T2linux archlinux mbp-16.1

From wikinotes

Device Specific configuration for a Macbook Pro 16.1 on arch with t2linux.

Documentation

t2linux install docs https://wiki.t2linux.org/distributions/arch/installation/

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

Dedicated GPU Drivers

Install GPU drivers (OSS reputably better here)

lscpi -nn | grep VGA  # find gpu

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

Hybrid Graphics

NOTE:

If gpu-switch prevents you from booting linux,
Reset your nvram by holding: cmd+opt+p+r on boot

NOTE:

This is a huge boost for thermals, down from ~60*C idle to ~47*C

First, install the intel GPU driver driver.

pacman -S xf86-video-intel

Next, install patched bootloader

# there is an AUR package, but it is very out of date

sudo pacman -S gnu-efi

git clone https://github.com/aa15032261/apple_set_os-loader
cd apple_set_os-loader

make
sudo cp /boot/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI /boot/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI.orig
sudo cp ./bootx64.efi /boot/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.EFI

reboot and disable MacOS's System Integrity Protection

- reboot, holding cmd+r
- Utilities > Terminal
- execute: csrutil disable  # disable system integrity protection

Reboot into MacOS now, and bless the bootloader

# first mount your efi partition
sudo mkdir /Volumes/esp
sudo mount -t msdos /dev/disk0s1 /Volumes/esp

# then bless the new boot loader
sudo bless --mount /Volumes/esp --setBoot --file /Volumes/esp/EFI/BOOT/bootx64.efi

Reboot, and verify that it worked

lspci -s 00:02.0 # should list intel card

List currently active GPU

pacman -S mesa-utils
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

Install latest gpu-switch

# there is an AUR package, but it is very out of date
#
# this is a friendly little shellscript, can change if needed.

curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/0xbb/gpu-switch/master/gpu-switch > gpu-switch
chmod +x gpu-switch
sudo chown root:root gpu-switch
sudo mv gpu-switch /usr/bin/

Since efivars is mounted as read-only, you'll need to boot from arch-iso and run the following

sudo gpu-switch -i  # next boot uses integrated graphics
sudo gpu-switch -d  # next boot uses dedicated graphics

Reboot, and confirm intel is being used for GPU.

glxinfo | grep "OpenGL renderer"

# you should see something like:
# OpenGL renderer string: Mesa Intel(R) UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2)

Hybrid Graphics and Display Brightness

NOTE:

xbacklight will try to use /sys/class/backlight/intel_backlight/brightness which won't work.

The brightness will be set to max on boot by apple_set_os-loader.

# set actual brightness
echo 50 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

# artificially dim brightness
xorg --display eDP1 --brightness 0.5

If you'd like tools like xbacklight to work, you'll need to configure the backlight dir to use.

# /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-backlight.conf

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Card0"
        Driver "intel"
        BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
        Option "Backlight" "acpi_video0"  # <-- /sys/class/backlight/${DIRNAME}
EndSection

Hybrid Graphics and Suspend/Resume

After resuming from suspend, your laptop will reconnect to the dedicated-GPU.
The brightness will be broken, and your EFIVARS will be reset to boot to the dedicated-GPU rather than the integrated-GPU.
To fix, you'll need to reboot into archiso, and re-run gpu-switch -i.

To avoid overheating issues, you should disable suspend/hibernation.

# /etc/systemd/sleep.conf

[Sleep]
AllowSuspend=no
AllowHibernation=no
AllowSuspendThenHibernate=no
AllowHybridSleep=no

Display Scaling

NOTE:

This setup isn't ideal. WM still tiny, terminal defaults to tiny.

; ~/.Xresources

; multiples of 96
; 96 == 100%
; 192 == 200%
Xft.dpi: 144
# ~/.xinitrc
xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources
# /etc/environment
# ~/.pam_environment

QT_SCALE_FACTOR=1.5
GTK_DPI_SCALE=1.5

# NOTE: if using Xft.dpi and QT_SCALE_FACTOR
#       gtk apps may get double-scaled.
#       no solution yet

Heat/Power Optimization

TODO:

I should really write a monitor that combines:

  • cpu frequence and temperature
  • gpu in use, frequency, temperature

Even with igpu, 800MHz cpu, TLP, thermald, I still occasionally hit 60*C with non-intensive work. what's going on?

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" "0.005"
  Option "MinSpeed" "1"
  Option "MaxSpeed" "2"

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

Keyboard

TODO:

perhaps a better keymap so XF86MonBrightnessUp is fired? Seems to be a different event by default
/sys/class/backlight has no entry for the intel gpu display.

# set keyboard backlight to max brightness (persists across reboots)
echo 60 > /sys/class/leds/apple::kbd_backlight/brightness

Touchbar/Function Keys

curl -X0 https://wiki.t2linux.org/tools/touchbar.sh
sudo bash touchbar.sh
sudo touchbar  # choose 2 to default to F1-F12

Proper reloading on suspend/resume

curl -#O https://wiki.t2linux.org/tools/rmmod_tb.sh
sudo chmod 755 rmmod_tb.sh
sudo chown root:root rmmod_tb.sh
sudo mv rmmod_tb.sh /lib/systemd/system-sleep

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

See https://gist.github.com/kevineinarsson/8e5e92664f97508277fefef1b8015fba#file-daemon-conf-L2

pacman -S pulseaudio pulseaudio-alsa

/usr/lib/udev/rules.d//91-pulseaudio-custom.rules

# /usr/lib/udev/rules.d//91-pulseaudio-custom.rules

SUBSYSTEM!="sound", GOTO="pulseaudio_end"
ACTION!="change", GOTO="pulseaudio_end"
KERNEL!="card*", GOTO="pulseaudio_end"

SUBSYSTEMS=="pci", ATTRS{vendor}=="0x106b", ATTRS{device}=="0x1803", ENV{PULSE_PROFILE_SET}="apple-t2.conf"

LABEL="pulseaudio_end"

/usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/profile-sets/apple-t2.conf

# /usr/share/pulseaudio/alsa-mixer/profile-sets/apple-t2.conf
[General]
auto-profiles = no

[Mapping builtin-speaker]
description = Built-in Speaker
device-strings = front:%f
paths-output = builtin-speaker-output
channel-map = front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe
priority = 100
direction = output

[Mapping builtin-mic]
description = Built-in Mic
device-strings = front:%f
paths-output = builtin-mic-input
channel-map = left,center,right
priority = 100
direction = input

[Mapping codec-output]
description = Headphone
device-strings = front:%f,1
paths-output = codec-output
channel-map = left,right
priority = 100
direction = output

[Mapping codec-input]
description = Headphone Mic
device-strings = front:%f,1
paths-output = codec-input
channel-map = mono
priority = 100
direction = input

[Profile output:builtin-speaker+input:builtin-mic]
description = Built-in Speaker + Built-in Mic
output-mappings = builtin-speaker
input-mappings = builtin-mic
skip-probe = yes

[Profile output:codec-output+input:builtin-mic]
description = Headphones + Built-in Mic
output-mappings = codec-output
input-mappings = builtin-mic

[Profile output:codec-output+input:codec-input]
description = Headphones + External Mic
output-mappings = codec-output
input-mappings = codec-input

[Profile output:builtin-speaker+input:codec-input]
description = Built-in Speaker + External Mic
output-mappings = builtin-speaker
input-mappings = codec-input

/usr/share/alsa/cards/AppleT2.conf

# /usr/share/alsa/cards/AppleT2.conf
<confdir:pcm/front.conf>

AppleT2.pcm.default {
	@args [ CARD ]
	@args.CARD {
		type string
	}
	type asym
	playback.pcm {
		type plug
		ttable {
			0.0= 1
			1.3= 1
			2.1= 1
			3.4= 1
			4.0= 1
			5.5= 1
		}
		slave {
			pcm {
				type hw
				card $CARD
				device 0
			}
			channels 6
		}
	}
	capture.pcm {
		type plug
		slave.pcm {
			type hw
			card $CARD
			device 1
		}
	}
	hint.device_output 0
	hint.device_input 1
}

AppleT2.pcm.front.0 {
	@args [ CARD ]
	@args.CARD {
		type string
	}
	type asym
	playback.pcm {
		type plug
		ttable {
			0.0= 1
			1.3= 1
			2.1= 1
			3.4= 1
			4.0= 1
			5.5= 1
		}
		slave {
			pcm {
				type hw
				card $CARD
				device 0
			}
			channels 6
		}
	}
	capture.pcm {
		type plug
		slave.pcm {
			type hw
			card $CARD
			device 1
		}
	}
	hint.device_output 0
	hint.device_input 1
}
AppleT2.pcm.front.1 {
	@args [ CARD ]
	@args.CARD {
		type string
	}
	type asym
	playback.pcm {
		type hw
		card $CARD
		device 2
	}
	capture.pcm {
		type hw
		card $CARD
		device 3
	}
	hint.device_output 2
	hint.device_input 3
}
AppleT2.pcm.front.2 {
	@args [ CARD ]
	@args.CARD {
		type string
	}
	type hw
	card $CARD
	device 4
}

~/.config/pulse/daemon.conf

# ~/.config/pulse/daemon.conf
#
# This file is part of PulseAudio.
#
# PulseAudio is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# PulseAudio is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
# General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
# along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

## Configuration file for the PulseAudio daemon. See pulse-daemon.conf(5) for
## more information. Default values are commented out.  Use either ; or # for
## commenting.

daemonize = no
; fail = yes
; allow-module-loading = yes
; allow-exit = yes
; use-pid-file = yes
; system-instance = no
; local-server-type = user
; enable-shm = yes
; enable-memfd = yes
; shm-size-bytes = 0 # setting this 0 will use the system-default, usually 64 MiB
; lock-memory = no
; cpu-limit = no

; high-priority = yes
; nice-level = -11

; realtime-scheduling = yes
; realtime-priority = 5

; exit-idle-time = 20
; scache-idle-time = 20

; dl-search-path = (depends on architecture)

; load-default-script-file = yes
; default-script-file = /etc/pulse/default.pa

; log-target = auto
; log-level = notice
; log-meta = no
; log-time = no
; log-backtrace = 0

; resample-method = speex-float-1
; avoid-resampling = false
; enable-remixing = yes
; remixing-use-all-sink-channels = yes
enable-lfe-remixing = yes
; lfe-crossover-freq = 0

flat-volumes = no
; flat-volumes = yes

; rlimit-fsize = -1
; rlimit-data = -1
; rlimit-stack = -1
; rlimit-core = -1
; rlimit-as = -1
; rlimit-rss = -1
; rlimit-nproc = -1
; rlimit-nofile = 256
; rlimit-memlock = -1
; rlimit-locks = -1
; rlimit-sigpending = -1
; rlimit-msgqueue = -1
; rlimit-nice = 31
; rlimit-rtprio = 9
; rlimit-rttime = 200000

; default-sample-format = s16le
; default-sample-rate = 44100
; alternate-sample-rate = 48000
; default-sample-channels = 2
; default-channel-map = front-left,front-right
default-sample-channels = 6
; default-fragments = 4
; default-fragment-size-msec = 25

; enable-deferred-volume = yes
; deferred-volume-safety-margin-usec = 8000
; deferred-volume-extra-delay-usec = 0

~/.config/pulse/default.pa

# ~/.config/pulse/default.pa
#
#!/usr/bin/pulseaudio -nF
#
# This file is part of PulseAudio.
#
# PulseAudio is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
# under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# PulseAudio is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
# General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
# along with PulseAudio; if not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.

# This startup script is used only if PulseAudio is started per-user
# (i.e. not in system mode)

.fail

### Automatically restore the volume of streams and devices
load-module module-device-restore
load-module module-stream-restore
load-module module-card-restore

### Automatically augment property information from .desktop files
### stored in /usr/share/application
load-module module-augment-properties

### Should be after module-*-restore but before module-*-detect
load-module module-switch-on-port-available

### Load audio drivers statically
### (it's probably better to not load these drivers manually, but instead
### use module-udev-detect -- see below -- for doing this automatically)
#load-module module-alsa-sink
#load-module module-alsa-source device=hw:1,0
#load-module module-oss device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-oss-mmap device="/dev/dsp" sink_name=output source_name=input
#load-module module-null-sink
#load-module module-pipe-sink

### Automatically load driver modules depending on the hardware available
.ifexists module-udev-detect.so
load-module module-udev-detect
.else
### Use the static hardware detection module (for systems that lack udev support)
load-module module-detect
.endif

### Automatically connect sink and source if JACK server is present
.ifexists module-jackdbus-detect.so
.nofail
load-module module-jackdbus-detect channels=2
.fail
.endif

### Automatically load driver modules for Bluetooth hardware
.ifexists module-bluetooth-policy.so
load-module module-bluetooth-policy
.endif

.ifexists module-bluetooth-discover.so
load-module module-bluetooth-discover
.endif

### Load several protocols
load-module module-dbus-protocol
.ifexists module-esound-protocol-unix.so
load-module module-esound-protocol-unix
.endif
load-module module-native-protocol-unix

### Network access (may be configured with paprefs, so leave this commented
### here if you plan to use paprefs)
#load-module module-esound-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-native-protocol-tcp
#load-module module-zeroconf-publish

### Load the RTP receiver module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-rtp-recv

### Load the RTP sender module (also configured via paprefs, see above)
#load-module module-null-sink sink_name=rtp format=s16be channels=2 rate=44100 sink_properties="device.description='RTP Multicast Sink'"
#load-module module-rtp-send source=rtp.monitor

### Load additional modules from GSettings. This can be configured with the paprefs tool.
### Please keep in mind that the modules configured by paprefs might conflict with manually
### loaded modules.
.ifexists module-gsettings.so
.nofail
load-module module-gsettings
.fail
.endif


### Automatically restore the default sink/source when changed by the user
### during runtime
### NOTE: This should be loaded as early as possible so that subsequent modules
### that look up the default sink/source get the right value
load-module module-default-device-restore

### Automatically move streams to the default sink if the sink they are
### connected to dies, similar for sources
load-module module-rescue-streams

### Make sure we always have a sink around, even if it is a null sink.
load-module module-always-sink

### Honour intended role device property
load-module module-intended-roles

### Automatically suspend sinks/sources that become idle for too long
load-module module-suspend-on-idle

### If autoexit on idle is enabled we want to make sure we only quit
### when no local session needs us anymore.
.ifexists module-console-kit.so
load-module module-console-kit
.endif
.ifexists module-systemd-login.so
load-module module-systemd-login
.endif

### Enable positioned event sounds
load-module module-position-event-sounds

### Cork music/video streams when a phone stream is active
load-module module-role-cork

### Modules to allow autoloading of filters (such as echo cancellation)
### on demand. module-filter-heuristics tries to determine what filters
### make sense, and module-filter-apply does the heavy-lifting of
### loading modules and rerouting streams.
load-module module-filter-heuristics
load-module module-filter-apply

### Make some devices default
#set-default-sink output
#set-default-source input
load-module module-combine-sink channels=6 channel_map=front-left,front-right,rear-left,rear-right,front-center,lfe