[Linux Mint 8] MacBook 6,2 Hardware Woes

Alright peeps, here's the scoop.

The problem:

I have succesfully installed Linux Mint 8 to my MacBook, which is a late 09 unibody model (model name says MacBook6,2). I boot this in Boot Camp mode, which is a 'compatiblity' mode for Windows and other OSes.

Here's what happens.

Grub loads from the MBR (as Boot Camp works it's magic). I'm presented with a list of options. I select and boot Linux Mint 8. The LM logo starts fading in and out, tell me it's loading.

I log into my user account, and here's where the issues pop up.

1. Wifi wasn't working. I installed a restricted driver (requested by that restricted drivers popup thing), but after a few minutes idling, the OS segfaults, kills Xorg (!) and takes me to a prompt. I log in using the text prompt, and type 'startx'.

Xorg reloads, but the Macbook dies - It's frozen and CTRL+ALT+BKSPACE doesn't work. Dmesg while at the prompt says "CPU0: Oops!" and something along the lines of "SEGFAULT in bcom_80211_wlan"...

A kernel upgrade should fix that, I blame the stock kernel.

2. No Sound. Despite it saying "Yes, it's installed", it's not. It's saying HDA Intel when Windows reports a Cirrus Logic HD Audio driver (when I had Windows 7 installed on it). The device ID from Mac OS X is 0x10DECB79 . (Does that help?)

I have tried numerous fixes, but to no avail.

3. Bluetooth: Working OK.

4. Display: Is there anyway to reduce the brightness? My eyes don't like bright light and if I'm computing at night with the lights out, my whole room is lit up from the macbook! :P

I am going to install the Nvidia Video Card drivers from the repos after I upgrade the kernel.

5. Keyboard shortcuts. Volume Mute/Up/Down work, but brightness keys don't work. Any ideas? pommed doesn't work either (error: not a powerbook model)

Thanks in advance helpers.

Cheers,
Coburn64

I don't think we would normally run a gnu/linux from a bootcamp. You'd only use bootcamp to repartition.

Check your install against:
http://www.brighthub.com/computing/l...les/34826.aspx

1. wifi: need to know the hardware.
2. audio - if you can get a terminal in Mint, enter the command "lspci" ... this will give you a list. Look on the list for the troublesome HW. The device ID is for an Intel HD soundcard, which probably means that Cirrus Logic have used an intel chipset. Gnu/linux assignes drivers by chipset, windows does it by vendor (since many vendors use the same chips, this means you don't need so many drivers). The most common reason for no sound on install is that the master volume, or the volume for your default output, is muted.
3. Well done
4. Dimming the screen - usually set in power management
5. pommed seems to have recurring issues on the unibody macbooks. Can you report the exact error?
See.
http://blog.adamsbros.org/2009/06/14...y-mode-fnmode/

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1330781&page=2
... Mint is based on Ubuntu - above link is 9.10 on MacBook 6,1, with similar issues.

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