Fog

From wikinotes

Archlinux on a macbook. Named after Dean Fog.

TODO:

these install instructions don't belong here.
I need a section for archlinux variant installs like archlinux-arm, and this alt-kernel

t2linux install docs https://wiki.t2linux.org/distributions/arch/installation/
t2linux wifi docs https://wiki.t2linux.org/guides/wifi/
t2linux pacman repo https://github.com/Redecorating/archlinux-t2-packages
arch install https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Installation_guide#Set_the_console_keyboard_layout
systemd boot https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-boot

Safety Net

Using the dedicated GPU 100% of the time produces lots of heat, and wasted battery life when you don't need it.
Defaulting to the dedicated graphics has been known to prevent MacOS from being able to boot.
Since Partition settings are locked into MacOS (and I'm uncertain whether I could boot from a USB),
it would be prudent to enable ssh in your MacOS install). 

# MacOS
(apple) > System Preferences:
  - Security & Privacy:
    - Privacy Tab:
      - Full Disk Access:
        - +: Applications/Utilities/Terminal

# MacOS
sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on

Install Media

Download install media

raw (out of date) https://dl.t2linux.org/archlinux/iso/index.html
w/ wifi drivers https://github.com/t2linux/archiso-t2/releases 
diskutil list
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk2
dd if=path/to/archlinux-version-x86_64.iso of=/dev/rdisk2 bs=1m

Partition Setup

You can't change the partition scheme from outside of macos unfortunately. 

- macbook, start bootcamp (preinstalled)
  - drag slider for size (deletes apfs snapshots?)

- disk utility
  - create a partition (any format) for your linux install

- restart, holding cmd+r
  - Utilities > Startup Security Utility:
    - [x] No Security
    - [x] Allow booting from external media

- restart, holding opt
  - you don't need to connect to wifi in bootloader
  - boot from EFI

Base Install

NOTE:

Use the wifi-enabled ISO, spoke with devs and wired kernel is outdated

(archiso) wlan setup

iwctl
 device list
 station wlan0 scan
 station wlan0 get-networks
 station wlan0 connect ${SSID}

ping archlinux.org

(archiso) format && baseinstall

timedatectl set-ntp true

pacman -Sy
# pacman-key --refresh-keys

fdisk -l                  # find disk/partition
mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p3  # format partition as ext4

mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt       # your install
mkdir -p /mnt/boot
mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot  # reuse macbook's EFI paritition

# if necesary, copy/modify /etc/pacman.conf to /mnt/pacman.conf
# and use: `pacstrap -C /mnt/pacman.conf`
pacstrap /mnt \
  base base-devel                           `# base packages/build-tools` \
  linux-t2 linux-t2-headers linux-t2-docs   `# t2-kernel` \
  efivar efibootmgr dosfstools              `# tools to manage efi` \
  linux-firmware dkms \
  apple-bcm-wifi-firmware \
  iwd networkmanager netstat-nat net-tools \
  neovim git openssh man-db

genfstab -U /mnt >> /mnt/etc/fstab
arch-chroot /mnt

(chroot) Add t2linux repo

cat << EOF >> /etc/pacman.conf
[mbp]
Server = https://dl.t2linux.org/archlinux/$repo/$arch
EOF

pacman -Syy

(chroot) Base Settings

ln -sf /usr/share/zoneinfo/America/Toronto /etc/localtime
hwclock --systohc
echo "en_US.UTF-8 UTF-8" > /etc/locale.gen
locale-gen
echo "LANG=en_US.UTF-8" > /etc/locale.conf
echo "fog" > /etc/hostname
mkinitcpio -P
passwd

(chroot) Bootloader

cat << EOF > /boot/loader/loader.conf
default archlinux
timeout 1
EOF

# find PARTUUID of 'archlinux' install partition
# (not EFI partition, not UUID)
blkid

cat << EOF > /boot/loader/entries/archlinux.conf
title Arch Linux
linux vmlinuz-linux-t2
initrd initramfs-linux-t2.img
# no quotes around PARTUUID
options intel_iommu=on iommu=pt pcie_ports=compat root=PARTUUID=${PARTUUID} rw
EOF

# if you cannot write /boot, use --no-variables
bootctl install

systemctl mask systemd-boot-system-token

# remount efivars as read-only (or kernel panic)
# USE EITHER: (1 works for me)
#    echo efivarfs /sys/firmware/efi/efivars efivarfs ro,remount,nofail 0 0 >> /etc/fstab
# OR
#    add 'efi=noruntime' to options in '/boot/loader/entries/archlinux.conf'

Reboot

- exit && reboot
- hold 'option' while booting to choose boot
- after selection, wait for timeout (choosing with enter seems to fail)

Debugging Boot Issues

# from archiso, specify the journal of your chroot
journalctl --directory=/var/log/journal

Post Install

Wifi Drivers

Boot into macos 

curl -#O https://wiki.t2linux.org/tools/wifi.sh
chmod +x wifi.sh
./wifi.sh

Boot into linux 

sudo umount /dev/nvme0n1p1
sudo mkdir /tmp/apple-wifi-efi
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /tmp/apple-wifi-efi
bash /tmp/apple-wifi-efi/wifi.sh
sudo reboot

Now verify output of wifi driver is error-free. 

sudo journalctl -k --grep=brcmfmac  # check for errors
ip link                             # check for wlan0

Now you can test a connection 

systemctl start iwd
iwctl
> station wlan0 scan
> station wlan0 get-networks
> station wlan0 connect ${SSID}

Finally, use NetworkManager (for wireguard, routing) with iwd as backend 

cat << EOF > /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
[device]
wifi.backend=iwd
EOF

sudo systemctl enable --now iwd
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

route               # confirm routing table present
ping archlinux.org  # test

CPU fan

Install and configure mbpfan,
monitor effectiveness with lm_sensors.

GPU

lscpi -nn | grep VGA  # find gpu

pacman -S xf86-video-ati    # oss
# or
pacman -S xf86-video-amdgpu # proprietary

Heat/Power Optimization

Configuration

Install and Enable 

# /boot/loader/entries/archlinux.conf

# disable intel_pstate so userspace power management available.
options intel_pstate=disable # ...

# /etc/default/cpupower

# enable conservative governor, the most resistant to ramp up cpu cycles
# some others: ondemand, userspace
governor='conservative'

# find warnings with tlp (ex: warning: systemd-rfkill.service is not masked, to correct this...)
sudo tlp-stat -s

# correct warnings
sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.service
sudo systemctl mask systemd-rfkill.socket

Monitoring

monitoring some usage stats 

sudo i7z                           # cpu freq per core
sudo tlp-stats -p                  # power optimizations
sudo tlp-stats -t                  # temp/fan-speeds
watch eval 'sensors | head -n 10'  # cpu temps
watch eval 'cpupower frequency-info | grep "current CPU"'

Trackpad

pacman -S xf86-input-synaptics
reboot # for driver to be used

# test it out if you like
synclient AccelFactor=0.05  # smaller movements travel further

make permanent 

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/70-synaptics.conf

Section "InputClass"
  Identifier "touchpad"
  Driver "synaptics"
  MatchIsTouchpad "on"

  # moving mouse-pointer
  Option "AccelFactor" "0.01"
  Option "MinSpeed" "1.2"
  Option "MaxSpeed" "2.5"

  # scroll momentum speed
  Option "VertScrollDelta" "250"
EndSection

Function Keys

TODO:

  • default to function keys
  • multimedia keys don't work
  • following suspend/resume, touchbar doesn't work at all

Disable Boot Sound

# MacOs
System Preferences:
  Sound:
    - [ ] Play Sound on Startup

Default Boot

Choosing default Disk 

- boot macos
- apple-menu > system preferences:
  - startup disk

Choosing default EFI bootloader 

# show installed bootloaders
#
#  BootOrder: 0080,0000  # boot priority
#  Boot0080:  Mac OS X   # macos boot entry
#  Boot0000:  Foo        # foo boot entry
efibootmgr

efibootmgr -o 0000,0080  # change boot priority

Audio

TODO

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