot drive. Then connect this customized external boot drive to the T2 Mac and clone the image you created to the T2 Mac. This is just general instructions on what is necessary at this time. There may be other things that will need to be done to make the system bootable. If you cannot figure it out, then you shouldn't be installing Linux on this Mac at this time. Sorry I'm not being a jerk here, but I haven't actually installed Linux to this system yet and it is too complicated to explain in enough detail what to do.
I highly recommend you install Linux into a Virtual Machine. I never recommend sharing the macOS boot drive with Linux or even Windows since people get into so much trouble by making their macOS volume unbootable and many times they lose access to their data because the macOS volume will no longer mount when resizing partitions and installing/removing other operating systems. Most times people end up losing data and need to erase everything and reinstall macOS.
If you do want to dual boot this Mac, then I highly recommend installing Linux to an external drive instead as there is less risk in damaging the macOS boot volume.
Thanks so much for your time in this thorough reply!
I have come to all the same conclusions...
I was only looking for an external (second boot) option, but the virtual machine plan is the best I have come up with.
Despite ‘owning’ multiple previous versions of Parallels Desktop, I have of course had to subscribe £40 pa for the latest (basic!) version to get the hardware support from them even, and for a Linux system on modern hardware it runs pretty slow and hot!
The next bit is philosophical - you may want to skip it! :-)
Its about time Apple thought a bit more about their community and less about their share holders again I’m afraid...
It is disgusting of course that they (having taken so much from the open source community) are one of the only computer hardware manufacturers that deliberately avoid allowing their customers the necessary drivers!
Alongside their increasingly ridiculous prices and completely non-upgradable builds now, I regret that it may be time I moved back to PC...
Thats not to mention how darn unreliable the modern macOS is!!
Bring back Snow Leopard!!!
Basic functionality like the copy command no longer seems to be reliable nowadays!! Endless inaccessible files, permissions issues, or just plain bugs I’ve reported! In the copy command!!!!
I’m currently fighting to retrieve a lifetime of all my photos from my ‘Photos’ library before I quit the closed Apple ecosystem as thoroughly as I can - no, the ‘export’ function does NOT ‘Just work’...
Its all depressing...
Thanks again for your advice if you read this far!!
From the makers of the Linux distribution.
I would use an external keyboard and mouse.
I would just use an external keyboard&mouse, but if you want the drivers, look on the apple website. Same thing happened when I tried to get CentOS.
It surprises me that a Linux user and proponent of open systems like yourself would pay for Parallels when VirtualBox is available free.
FWIW, your rant is off-base.
Where can I get Linux keyboard and trackpad drivers for a MacBook Pro 2019?
