# MacBook Pro Kernel .config please

## dkasak

Hi all.

I've installed on a new ( 2015 ) Macbook Pro - 15i. I'm currently only able to boot with the Sabayon kernel that came with the boot disk I used ( I installed Gentoo from scratch, not Sabayon ).

Anyway, something is very wrong with the kernels I've built. I'm building real-time kernels, by the way, for audo recording + production. It would be helpful to start with a 'known good' kernel .config ... which I'll use to build a 'stock' kernel, and then move onto a real-time kernel.

Does someone have such a .config they can upload somewhere?

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## asturm

Did you take a look at the wiki? https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Apple_Macbook_Pro_Retina

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## The Doctor

In addition, the app on this page may be helpful http://kernel-seeds.org/working.html I'm not sure how it will work for a mac, but it can't hurt to try.

The instructions are extremely helpful and should get you pointed in the right direction.

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## dkasak

 *genstorm wrote:*   

> Did you take a look at the wiki? https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Apple_Macbook_Pro_Retina

 

Yes I've been referring to this page.

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## dkasak

I'm still unable to get anything I build to boot  :Sad:  All kernels I try just hang on the 'refind' boot manager screen, saying:

```
Starting 4.1.2-gentoo

Using load options 'ro noapic root=/dev/sda4 init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd'
```

It's possible the kernel is being somewhat initialised, and is just unable to do anything with the display. Or it's possible it's not loading at all, for some unknown reason. Again, the Sabayon kernel boots fine, so there doesn't seem to be an issue with my refind configuration. I've tried renaming the kernel in the refind config, and refind does actually log the fact that the kernel can't be found in this case.

It's worth noting that I've been building kernels for Linux for about 20 years, so I'm certainly familiar with these kind of issues - and I'm pretty stubborn when I have to be. But this one has me stumped. Hence asking for a valid .config from someone who's built their own Macbook kernel ...

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## Roman_Gruber

do you intend to use gnome? just asking because i see systemd...

you may need an initramfs to boot your box. requirement for it depends on your setup and constraints on the software in question / userspace

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## dkasak

 *tw04l124 wrote:*   

> do you intend to use gnome? just asking because i see systemd...
> 
> you may need an initramfs to boot your box. requirement for it depends on your setup and constraints on the software in question / userspace

 

 :Smile:  No, but I do use Enlightenment, which also now depends on systemd. I *build* Gnome, for use during periods in which my Enlightenment installation is broken. I'm not a fan of systemd, but on the other hand, it's the least effort for me to use it at this point.

I've sorted my issues. It turns out you need to build SCSI disk support - which is totally non-obvious. I have a SATA SSD disk. Now my only remaining issue is no bluetooth. There's also no webcam, but that's a known issue. I can't figure out whether bluetooth is supposed to work or not. I'll post a kernel .config soon-ish so others can find it - and maybe add it to the gentoo/macbook wiki too ... once I figure out for sure I have everything working that's supposed to be working.

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## devsk

 *dkasak wrote:*   

> I'm still unable to get anything I build to boot  All kernels I try just hang on the 'refind' boot manager screen, saying:
> 
> ```
> Starting 4.1.2-gentoo
> 
> ...

 

I have a working gentoo install on a macbook and I run into this issue once in a while as well. If you retry the boot with a poweroff every time few times, it will boot up (barring you don't have any issues with rootfs on /dev/sda4).

I have a feeling that its a bug in the kernel stub EFI loader. I used to get almost 1 in 3 success rate with booting Linux. I recently enabled a kernel option earlyprintk=efi to see what goes on in early boot, it slowly prints those early printks. The boot is super slow, but the success rate of boot has increased tremendously. I think its some timing bug.

See if you are facing the same issue.

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