MacBookPro15,2

MacBook Pro 13″, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports. T2 chip. The first machine we're installing Linux on as part of this guide — our colleague's daily driver. We'll update this page as the install happens and as we live with it.

Identifier

MacBookPro15,2

Released

July 2018

Chip

Apple T2 Security Chip

Path

T2 path — Fedora + t2linux kernel

Status

Pre-install (as of May 2026). We start the install soon.

This specific machine

Processor

2.7 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 (8th gen, "Coffee Lake")

Graphics

Intel Iris Plus 655 (1.5 GB shared) — integrated, no discrete GPU

Memory

16 GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

Storage

1 TB SSD, 148 GB free

macOS

Sequoia 15.7.4

Battery

182 cycles, Normal condition (healthy)

FileVault

Off — can skip the decryption-wait preflight step

The 13″ 2018 4-TB configuration is one of the friendlier T2 models for Linux: integrated graphics only (no AMD dGPU to fight), 4 USB-C ports for plenty of dongle options, and the Coffee Lake i7 is well-supported by recent Intel kernel drivers. It's a more comfortable starting point than the 15″ 2018 with the Vega GPU or anything 16″.

What we expect from 15,2 on Linux

Based on the t2linux hardware state page and reports from other MacBookPro15,2 users:

Should work

• Keyboard, trackpad — after the t2linux kernel is installed. External USB keyboard needed during the installer itself.
• Wi-Fi (BCM4364) — after extracting the firmware blob from macOS first. Standard t2linux procedure.
• Speakers — via the Cirrus 8409 ALSA driver shipped with the t2linux kernel.
• Touch Bar in function-key mode — the basics work out of the box once the kernel modules load.
• USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, external displays — standard, no surprises expected.
• Internal SSD — NVMe via apple-bce, works.

Probably flaky

• Suspend / sleep. The Sonoma firmware regression that broke sleep on T2 Macs affects this model too. Plan to shut down rather than close the lid; we'll confirm and update this page once we've lived with it.
• Microphone. Works but may need volume tweaks.
• Internal webcam. Community driver exists; reports for 15,2 are mixed. If it's unreliable for video calls, a USB webcam (around 30 EUR) is the no-fuss workaround.
• Bluetooth. Works but may stutter alongside 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

Won't work

• Touch ID. Password login only.
• Hardware video encoder (only matters for video editing exports).

The install plan for this machine

1. Read the risks — same as any T2 install.
2. Migration reality — photos, passwords, iCloud. Do this audit before wiping anything.
3. Backup & prep — important: sign out of Apple ID and disable Find My Mac. Activation Lock on T2 can lock you out. FileVault is already Off on this machine, so the decryption-wait step is skipped.
4. Try it first — involves the same prep as a real install on T2, but a smart final check.
5. Create the T2-patched Fedora installer USB. Steps coming as we do it.
6. Install. Steps coming as we do it.
7. Post-install: t2linux kernel, Wi-Fi firmware extraction, Touch Bar tweaks. Steps coming as we do it.
8. Daily life adjustments. Notes coming as we live with it.

Live log

We'll add a dated entry each time we touch the machine. Most-recent first.

2026-05-24

Identified the machine and confirmed the T2 path. FileVault already off. Disk has 148 GB free, enough for a comfortable single-boot or a tight dual-boot. Battery cycle count is 182 (low), so we don't expect battery to be a concern during the install or in daily life afterwards. Next: walk through preflight, with extra care on the Apple ID sign-out step.

If you have a MacBookPro15,2 too

Same model, different experience? We'd love to hear it. The more reports we collect, the better the picture gets for the next person searching the web for "Linux on MacBookPro15,2 2026". Contact details and contribution notes will live on the main guide home page.

Resources for this model

• t2linux state of hardware support — living, model-by-model status.
• t2linux Fedora installation guide — the canonical upstream procedure we'll be following.
• Apple support: MacBook Pro 13″ 2018 (Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports) — the official specifications page.