The following document provides an overview about Linux support for Apple's MacBook Pro 2016 and MacBook Pro 2017 models.
The MacBook Pro 2016 shares surprisingly many components with the Retina MacBook (e.g. keyboard and touchpad controller, Wi-Fi and bluetooth chipsets, ...), so figuring out how things work on one device should benefit both device families.
The Apple MacBook Pro 2017 models are nearly identical to their 2016 counterparts, except for the use of newer Intels Kaby Lake processors instead of Intel Skylake processors, faster memory and updated AMD Radeon GPUs in the 15-inch models.
The checks if hardware works below were done with multiple Linux distributions. To state the obvious: The newer the kernel the better. If in doubt which kernel to use, the latest significant improvements are part of Linux 4.16.
If you don't know what the model identifier for your MacBook Pro is (as that identifier is used on several occasions below), check https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201300
If you want to contribute to get Linux running smoothly on the MacBook Pro 2016, report all findings how to get devices working as pull requests! All help is appreciated.
| Device | Status |
|---|---|
| Audio input & output |  |
| Battery |  |
| Bluetooth | |
| FaceTime HD camera | |
| Graphics card (Intel) | |
| Graphics card (AMD) |   |
| Keyboard & Touchpad | |
| NVMe (internal SSD) | |
| Screen | |
| Suspend & Hibernation | |
| System Management Controller |       |
| Thunderbolt | |
| Touch Bar | |
| Touch ID |     |
| USB | |
| Wi-Fi | |
To boot Linux version earlier than 4.10 properly, it's necessary to set
intremap=nosid as kernel boot parameter. From 4.10 onwards that's not
necessary anymore.
Not working, neither the internal speakers/microphone nor the headphone jack.
What's working is audio via HDMI or any USB-connected audio device, so that can act as a workaround until internal audio is working.
See also:
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=195671
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=110561
Working fine, including the interface to get current capacity, temperature, etc.
Battery life is still suboptimal, because power saving modes for several devices, like display (panel self refresh), SSD or the Thunderbolt controllers, aren't working yet. You can expected a battery life of less than 4 hours.
Works out of the box with Linux 4.16 and above, except for the models without Touch Bar, which still suffer from a bug and need an additional patch as noted in Dunedan#29 (comment)
For older kernel versions you need to compile a custom kernel with an additional patch set. For details check Dunedan#29
See also:
In the MacBookPro13,1 (without Touch Bar) the FaceTime HD camera is connected
via PCIe, like in previous MacBook Pro's. It's working with the
bcwc_pcie driver.
The models with Touch Bar have the FaceTime HD camera connected through the
iBridge device via USB. They are exposed as regular USB video devices and are
supported by the uvcvideo driver starting with Linux 4.13 out of the box.
Previous Linux versions need the following quirk for uvcvideo to get them to
work properly:
echo "options uvcvideo quirks=0x100" > /etc/modprobe.d/uvcvideo.conf
Graphical output using the Intel GPU is working out of the box on the MacBookPro 13,1 and 13,2, without dedicated AMD GPU. For the MacBookPro 13,3 with dedicated AMD GPU, only the AMD is enabled when booting a OS which isn't macOS, so you have to follow the instructions in the following link to enable the integrated Intel GPU, if you want to use it: Dunedan#6 (comment)
Connecting external displays via USB-C-to-DisplayPort cables works fine, including connections with daisy-chaining/MST. An actual tested and working setup includes concurrent output on the internal display and two external displays daisy-chained together with Full HD each.
Working since Linux 4.9.
See also:
- https://gist.github.com/roadrunner2/1289542a748d9a104e7baec6a92f9cd7#gistcomment-1981040
- https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/amd-gfx/2016-November/003673.html
Basic keyboard and touchpad functionality is working with the out-of-tree driver developed for the Retina Macbook (https://github.com/cb22/macbook12-spi-driver).
The Esc and function keys are part of the Touch Bar in all Touch Bar-models, so follow the instructions for the Touch Bar to get it working.
Beside the actual keyboard the power button and the lid close event work out of the box.
Palm rejection based on touch-sizes and disable-touchpad-while-typing are working with this patch to libinput (master branch).
See also:
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=99891
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=108331
Works out of the box with Linux 4.11 and above.
The MacBookPro 13,1 or MacBookPro 13,2 on earlier versions of Linux need an out-of-tree patch (http://lists.infradead.org/pipermail/linux-nvme/2016-May/004618.html) or the following workaround:
modprobe nvme
echo 106b 2003 > /sys/bus/pci/drivers/nvme/new_id
The MacBookPro13,1, MacBookPro13,2, MacBookPro14,1 and MacBookPro14,2 occasionally can't properly initialize the NVMe controller after Linux took over from the boot manager, resulting in timeout messages and the inability to access the SSD and therefore the failure to boot. The only workaround known so far is to reboot until the problem isn't triggered.
The SSDs used in the MacBook Pros don't seem to support APST. As it's currently unknown how power saving works for those SSDs it's likely they consume way more power than they need to, therefore reducing the battery life.
See also:
- https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/283154/accessing-the-nvme-flash-drive-of-the-april-2016-macbook-12-a1534
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=99891
Works out of the box.
Adjustable screen brightness only works out of the box for the models without additional AMD Radeon GPU (MacBookPro13,1 and MacBookPro13,2). For the MacBookPro13,3 with additional AMD Radeon GPU the following patch is necessary: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=105051#c32
The only oddity noticed so far, is that the EDID data for the 13" model
describes two modes: 2560x1600 and 2880x1800. Xorg probes and sets the
correct resolution of 2560x1600.
For a detailed look into the EDID data, check out
macbook13,2/card0-eDP-1.edid.
Putting the MacBook Pro into suspend mode works, but it doesn't wake up again. @roadrunner2 did some work in this area. You'll find some details about it in cb22/macbook12-spi-driver#30 (comment)
The System Management Controller is responsible for interactions with sensors, fans.
Fans, temperature and voltage sensors work out of the box using the applesmc
kernel module, while the ambient light sensors only work in the MacBookPro13,1.
An accelerometer doesn't seem to be available at all.
Works out of the box with Linux 4.13 and above.
Tested on a MacBookPro13,3 with a HP Thunderbolt 3 Dock. DisplayPort with a 4k Display with 60 Hz works via the dock. The (PCI) Ethernet inside the dock and USB/audio from the dock work too.
Not working out of the box, but thanks to @roadrunner2 basic functionality is working using the driver you can find at: https://github.com/roadrunner2/macbook12-spi-driver/blob/touchbar-driver-hid-driver/appletb.c
Missing is as of now just the advanced functionality with custom graphics Apple offers in macOS.
Not working.
Works out of the box.
The MacBookPro13,1 comes with a Broadcom Limited BCM4350 802.11ac Wireless Network Adapter which works fine out of the box using the brcmfmac driver
(ensure you got the matching firmware package installed).
The MacBookPro13,2, MacBookPro13,3, MacBookPro14,2, and MacBookPro14,3 come with a Broadcom Limited BCM43602 802.11ac Wireless LAN SoC (rev 02) which is also supported by brcmfmac, but
has several issues, which could simply be firmware related:
- Only 2.4Ghz APs are shown
- Connecting to an AP barely works or fails directly
See also:
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=193121
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=100201
- https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=103201
- Working AMD graphics of the MacBookPro13,3 (which is the only model with both Intel and AMD graphics).
intremap=nosidas kernel boot parameter not necessary anymore, although it's unclear why.
- The NVMe controller in the MacBookPro13,1 and MacBookPro13,2 is now working out of the box (the one in the MacBookPro13,3 was already working before). (linux/commit/124298b)
- When booting with kernel modesetting (KMS) the screen isn't scrambled during boot anymore.
- On the Touch Bar models the FaceTime HD camera is working out of the box. (linux/commit/7b848ed)
- Adds support for the Alpine Ridge 4C Thunderbolt Chip used in the MacBook Pro's (linux/commit/5e2781b)
- Includes the foundation for upstreaming the
applespi-driver. (linux/commit/ca9ef3a, linux/commit/899596e, linux/commit/75fc70e, linux/commit/630b3af)
- Bluetooth is now working out of the box. (linux/commit/8353b4a, linux/commit/8bfa7e1, linux/commit/4c33162)
The models with Touch Bar feature an additional USB device, called iBridge
(Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05ac:8600 Apple, Inc.). It's the interface to the
embedded T1-chip running iOS and providing access to the FaceTime HD camera,
the Touch Bar and Touch ID.
A prerequisite for all devices connected to the iBridge to work is a firmware stored by macOS on the EFI system partition (ESP). For the time being the easiest way to keep this firmware available is to install Linux in addition to macOS and keeping the contents of the original ESP in place.
If the iBridge couldn't be initialized (e.g. because the firmware is
missing), instead of the usual USB device, the following USB device is
present: Apple Mobile Device [Recovery Mode] (Bus 001 Device 003: ID 05ac:1281 Apple, Inc.)
usb-devices shows that iBridge exposes four interfaces:
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=02 Cnt=01 Dev#= 4 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 3
P: Vendor=05ac ProdID=8600 Rev=01.01
S: Manufacturer=Apple Inc.
S: Product=iBridge
S: SerialNumber=nomac?123456
C: #Ifs= 4 Cfg#= 1 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0e(video) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=0e(video) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=01 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
I: If#= 3 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
The two video interfaces could be the FaceTime HD camera and the Touch Bar,
while the two HID interfaces could be the Touch Bar and the Touch ID button.
Booting macOS as a VM interestingly leads to the following changed output of
usb-devices:
T: Bus=01 Lev=01 Prnt=01 Port=02 Cnt=01 Dev#= 2 Spd=480 MxCh= 0
D: Ver= 2.00 Cls=ef(misc ) Sub=02 Prot=01 MxPS=64 #Cfgs= 3
P: Vendor=05ac ProdID=8600 Rev=01.01
S: Manufacturer=Apple Inc.
S: Product=iBridge
S: SerialNumber=nomac?123456
C: #Ifs= 8 Cfg#= 2 Atr=e0 MxPwr=0mA
I: If#= 0 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0e(video) Sub=01 Prot=00 Driver=uvcvideo
I: If#= 1 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=0e(video) Sub=02 Prot=00 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 2 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
I: If#= 3 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=10() Sub=00 Prot=00 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 4 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=02(commc) Sub=0d Prot=00 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 5 Alt= 0 #EPs= 0 Cls=0a(data ) Sub=00 Prot=01 Driver=(none)
I: If#= 6 Alt= 0 #EPs= 1 Cls=03(HID ) Sub=00 Prot=01 Driver=usbhid
I: If#= 7 Alt= 0 #EPs= 2 Cls=ff(vend.) Sub=f9 Prot=11 Driver=(none)
Seems like macOS somehow initalizes some additional capabilities of the iBridge.
Apple introduced an "auto-boot" feature with the MacBook Pro 2016 causing the notebook to be switched on, whenever the screen lid is opened. By modifying a NVRAM variable this can be (luckily) disabled again.
How to do that from macOS as well as enabling the startup chime again is documented e.g. at http://www.idownloadblog.com/2016/10/31/how-to-stop-the-new-macbook-pro-from-automatically-turning-on-when-the-lid-is-open/
To disable auto boot from within Linux, ensure that efivarfs is mounted and
run:
printf "\x07\x00\x00\x00\x00" > /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/AutoBoot-7c436110-ab2a-4bbb-a880-fe41995c9f82
If you get "No space left on device" errors, it's probably because of
dump-type0-*-variables written by the Linux kernel taking up all space.
Removing them solves the problem:
for i in $(find /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/ -name 'dump-type0*'); do chattr -i $i; rm $i; done
With disabled auto boot the MacBook Pro will show the battery percentage for a brief second as an image on the screen whenever you open the lid or plug in the power cord while the lid is open.
To reenable auto boot again run:
chattr -i /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/AutoBoot-7c436110-ab2a-4bbb-a880-fe41995c9f82
rm /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/AutoBoot-7c436110-ab2a-4bbb-a880-fe41995c9f82
- Excellent collection providing a status of hardware support for the MacBook Pro 2016 as well: https://gist.github.com/roadrunner2/1289542a748d9a104e7baec6a92f9cd7