What have you done with an early Intel recently?

[ToniCH]

The Linux Mint supports StarTech USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter in the MBP 2010 17" I've used this in my old Lenovo and decided to try it in the MBP.

I used an old Intel SSD and a cheap SATA to USB 3.0 adapter for testing. Did a simple benchmark with Mints inbuilt software. Here are the benchmark results.

This ExpressCard adapter doesn't seem to work in Monterey.

 

[DCBassman]

OK, here's a thing.
Have been playing with Linux on the two Macbooks, with very different results.
2007 Macbook 2,1 :- will accept and run well any 32-bit distro I throw at it. Settled on MX for the moment.
2011 MBP 8,2 :- will not even boot Antix or MX, no matter what I do. This is really annoying, because MX is a candidate for all my machines once Windows 10 is declared dead. I've formatted the flash drive using both Rufus and Balelna Etcher, tried both MBR and GPT formatting, to no avail. The installer boots fine on the 2011 iMac, either GPT or MBR. What is it about the damned MBP that stops it doing this? It will boot and install Mint, for example, just fine.
Answers on a postcard...

The answer turned out to be this:
On the Welcome screen, ensure the top entry is selected.
Press E and edit the line containing quiet splash splasht, putting nomodeset right after that statement.
Press F10 to continue boot.

Many thanks to the MX Linux forum for great response.

 

[ToniCH]

On the Welcome screen, ensure the top entry is selected.

Is this like GRUB -boot menu or something else?

 

[Tratkazir_the_1st]

Got Mojave a bit unbootable on A1342. Installed Monterey with OCLP (built clean USB flash on my cMP). Seems Monterey is a bit too heavy for Intel C2D (+8 GB RAM) . Started to think about latest natively supporting High Siera + SnowLeo + Debian (or Devuan). (DVD drive replaced with caddy & SSD in it).

 

[Amethyst1]

The Linux Mint supports StarTech USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter in the MBP 2010 17"

What chipset does it use (lspci)?

 

[ToniCH]

What chipset does it use (lspci)?

I kind a think its the NEC one in the bottom?

Behaviour in Monterey:
- small symbol appears in the top menu bar, says USB-controller and has something like "shutdown card" selectable
- nothing in the system profiler
- no drives are mounted or visible in drive utility

So, its kind of exists to the system but doesn't work as such.

 

[DCBassman]

Is this like GRUB -boot menu or something else?

Yes, I think so.

 

[rocknrotty]

What have I done with an early intel recently?

Just completed Thermal Repaste on 3- mid 2012 2.9Ghz i7's 2 running Mojave and 1 running Sonoma 14.3 via OLCP all 16G x 1600 ram 2 with 500G SSD's in internal HD bay and 1T SSD's in CD bay. The one on Sonoma has 1 2T HD with 2 partitions 1T each Superdrive still in. All running very cool now but the Sonoma is running the coolest which is interesting as it is also running a 32" monitor.

Onto my Macbookpro 1.1 going to install new keyboard as it had some liquid damage to keyboard and the bottom left keys are not working. I think i will try a new larger SSD drive. Should be fun

 

[DCBassman]

Following on from my shenanigans with 'nomodeset' and MX Linux, I was wondering if this would give a working Linux machine on a 2011 with a duff Radeon? If so, there's one going very cheap nearby!

 

[TheShortTimer]

Following on from my shenanigans with 'nomodeset' and MX Linux, I was wondering if this would give a working Linux machine on a 2011 with a duff Radeon? If so, there's one going very cheap nearby!

How cheap? £50 or less?

 

[DCBassman]

How cheap? £50 or less?

30

 

[ToniCH]

DCB, have you actually disabled a broken GPU on a 2011 MBP before? In MacOs or Linux? I have and I must say its funfunfun! And every now and again you need to do it again and again as when the machine is resetted or updated the mod might also be resetted. And sometimes its very difficult to access the correct screens to do the thing. Dosdudes hardware mod is probably much better way to do it but I guess its also more difficult.

I got tired in doing it so I retired the problematic machine and used a hundred euros or so to buy a 2012 which has no built in problems.

30

Well, not a bad price but for a reason. If it has the highres antiglare screen and your other one doesn't then the screen alone is really worth the money.

 

[TheShortTimer]

30

Hmmm ok. Go for it!

Well, not a bad price but for a reason. If it has the highres antiglare screen and your other one doesn't then the screen alone is really worth the money.

Agreed.

 

[ToniCH]

...I went and browsed the local classifieds, spotted a nice m2010 17" MBP and pulled the trigger...oh no!

Seems like a very clean machine, max RAM, SSD, charger etc. The CPU is a mystery, I could not determine it for sure even with the serial #, in mid 2010 lineup there are a i5 and couple of i7's. As I already have an i5 I am hoping it would be one of the i7 variations. The PO could not install a new OS to it after wiping it clean so he cannot check for sure. Let's see if I have a better luck.

My new MBP 17" mid 2010 arrived today. The machine is indeed like in new condition, very nice! And its the i7 2.8GHz model, which was a very pleasant surprise! It has a 500GB Samsung SSD -drive, max RAM etc. Even the 85W PSU looks like new. And the original battery has 69 cycles!

First thing I booted it with my external installation drive and it auto booted to High Sierra. Everything seems fine. So, next I commenced installing Monterey. And now while I write this its done!

I suspect PO's problems in installing new OS to it was due the aftermarket drive which does not have the recovery partition and that might cause problems when trying to do an internet recovery.

 

[TheShortTimer]

My new MBP 17" mid 2010 arrived today. The machine is indeed like in new condition, very nice! And its the i7 2.8GHz model, which was a very pleasant surprise! It has a 500GB Samsung SSD -drive, max RAM etc. Even the 85W PSU looks like new. And the original battery has 69 cycles!

First thing I booted it with my external installation drive and it auto booted to High Sierra. Everything seems fine. So, next I commenced installing Monterey. And now while I write this its done!

Congrats!

I suspect PO's problems in installing new OS to it was due the aftermarket drive which does not have the recovery partition and that might cause problems when trying to do an internet recovery.

I picked up a 4GB 2011 MBA in similar circumstances. An Apple store would've put the PO in the right direction but ah well. You've gained a new machine.

What will you use it for?

 

[ToniCH]

What will you use it for?

I don't have any particular use cases for each of my laptops. Most of them have lots of relevant to me stuff installed and can thus be used for most of my needs. So, it'll go into my arsenal of laptops which I choose a suitable one for each situation.

I prefer larger screens so I've been mostly using the 15"s but now I feel this one might be the 17" I might enjoy using. Its not a rocket though (2 core early i7) but I plan to run Linuxes as I will gain some power that way.

Maybe it would make a nice machine to run security stuff like Wireshark etc. I like to tinker and learn with as a hobby. Bigger screen is a plus for that kind of stuff with lots of details to track on screen. Probably will install Kali/Kali Purple on it. I now run them in VM in my 2014 MBP.

 

[DCBassman]

Oh dear, think my MBP has just died. Boot a High Sierra installer, clean drive, and instead of the install menu, just a plain white screen. Cleared PRAM, no difference. Can boot to a MX Linux live session using trick I learned the other day, but that's it. Bummer. Has the GPU finally died?

 

[DCBassman]

MBP: MX installed and runs ok, will poke around and see if it can tell me anything.

 

[ToniCH]

Has the GPU finally died?

When it dies you don't see a white screen or black screen, you will see a screen full with horizontal stripes - or some other very noticeable malfunction. But, I think the horizontal striping is the most common symptom.

And the problem is not MacOS specific, it's a mechanical fault. You will also see it in Linux.

Ps. High Sierra installations can sometimes be problematic.

 

[DCBassman]

When it dies you don't see a white screen or black screen, you will see a screen full with horizontal stripes - or some other very noticeable malfunction. But, I think the horizontal striping is the most common symptom.

And the problem is not MacOS specific, it's a mechanical fault. You will also see it in Linux.

In thsat case, I've managed to do something else horrible to it. Rats. MX runs fine, so there's that...

 

[ToniCH]

In thsat case, I've managed to do something else horrible to it. Rats. MX runs fine, so there's that...

Not necessarily, some MacOS -versions are more problematic to clean install than others. el Capitan and High Sierra come to mind. People have had lots of problems trying to install them. For some reason I've had good success with them so I don't really know what is the cause, other than with el Capitan it had something to do with system date which needed to be set back to some specific year or something.

 

[DCBassman]

Not necessarily, some MacOS -versions are more problematic to clean install than others. el Capitan and High Sierra come to mind. People have had lots of problems trying to install them. For some reason I've had good success with them so I don't really know what is the cause, other than with el Capitan it had something to do with system date which needed to be set back to some specific year or something.

Now, I've never, before today, had any problems with either ElCap or HS. I think my next step is to whip the bottom off, disconnect the battery, and press the power button for 20 seconds or so. Then reconnect and try again. Must be something both obscure and simple, else MX would also not work, I'm thinking.

 

[DCBassman]

Nope, zilch.

 

[DCBassman]

On the other hand, MX now has brightness and keyboard lights where it didn't the first time I tried.

 

[DCBassman]

Following on from my shenanigans with 'nomodeset' and MX Linux, I was wondering if this would give a working Linux machine on a 2011 with a duff Radeon? If so, there's one going very cheap nearby!

More details: Late 2011, 2.4GHz i7, 8GB, 1TB, unsure about resolution. Screen has a white bezel. The RAM fitted is DDR3L-1333, which I didn't think would work in this, but apparently this one has done OK with it. Will hopefully pick up tomorrow evening.