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The Mid-2012 15" A1286 MacBookPro9,1, or 2012 A1286 for short, is arguably one of the best MacBooks Apple has ever made. This is the last model of MacBook to feature the full port layout, and the optical drive. Additionally, the storage, memory, and battery are all easily user replaceable. This version also does not suffer as badly from GPU failures as prior A1286's, nor does it suffer from the failing SATA cable issues the 13" versions had.
As the proud owner of a top of the line 2012 A1286, I couldn't just use an outdated version of macOS Catalina, so I decided to install not only a more recent version of macOS, but also Linux and Windows. Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of documentation, or just incredibly fragmented documentation on installing other OS's and making using them a good experience.
This repo is an attempt at documenting everything I have discovered trying to make each operating system run smoothly. Since I primarily use Arch Linux, a lot of the focus will be on Linux, but macOS and Windows are included as well.
Work in progress...
Work in progress...
Work in progress...
Includes fixes for:
- igdkmd64.sys BSOD due to broken Intel drivers.
See windows/windows-install.md.
Includes fixes for:
- Inverting trackpad scroll direction.
- Power saving with dGPU.
See windows/windows-tweaks.md.
When accessing the Startup Manager (UEFI Boot Picker) from pressing Option/Alt on boot, you can set the default boot entry by pressing Control+Enter instead of just Enter when selecting an entry to boot.
Note that OpenCore also replicates this functionality in it's own boot picker.
The content provided here is for informational and educational purposes only. You assume all responsibility and risk associated with using this information. The author makes no guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or safety of these instructions. The author is not liable for any loss, damage, or consequences — direct or indirect — resulting from the use, misuse, or inability to use any part of this information.