How To: Install opensuse 11.2 on a mid 2009 Macbook Pro

[koen_dewitte]

Hi,

Quick HowTo that helps to install opensuse 11.2 final on a MacbookPro5,3.
This is a mid 2009 machine that did not have full linux support when it was launched.
Now, just a few months later, everything works and I just wanted to share the information...(how very community-minded about me )

General

Default Installation from Opensuse x86_64 DVD.
Choose KDE as window Manager
The kernel installed is default-desktop
During the first part of the installation, the touchpad does not work so use an external mouse!

Wireless Support

The b43-driver does not support the bcm4322 card in the machine.

Switch to broadcom driver and blacklist b43 and ssb

add "packman" repository from the community repositories
install package "broadcom-wl-kmp-desktop"
edit /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf and add
blacklist b43
blacklist ssb
rmmod b43
rmmod ssb
modprobe wl
rcnetwork restart


Audio

Works out of the box but you have to unmute the front speakers channel
Click on the speaker in the taskbar and choose mixer.
Go to settings, configure channels
Activate the Front Speaker channel and unmute it
Done...

NVidia

Add the NVIDIA repository. ftp://download.nvidia.com/opensuse/11.2/
install x11-video-NVIDIAG02 (will normally be automatically selected...)
logout and login

Pommed

This package is necessary for keyboard and screen brightness hotkey support.
You need at least version 1.28 for the MBP5,3
I installed http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...8.1.x86_64.rpm
make sure it starts every time "chkconfig pommed on"
in /etc/pommed.conf set the option fnmode=2 (I prefer to use the function keys as default and the hotkeys with the fn-key)

Synaptics Touchpad

install http://download.opensuse.org/reposit...1.2.x86_64.rpm
Configure the dual finger scrolling in KDE control panel - touchpad
You can also disable the tapping functionality there so that typing goes better.

Works out of the box:
SD Card Reader
Webcam (install cheese)
Wired NIC
Keyboard
But you need to set the keyboard type to Macbook Pro (and in my case, the language to French) to get the Belgian keyboard layout working.
Do this in the "Regional and Language" options, Keyboard Layout
/etc/sysconfig set hardware-keyboard to mac-fr

After this step, all the hardware is configured.
Suspend to disk, RAM should also work.

[Wilson_Phillips]

Thank you for taking the time to do this "How To."