Can I use 9400m only in ubuntu using 15' mbp

I am planning on getting the mbp with hybrid graphics. I wish to triple boot osx, ubuntu 9.04 64 bit, and vista business 32 bit( or maybe 64bit)
I read that the 9400m is unusable in windows, and the 9600m gt is the only option. I was wondering if I could use just the 9400m in 9.04 to get better battery life, as I do not need powerful graphics in ubuntu.

 

I wish you could use the 9400m outside OS-X but it does not show up in the device manager only the 9600m GT

 

LOL, good luck with getting Ubuntu to work on the new macbooks/pros. I tried, and it simply will not get past GRUB. There's no known fix for it ATM.
I tried 9.04, but it's also a known issue with 8.10 and 8.04, on the nvidia based macbooks and macbook pros.

 

Mmm, funny you talk about a Grub problem, I've been using ubuntu on my black macbook 3,1 since the moment I bought it, maybe a different installing method should help, now, I've read some info about using one or another graphic card, I think they haven't figure it out for now, but give it some time, will work it out. Also it will be a much better option to seek for this answer in http://ubuntuforums.org/ they are way much more dedicated to this kind of problems.

 

i'm going to follow this tutorial more or less
http://blog.geeklimit.com/2008/07/0...x-leopard-vista-64-bit-and-ubuntu-804-64-bit/

it was done with the 07 mbp, so i'll have to cross my fingers that it still works. i'm going to use rEFIt bootloader instead of grub

anyone know if the newest nvidia drivers will help cool the 9600m in vista versus bootcamp drivers? v186.03

 

That was before the nvidia based macbooks came out. Trust me, I spent over a week trying to get it working. I searched many different message boards, google, and the conclusion is there is currently no fix for it. Many used refit (bleh) and it didn't work either. Grub wont get past the loading stage, it just hangs forever.
Good luck, but I wouldn't waste your time. I'd wait until 9.10 atleast.
I refer you to my thread and what others had to say about it.

 

Ok, here we go, take a look at this, it will fix it you'll see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1136427&highlight=macbook+forums

By the way talin, I will have to say you're right, 5,2 macbooks are having this issue, BUT NOT OLDER ONES, so this is crutial for this workaround to work. Hope it helps!

 

my late 2008 nvidia Macbook Pro worked fine with Ubuntu installed. I do not have it currently isntalled because i just did it for fun, but its useless. There is nothing you can do on Linux that you cant do on OSX, so its basically useless... but I had no problems triple booting and used rEFIt.... I dont think the bootloader i used on Ubuntu was grub though, i thin it was elilo.... but Its been since Feburary-march, I don't recall.

but... there is not way currently to use the 9400 in any OS except OSX

 

Your late 2008 is Intel based (intel chipset, logic board, processor). My previous macbook (also the late 2008) also worked fine in Ubuntu...

 

Late 2008 is not Intel based.

 

no.. late 2008 unibodies are the first nvidia based ones. Its the early 2008s that was the last intel chipset ones.

 

I meant the white macbook. My first white macbook was the late 2008, and it was Intel.
I highly doubt that you really got an nvidia macbook to work with ubuntu. Everyone is having the same issues, even with refit, it just hangs at GRUB.

 

You were responding to someone who was asking about his/her late 2008 MBP so I fail to see how talking about the Intel Macbook has anything to do with it.

As for Nvidia Macbook people has had success in this thread here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=947947

 

thats why you don't use grub... you know grub is not required to run Ubuntu yes?

 

No I didn't know that, I'm not a linux connoisseur. But I'd be interested to know how you supposedly got it to run.

 

if I can remember...

hmm... I think I did use grub, but I loaded it on the Linux partition, not in the MBR. Loading it in the MBR messed up Windows for my triple boot.

basically I think...

• I made a extra partition in Bootcamp that was for Windows and Linux.
• I went through a normal Windows (Vista 64) install
• After Vista and OSX were dual booting ok normally, I installed rEFIt.
• I then booted up on my Ubuntu disc to start a Linux install
• I had to wait during installation and backup the MBR via command line
• I continued with installation of Ubuntu like normal, resizing and taking part of the Windows partition.
• After the main install, before the bootloader installed, I restored the backed up MBR
• went back in the install and continued to the bootloader install
• told Grub to install to the Linux partition, not the default MBR space.
• rebooted at the end of the install and on the rEFIt screen I updated it so it would see the new Linux install....

that was basically it... all 3 booted fine. I just had problems with drivers. Sound was the worst, even hacking it to work in Ubuntu, I still only had 1 speaker operational.

 

That must have been it. I've read about using that solution to restore the MBR. But with the nvidia macbooks/pros, I know you have to use "noacpi" or "nosmp" to even get the livecd to boot.
I don't like refit and I'll never use it. I just don't trust my operating systems to a third party utility.