How to install Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro?

Apple changed how their Trackpads work beginning around 2015. Prior to 2015 the Trackpad was considered a basic USB device, but in 2015 the Trackpad communication was changed to communicate as SPI (I don't recall how that works...a different communication protocol). I know that the 2015 model can utilize either mode, but I don't know about later Apple USB-C models which utilize a T1 & T2 chips. Keep in mind that Apple tends to do things their own way using custom hardware with no public documentation. It is only Linux users with sufficient motivation & skills to see proper Linux drivers developed who help us to have Linux support on Apple hardware.

Try using a wired USB mouse. If the wired USB mouse works, then you don't have the necessary Trackpad driver available or working on your Linux installation....assuming the links I provided earlier say the Trackpad will work (I have not reviewed the information for a while now, plus it can vary between different models). If the USB Mouse does not work, then most likely you have an issue with the Ubuntu installer or USB stick (or some other hardware issue with the laptop).

I know that some Linux distributions will not allow any USB-C connections until the user approves the connection so this could be an issue when using a USB mouse.

I don't normally use any of the Ubuntu flavors so I am not certain about the Ubuntu system defaults including what drivers are available out of the box. I know with some Linux distributions you may need to install some drivers separately from the distribution's software repository. Like I said previously, I have successfully booted Kubuntu 2022 version on at least a 2017 model (not certain if I did so with a 2018 model). I don't think I had to do anything special. I know in the past sometimes I have had to install Linux onto an external drive using another computer....install any extra drivers before I can run Linux on a newer model.

You should definitely be trying the most recent version of Ubuntu as it would include the most recent drivers at the time the specific distribution version was released. You will probably have more luck asking for assistance on the Ubuntu forums (or whatever distribution you are trying to use).

williamgrand wrote:

Hi HWTech,

I have a 2018 MacBook Pro. Linux in Virtual Machine, like VirtualBox, appears to be unusably slow. It seems that I need to buy a wired mouse and keyboard to boot from it instead.

Using Linux in a VM would be the best option since a lot of the hardware is not supported by Linux for this laptop.

It all depends on the workload you are performing on Linux and also the other currently open & running apps on macOS. Maybe you need to adjust the VM resource settings to better balance Linux & the host macOS.

I definitely do not recommend partitioning the internal SSD to dual boot since that usually causes people more problems which many times requires completely erasing the Mac and reinstalling macOS & restoring from a backup. If you want to run Linux on bare metal, then install Linux onto an external USB3 SSD which is much less risky to your macOS installation.

Here are some articles on the status of Linux support on the 2016-2020 Intel Macs:

https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux

https://t2linux.org

The model of the laptop here is very important since Linux support for the USB-C models is hit or miss. Here are a couple of sites which have some details on what works and does not work on the USB-C model Macs. I don't know whether or even how often the information on these sites is updated. I'm supplying the links to the 2016 & 2017 models for reference as well. There may be other references out there now, so you may want to perform an online search of your own for other resources.

https://t2linux.org/

https://github.com/t2linux/T2-Ubuntu

https://github.com/Dunedan/mbp-2016-linux

https://gist.github.com/roadrunner2/1289542a748d9a104e7baec6a92f9cd7

Using such an outdated version of Ubuntu from 2020 may also be a problem. I know I used a 2020 Kubuntu installer for a 2016 or 2017 MBPro, but never tried it on a 2018+ model. The 2018+ models had a huge change with the introduction of the T2 security chip. I think I tried a 2022 Kubuntu installer on a 2018 model, but I am not certain and don't recall whether the Trackpad worked.

Linux works fine on most 2007 to 2015 Macs (avoid the 2006 Macs). Linux tends to work on many mid to higher end Windows PCs (the lower end models have hardware that is just too crippled to run Linux....they barely run the version of Windows shipped with them).

What is the exact model of your Mac? You can get this information by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "About This Mac".

How did you create the bootable Ubuntu USB installer?

Have you tried using another USB stick especially a different brand? The quality of USB sticks is extremely poor so best to test with another USB stick.

Are you connecting the USB stick directly to the Mac? Also try disconnecting all non-essential devices from the Mac in case one of them is causing a problem.

Are you trying to install Ubuntu onto bare metal alongside the current macOS or to an external drive? Or are you trying to install Ubuntu into a Virtual Machine?

Before installing Linux or any OS, make sure to have a good backup of your macOS installation. If something goes wrong, then it will minimize the chances of losing any data.

It is strongly encouraged to install other operating systems into a Virtual Machine if possible. Of course there will be some situations where running an OS in a VM is not going to work out, so in those situations installing Linux to an external USB 3 SSD is the next best option as it will minimize the chances of having a negative effect on your macOS installation. Attempting to dual boot macOS & Linux to the same internal drive will usually result in issues which will most likely require performing a clean install of macOS later on once you are finished with Linux since most people will realize one or both OS partitions does not have enough room for normal operations.

williamgrand wrote:

Did you figure this out? It appears to me that Ubuntu does not support native trackpad and keyboard control when booting from USB.

What is the exact model of the laptop? You can either get this information by clicking the Apple menu and selecting "About This Mac", or by entering the system serial number on the check coverage page here:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage - Apple Support

I've never had a problem using Linux on any 2007 to 2015 Mac. However, Linux support for the 2016-2020 USB-C Macs is not complete due to major changes to the hardware. Using Linux on a 2016-2020 Mac is best done by installing Linux into a Virtual Machine.

Hi HWTech,

I have a 2018 MacBook Pro. Linux in Virtual Machine, like VirtualBox, appears to be unusably slow. It seems that I need to buy a wired mouse and keyboard to boot from it instead.

FYI, Kubuntu will still have the same core as Ubuntu, the only difference is the Desktop Environment (aka graphical interface) and the default apps installed with the different Desktop Environment. I would not expect any difference. You just want to use the most recent version of whatever particular distribution you are using.

If you want to learn Linux, then installing Linux in a VM is definitely the simplest option. If you want experience working with Linux on bare metal, then use a mid or high end non-Apple PC. Dell and Lenovo tend to have decent Linux support since both companies do sell some models with Linux as a preinstalled option from the factory (you must be careful with Lenovo since they have been caught several times with malware preinstalled within Windows or even within the system firmware...besides only a couple models are any good). While Ubuntu or Linux Mint should install & work with little hassle on most 2007 to 2015 Macs, you may still encounter some driver issues here or there.

Cameras, WiFi, and Trackpads will cause the most trouble. Plus it is best to avoid any new cutting edge hardware for a couple of years until the Linux kernel developers are able to get drivers developed and even longer if they must reverse engineer a driver because the manufacturer does not provide any hardware technical documentation so an independent driver can be developed. It is best to do your research prior to purchasing any hardware for which you want to use with Linux.

Keep in mind most hardware & popular software will only be supported on Windows as it is a Windows world...everyone & everything else are second or third class citizens. However, once a Linux system is set up, it will probably run without issue for years if you minimize installing software & drivers from outside the official software repositories....use containers for software not provided in the repositories if necessary to keep the core OS stable. If successful you get the most configurable system out there which is completely under your control.

It is best to start by learning the Linux basics by performing the simplest installs possible. Once you understand simple Linux installations, then proceed to more complicated scenarios, otherwise you may become overwhelmed by it all.

Good luck.

In case you missed it, earlier in this thread I posted:

It is strongly encouraged to install other operating systems into a Virtual Machine if possible. Of course there will be some situations where running an OS in a VM is not going to work out, so in those situations installing Linux to an external USB 3 SSD is the next best option as it will minimize the chances of having a negative effect on your macOS installation. Attempting to dual boot macOS & Linux to the same internal drive will usually result in issues which will most likely require performing a clean install of macOS later on once you are finished with Linux since most people will realize one or both OS partitions does not have enough room for normal operations.

Of course people are free to do what they wish with their devices, but remember we have provided warnings of some of the issues that may be encountered when dual booting with multiple partitions on the same drive.

Whether Linux will "work properly with all functionalities on mac" is unknown as it depends on the model of the Mac...older non-USB-C models...probably yes (2007 - 2015). USB-C Intel Macs.....probably no....read the articles I linked earlier in this thread as they are probably the best source of information if they have been kept current.

I used VMWare Fusion and put it in a VM.

Works perfectly.

Did you figure this out? It appears to me that Ubuntu does not support native trackpad and keyboard control when booting from USB.

aperfectalibi wrote:

I am trying to install Ubuntu on my MacBook Pro. It boots from the USB but I cannot make the mouse (trackpad) or bluetooth mouse function to proceed with the install. Thanks in advance!

https://dev.to/andrewbaisden/how-to-install-ubuntu-linux-on-apple-silicon-macbooks-1nia

https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/create-a-usb-stick-on-macos#1-overview

https://medium.com/mkdir-awesome/how-to-install-and-set-up-ubuntu-20-04-on-an-old-macbook-pro-6d8e4fe9f5f3