T2 Macs, and drivers for (nearly) everything
The new ISOs are about hardware: lensOS should simply work on whatever you start it on.
Macs with the T2 chip
Intel Macs from 2018 to 2020 have Apple’s T2 chip, which needs drivers the regular kernel doesn’t
have. linux-lens now carries t2linux’s patches, and the keyboard, trackpad,
Touch Bar, sound, fans, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work, on the live ISO and after installing. Pick Mac with the T2 chip in the ISO’s boot menu. Apple doesn’t let anyone share the Wi-Fi firmware,
so lensOS copies it from macOS on the same Mac and brings it along to your install. The steps are
in installation (Macs with the T2 chip). Thanks to the t2linux project, whose
drivers and tools make this possible.
Drivers
- All of linux-firmware, so Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and network cards from every vendor Linux supports have their firmware, plus laptop sound chips.
- Broadcom Wi-Fi cards that only work with Broadcom’s own driver (older MacBooks, many laptops) switch to it on their own, and keep it after installing.
- NVIDIA’s driver is on the ISO, so installing it no longer needs internet.
- Printers and scanners: printing is set up out of the box, and most network and USB printers and scanners from the last decade work without a driver download. Gutenprint, HP and Foomatic drivers cover many older ones.
- Drawing tablets, 2-in-1 screen rotation, Android phones and iPhones over USB, smart-card readers, and firmware updates for your hardware (fwupd).
Already running lensOS? lens update brings the new drivers and the kernel. A T2 Mac needs the new
ISO, since its keyboard only works with the new kernel.
The ISO is bigger now, a little over 4 GB: use a USB drive of 8 GB or more.