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How to install Debian/Linux on a MacBook 6-1 Unibody White (13-inch, Late 2009)

MacBook 6-1 Unibody White (13-inch, Late 2009)

• CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo 2.26 Ghz CPU

• Video card NVIDIA ?GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of SDRAM shared with main memory

• Screen size 13"
  

• Wireless card Broadcom BCM4360
• Disk 256 Gb Serial ATA (5400 RPM) hard drive
• Ram 2x 2048MB SODIMM 1600MHz
• Wi-fi controller Broadcom Corporation BCM43224 802.11a/b/g/n (rev 01)
• Ethernet controller NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Ethernet (rev b1)
• USB 2.0 ports (2x)
• Audio in/out port NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)

• Mini ?DisplayPort that supports an external display at 2560x1600

Overall Status

Legend :
= OK ; Unsupported(No Driver) ; = Error (Couldn't get it working); [?] Unknown, Not Test ; [-] Not-applicable
= Configuration Required; = Only works with a non-free driver and or firmware

Important Note

Installation was done with a Debian Jessie netinst usb key. Internet connection was provided initially using ethernet port. The wireless card was configured providing a third part driver during the installation step.

Configuration

CPU

• Architecture: x86_64
• CPU op-mode(s): 32-bit, 64-bit
• Byte Order: Little Endian
• CPU(s): 2
• On-line CPU(s) list: 0,1
• Thread(s) per core: 1
• Core(s) per socket: 2
• Socket(s): 1
• NUMA node(s): 1

• Vendor ID: ?GenuineIntel

• CPU family: 6
• Model: 23
• Model name: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU P7550 @ 2.26GHz
• Stepping: 10
• CPU MHz: 2128.000
• CPU max MHz: 2261,0000
• CPU min MHz: 798,0000
• BogoMIPS: 4510.45
• Virtualization: VT-x
• L1d cache: 32K
• L1i cache: 32K
• L2 cache: 3072K
• NUMA node0 CPU(s): 0,1

Display

From Apple site:

13.3" widescreen TFT active-matrix LED-backlit "glossy" display (1280x800 native resolution)

Supported resolutions:

1280 by 800 (native), 1024 by 768, 800 by 600 pixels, 640 by 480 pixels, 720 by 400 pixels, 640 by 400 pixels and 640 by 350 pixels

Graphics: NVIDIA ?GeForce 9400M with 256 MB of SDRAM

Section "Device"
        Identifier "NVIDIA Corporation C79 [GeForce 9400M]"
        Driver "NVIDIA"
EndSection

Audio

• Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)

Speakers and headphones work perfectly with debian jessie, but you have to disable 'auto mute' from all the channels (S-PDIF too) with alsa mixer

alsamixer

Mouse

Trackpad works with the multitouch features

• one-finger-tap corresponds to left mouse button
• two-finter-tap corresponds to right mouse button
• two-finger drag corresponds to vertical scroll
• No three-finger drag.
• Tap-to-drag functionality.

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

Power Management

WiFi

Keyboard

System Summary

lspci

00:00.0 Host bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Host Bridge (rev b1)
00:00.1 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.0 ISA bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 LPC Bridge (rev b3)
00:03.1 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.2 SMBus: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 SMBus (rev b1)
00:03.3 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.4 RAM memory: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Memory Controller (rev b1)
00:03.5 Co-processor: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Co-processor (rev b1)
00:04.0 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)
00:04.1 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)
00:06.0 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 OHCI USB 1.1 Controller (rev b1)
00:06.1 USB controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 EHCI USB 2.0 Controller (rev b1)
00:08.0 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 High Definition Audio (rev b1)
00:09.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 PCI Bridge (rev b1)
00:0a.0 Ethernet controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 Ethernet (rev b1)
00:0b.0 SATA controller: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 AHCI Controller (rev b1)
00:10.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)
00:15.0 PCI bridge: NVIDIA Corporation MCP79 PCI Express Bridge (rev b1)
02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation C79 [GeForce 9400M] (rev b1)
03:00.0 Network controller: Broadcom Corporation BCM43224 802.11a/b/g/n (rev 01)

lsusb

lsusb -v | grep -E '\<(Bus|iProduct|bDeviceClass|bDeviceProtocol)' 2>/dev/null

Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 004 Device 005: ID 05ac:8218 Apple, Inc. Bluetooth Host Controller
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 0a5c:4500 Broadcom Corp. BCM2046B1 USB 2.0 Hub (part of BCM2046 Bluetooth)
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 05ac:8507 Apple, Inc. Built-in iSight
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 05ac:0237 Apple, Inc. Internal Keyboard/Trackpad (ISO)
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

Resources

Attachments

Some configuration files and sample outputs.

Useful Links

Dual Boot Mac OS and Debian

Credits

CategoryDebianOn