Linux on a Macbook
This page is a work in progress
I've been using Linux on a 2.1 Macbook for a few years so I've managed to get it setup just how I like it.
iSight
To get the built-in iSight webcam working:
Download the AppleUSBVideoSupport firmware. Then:
$ sudo apt-get install isight-firmware
When promted, enter the location of the downloaded file. After a reboot, your webcam should now be working.
Keymap
Any Desktop Environment
By default, the default keyboard is a little bit off for a Macbook. The following file makes the ⌘ key act as Ctrl (like it does in Mac OS) and the Ctrl works as a Win key. It fixes the problems with the ~ key being incorrect, and maps the # symbol which is otherwise missing to the key above the tab.
Download my Xmodmap file and rename it to ~/.Xmodmap - don't forget the period at the start of the filename and place it in your home directory.
If you're using Gnome or KDE, this should get loaded automatically, but if not, executing xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap will manually remap.
Gnome
If you want a graphical way ot achieving the same thing, or you are running Ubuntu Lucid Lynx (which suffers from bug 524774):
- Go to System > Preferences > Keyboard
- Add a new layout, choose your country
- Choose the Apple variant underneath that
- Click options and change the alt/win behaviour to:
The only thing that remains incorrect after this is the tilde key (right of the left shift key) which can be solved using just the last two lines of the Xmodmap file above.
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