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Yesterday, I ordered an Apple Macbook Air. (my experience with Macbook Air and Linux)

2008-01-26 04:59:52

Yesterday, I went to the closest Apple Store downtown and ordered a Macbook Air 1.8Ghz Core2 duo CPU, 2GB RAM, 64 SSD flash memory, Wifi, Bluetooth and a super drive (USB DVD burner).

Now I just have to wait for 3 weeks before I get the machine :)

This is the first time, I buy an apple computer, before Macbook Air, I was not interested in buying apple computers. I still think Mac OS X is not for me, I prefer linux which allow me to use my computer as I want (I want to use as less resources as possible on my machine and have the maximum CPU time when I compress videos to H264/AVC with mencoder).

LINUX on Macbook Air :

Im a long time linux user (Debian) and when I get my Macbook Air, I will boot Ubuntu from a live cd and install Debian on the drive.

I hope :

1 ------- The graphical adapter will work in X (I don't need OpenGL)

2 ------- The wifi network device will be detected and usable on wifi network at home

3 ------- USB will work

4 ------- Bluetooth will work

It would be perfect if 1,2,3,4 are all ok.

If Bluetooth does not work in linux, it would still be great, I can connect my mobile through the usb port.

If the USB port does not work, then I will have to keep Mac OS X on the disk, still ok.

If the network card or the graphical adapter don't work, then I have to use Mac OS X and I will install linux software in Mac OS X.

I'll get back when I have the machine, meanwhile I'll read slashdot :)

Posted: 2008161@773.35

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stranger

Update: I got my macbook air today and I will get the superdrive next week. So I will install Linux probably next week.

After starting up for the first time, I had 38GB of free space. Mac Os X must take around 26GB.

I got connected to my encrypted wireless network seconds after I entered the password.

The mouse worked instantly.

First post from Mac Os X :)

Posted: 2008161@817.65

stranger

Finder has found my samba server while I was looking for smbmount in the terminal :)

Posted: 2008161@839.58

stranger

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: MacBook Air

Model Identifier: MacBookAir1,1

Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 1.8 GHz

Number Of Processors: 1

Total Number Of Cores: 2

L2 Cache: 4 MB

Memory: 2 GB

Bus Speed: 800 MHz

ATA Bus:

MCCOE64GEMPP:

Capacity: 55.9 GB

Model: MCCOE64GEMPP

Revision: 2.9.09

Serial Number: SE807H0193

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

Protocol: ATA

Unit Number: 0

Socket Type: Internal

Low Power Polling: No

Mac OS 9 Drivers: No

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Volumes:

Macintosh HD:

Capacity: 55.45 GB

Available: 35.76 GB

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s2

Mount Point: /

It looks like 7.5 GB is missing on the SSD drive.

Intel High Definition Audio:

Device ID: 0x106B00A2

Audio ID: 52

Available Devices:

Speaker:

Connection: Internal

Headphone:

Connection: 1/8 inch Jack

Microphone:

Connection: Internal

Apple Bluetooth Software Version: 2.1.0f11

Hardware Settings:

r s MacBook Air:

Address: 00

Manufacturer: Broadcom

Firmware Version: 4.200 (4.8583)

Bluetooth Power: On

Discoverable: Yes

HCI Version: 4 ($4)

HCI Revision: 200 ($c8)

LMP Version: 4 ($4)

LMP Subversion: 8583 ($2187)

Device Type (Major): Computer

Device Type (Complete): Macintosh Portable

Composite Class Of Device: 3154188 ($30210c)

Device Class (Major): 1 ($1)

Device Class (Minor): 3 ($3)

Service Class: 385 ($181)

Requires Authentication: No

Services:

Bluetooth File Transfer:

Folder other devices can browse: ~/Public

Requires Authentication: Yes

State: Enabled

Bluetooth File Exchange:

Folder for accepted items: ~/Downloads

Requires Authentication: No

When other items are accepted: Ask

When PIM items are accepted: Ask

When receiving items: Prompt for each file

State: Enabled

Incoming Serial Ports:

Serial Port 1:

Name: Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

RFCOMM Channel: 3

Requires Authentication: No

Outgoing Serial Ports:

Serial Port 1:

Address:

Name: Bluetooth-Modem

RFCOMM Channel: 0

Requires Authentication: No

Intel GMA X3100:

Chipset Model: GMA X3100

Type: Display

Bus: Built-In

VRAM (Total): 144 MB

Vendor: Intel (0x8086)

Device ID: 0x2a02

Revision ID: 0x0003

Displays:

Color LCD:

Display Type: LCD

Resolution: 1280 x 800 @ 61 Hz

Depth: 32-bit Color

Built-In: Yes

Core Image: Hardware Accelerated

Main Display: Yes

Mirror: Off

Online: Yes

Quartz Extreme: Supported

Display Connector:

Status: No display connected

BANK 0/Built-In 0:

Size: 1 GB

Type: DDR2 SDRAM

Speed: 667 MHz

Status: OK

Manufacturer: 0x0000000000000000

Part Number: 0x000000000000000000000000000000000000

Serial Number: 0x00000000

System Power Settings:

AC Power:

System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Automatic Restart On Power Loss: No

Wake On AC Change: No

Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes

Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes

Battery Power:

System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10

Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 2

Wake On AC Change: No

Wake On Clamshell Open: Yes

Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes

Reduce Brightness: Yes

Hardware Configuration:

UPS Installed: No

AC Charger Information:

Connected: No

Charging: No

Battery Information:

Model Information:

Serial Number: SMP

Manufacturer: SMP

Device name: ASMB017

Pack Lot Code: 0000

PCB Lot Code: 0000

Firmware Version: 0009

Hardware Revision: 0401

Cell Revision: 0100

Charge Information:

Charge remaining (mAh): 4048

Fully charged: No

Charging: No

Full charge capacity (mAh): 4962

Health Information:

Cycle count: 2

Battery health: Good

Battery Installed: Yes

Amperage (mA): -1259

Voltage (mV): 7797

USB Bus:

Host Controller Location: Built In USB

Host Controller Driver: AppleUSBUHCI

PCI Device ID: 0x2834

PCI Revision ID: 0x0003

PCI Vendor ID: 0x8086

Bus Number: 0x1a

AirPort:

Type: AirPort

Hardware: AirPort

BSD Device Name: en0

IPv4 Addresses: 85.228.

IPv4:

Addresses: 85.228.

Configuration Method: DHCP

Interface Name: en0

NetworkSignature: IPv4.Router=85.228.;IPv4.RouterHardwareAddress=00:00:0c:07:ac:01

Router: 85.228.

Subnet Masks: 255.255.255.0

IPv6:

Configuration Method: Automatic

DNS:

Domain Name: bredbandsbolaget.se

Server Addresses: 195.54.122.199, 81.26.227.3, 195.54.122.204, 81.26.228.3

DHCP Server Responses:

Domain Name: bredbandsbolaget.se

Domain Name Servers: 195.54.122.199,81.26.227.3,195.54.122.204,81.26.228.3

Lease Duration (seconds): 0

DHCP Message Type: 0x05

Routers: 85.228.

Server Identifier: 172.21.

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

Proxies:

Exceptions List: *.local, 169.254/16

FTP Passive Mode: Yes

Ethernet:

MAC Address: 00

Media Options:

Media Subtype: Auto Select

AirPort Card Information:

Wireless Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x8B)

Wireless Card Locale: Worldwide

Wireless Card Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (4.170.46.3)

Current Wireless Network: 3Com

Wireless Channel: 11

Probably linux will work very well on this machine !

Posted: 2008162@892.40

stranger

This machine boots very fast ! Less than 10 seconds.

Posted: 2008163@409.67

stranger

Hardware information :

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/HardwareDrivers/Conceptual/MacBookAir_0801/Articles/ProductDeveloperNote.html

Posted: 2008163@546.87

stranger

I dont manage to connect to the internet using my mobile phone (sony ericsson w880) through either USB or bluetooth in Mac OS X.

Then I decided to install linux using remote disc. In Mac OS X, I can access the remote drive without problems. But nothing appears in the file list when I put the ubuntu cd.

At boot time, I press the option key to access the boot options. The machine connects to the wireless network, but it's not possible to boot on the ubuntu disc. I guess this system works only to install Mac OS X.

Posted: 2008164@913.87

stranger

vmware fusion experiment : I installed vmware fusion and downloaded my windows xp virtual machine that I run in Linux. When I try to start the vm, vmware fusion closes itself.

Conclusion : I cant run my xp vm on mac os x with vmware fusion. I guess I have to create a new one.

Posted: 2008166@551.01

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stranger

Samba in Mac os x finds my debian server pretty fast, but the shares get disconnected after a while, usually 1 hour, this happened also with windows 2000 (windows is worth because it takes 1 hour to even find the server).

The shares got disconnected while I was wachting a video. To avoid this problem, I copy the video on my mac book air using ftp or scp.

I tried some Apple applications : itunes, iCal, iphoto, garageband

I listened to a radio with itunes, I worked flawlessly.

iCal has what I expect from a calendar, it works like the calendar in my palm.

iphoto seems organize photo collections efficiently.

Garageband seems to be a good little tracker.

I did a software update and then didnt restart by itself, I has to push the power button and force it to turn off.

Now when I start, setup assitant is launched and runs as if I just installed the system. When I press DONE at the end, setup assistant restarts at the beginning. So the machine is not usable anymore, I cant get out of setup assistant.

I managed to crash the system in 2 days using apple software, Mac os x is not stable !

The only way to restore the system is to reinstall mac os x with remote disc or the superdrive.

Posted: 2008169@691.06

stranger

The solution to the setup assistant problem is there :

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306998

Mac OS X 10.5: Setup Assistant appears after every restart

If the Setup Assistant appears unexpectedly each time Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard starts up, and continues to appear even after completing all pages in the assistant, use these steps

1 - Start up with a Safe Boot. (press shift during boot sequence)

2 - When the login window appears, do not attempt to log in. Instead, click the Restart button located at the bottom of the login window and let the computer restart normally. (If the Restart button is not displayed, click the Back button, then click the Restart button.)

Another good trick to know : how to access a shell after boot in mac os x :

(this didnt solve the setup assistant problem)

Re: Leopard Setup Assistant upgrade NUKED my iMac

I had this problem as well. What I finally ended up doing was booting to the command line (hold down Cmd-S while booting), then doing the following:

1. Mounting the filesystem as writable so I could make changes. (run mount -a)

2. Removing ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Setup Assistant.plist

3. Typing exit to reboot.

4. Going through the Setup Assistant once more.

Posted: 2008185@437.58

stranger

I tried to boot linux on a USB pendrive without success. Macbook air cant boot from this kind of device.

Posted: 2008235@863.24

stranger

I got my superdrive and Im installing Ubuntu 8.04 AMD64 beta

There is an install on ubuntu community site :

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Macbook_Air

Posted: 2008235@883.42

stranger

Well, I tried to remove the Mac OS X partition and install ubuntu.

Bootcamp doesnt find the ubuntu partition and it doesn't boot.

I'm going to reinstall Mac OS X and create an ubuntu partition in bootcamp.

Posted: 2008240@589.69

stranger

Ubuntu hardy 8.04 amd64 is finally installed on my Macbook Air !

It works very well, points 1,2,3 are all ok, bluetooth seems to work but I havent tried it.

Great !

It took 3 hours to setup the system.

Posted: 2008271@920.09

stranger

I can burn DVDs with the superdrive in Linux using GnomeBaker !