Linux running on a rMBP - questions to start off on

Discussion in 'Windows, Linux & Others on the Mac' started by maflynn, Feb 25, 2013.

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  1. maflynn, Feb 25, 2013

    maflynn Moderator

    maflynn

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    Boston
    #1
    I'm looking to jump back into Linux after a hiatus of a couple of years.

    What would be a good recommendation for a distro that works the best for my retina MBP within bootcamp particularly in relation to having the nVidia drivers working well.

    The last time I used Linux, there was no way to switch GPUs on the MBP so I was stuck using the discrete GPU, is this still the case?

    Fedora embraces the free and open source solutions and so don't include any proprietary software, including video drivers. The last time I used Fedora, it took a lot of work get the video drivers working. With the Retina Display/GPU I'm not sure if this a huge hurdle or not.

    Ubuntu is nice and it typically installs fairly easily but it tends to lock the OS down, i.e., su and sudo are not enabled - easy enough to fix but I don't like the move in principle. I'll load gnome on and replace Unity, any other thoughts on Ubuntu?

    Any other distro that works with with a rMBP?

    Another issue that may or may not be a problem is FileVault2, I have it enabled, should I remove it prior to running the Bootcamp assistant?

    Any concerns or issues I should be aware with rEFIt and grub? particularly on a rMBP that currently has FV2 running (see above note)
     
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  2. justperry, Feb 25, 2013

    justperry macrumors G3

    justperry

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    #2
    Bold:

    I have three partition, OS X, W7 and Linux, afaik Linux does not work with bootcamp, I can get into linux from choosing it from within OS X with Paragon Ext driver (In System Preferences) or selecting it from the boot manager with refit, even there I don't see the Linux Disk but if I click on the Windows disk Refit will then show a sub Menu with the Linux partition.

    I tried to enable FileVault 2 and I get an Error that it is not possible, most likely due to the Linux partition.
     
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  3. maflynn, Feb 25, 2013

    maflynn thread starter Moderator

    maflynn

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    Boston
    #3
    Thanks for the heads up, I was concerned that FV2 was incompatible with my attempts to load Linux.

    What flavor of Linux are you using?

    I was going to use bootcamp asst to partition the drive and then use gparted to fully vet out my installation of Linux. With rEFIt I think that should work - I hope.
     
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  4. justperry, Feb 25, 2013

    justperry macrumors G3

    justperry

    Joined:
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    #4
    Ubuntu, but an older one which I still had on my HD, as soon as I have better internet I will install the last version.
     
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  5. maflynn, Feb 25, 2013

    maflynn thread starter Moderator

    maflynn

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    Boston
    #5
    I'm testing out both Ubuntu and Fedora. I have Ubuntu running gnome, since I didn't care for Unit and so its looking a lot like Fedora at the moment :)
     
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  6. ShiggyMiyamoto, Mar 21, 2013

    ShiggyMiyamoto macrumors 6502a

    ShiggyMiyamoto

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2004
    Location:
    Just outside Boston, MA.
    #6
    I was thinking of posting a thread like this just now actually haha. I was actually thinking of installing more advanced and tweak-ish... along the lines of a Gentoo Linux-based system, more specifically the Funtoo fork that my media machine runs. Has anyone (since the last editorial back right after the rMBPs released, link here: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=apple_mbpr_linux&num=1) gotten other than Ubuntu/Fedora etc working well at ANY resolution, retina or not? I'd really like to play around with it and maybe for a while run it as my main OS if it's stable enough.

    Thanks in advance,
    ShiggyMiyamoto

    P.S. So there's no confusion, I don't have an rMBP yet, but I do plan on getting a 15" refurb once my tax return arrives, which should be in the next 60 or so days.
     
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  7. Shelltoe, Mar 21, 2013
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2013

    Shelltoe macrumors member

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    Dec 11, 2012
    #7
    I'd suggest Archlinux (or maybe Ubuntu if the patch made it into the latest release ... actually every distribution with Kernel 3.6 or above should work) in EFI Mode. Both support the HiDPI-LCD and Graphics Switching(!) out of the box.
     
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