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Mint Debian is so much better on the old mac than Mint Ubuntu (discuss.online)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by sureshot0@discuss.online to c/linux@lemmy.world
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I've got a Macbook Pro A1707

I put Mint Ubuntu on it, had some issues but it was fine. Flashed Mint Debian as an experiment and it's a lot better, even though it has a lot of the same problems and I can't get the speaker to start... I still have to adjust the txpower every single time I boot up in order to start the wifi, but the biggest difference is the fan driver.

For some reason on Mint Ubuntu it was more difficult to control when the fan came on and how sensitively it reacted to sensing heat, not really an issue on Mint Debian, it will kick on for any length of time once it senses heat, I can more easily adjust the fans manually as well.

I don't know if I'd get much money for it if I sold so I'm just trying to use it until it falls apart. I'll figure out the speakers eventually, I guess. This time it isn't the speakers, it's something else, on Mint Ubuntu the speakers just didn't work until I installed the drivers... on Mint Debian the speakers work but only display sounds from booting up or other computing actions, can't play sound from music files or video, can't even plug in headphones. When the speakers on Mint Ubuntu didn't work before I installed the driver, I could listen with my headphones only. Weird.

Anyway just sharing this experience. The command to adjust the txpower appropraitely is

sudo iwconfig [yours] txpower 10

edit: edited for typos

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[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I’d be tempted to compile myself a very simple C program

I was tempted too. That's why I did that, and bricked my laptop, and had to do a fresh install.

As to where on the system I’d put it, /usr/local/sbin is probably the best choice.

It wasn't the best choice.

Where/when in the startup... the GUI’s Startup Applications

Not there.

If I was really curious

I am no longer curious. I can just type this command every time, no big deal. As for the computer, it's fine for light development work and surfing the net, as long as I don't need sound. I might use it for torrenting, it works for that OK.

For the sake of this comment I had a quick dig around and didn’t find anything obvious on my own machine, but then, this isn’t a Mac nor do I use wireless, which might be hampering my efforts.

Mac is notoriously difficult to install Linux on, even if it's Linux Mint. Not sure what I did wrong, but other people have the same model and I've seen them get everything to work including the touch bar. I wish they'd share their documentation.

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

[Many problems]

Well shoot. Now I want to know why that didn't work. But I don't fancy having to work my system back to useable if it refuses to boot.

[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 3 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I mean, it booted… into a black screen

[–] palordrolap@fedia.io 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Seems like removing the file from /home/YOURUSER/.config/autostart/ ought to have undone the problem. Booting from external media of course, so as to be able to get to it, which you have to do anyway to reinstall.

I realise this is long after the fact.

Having something just sitting there in /usr/local/sbin shouldn't have any effect at all, so I can't imagine that was the issue, so calling it must be.

And the only thing I can think of is if there was a permissions problem and Cinnamon choked because the exec-er refused to run.

[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 2 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah a permissions problem causing an error is a likely culprit, when I try again I will take more detailed notes and actually put them in a safe place

[–] ClassyHatter@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Is it T2 Mac? Did you use T2Linux?

[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

No, it is not a T2 Mac and I didn’t use T2 Linux. However I am thinking of trying t2 just to see if it works better for some reason

[–] ClassyHatter@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

At least check the T2Linux wiki. On T2 Macs, certain modules needs to be loaded in specific order for the TouchBar to work. https://wiki.t2linux.org/guides/postinstall/

[–] sureshot0@discuss.online 1 points 2 weeks ago

yes this is my next try, I'm just burnt out on it for now

[–] lka1988@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

T2 started in 2018. The A1706/7 were only 2016-2017.