State of Linux on MacBook Pro late 2016 with Touch Bar (model 13,2) T1 Chips.

• Information updated as of 3 Jan 2026.
  upgrade to Linux Kernel 6.18.3

• Started this information as of 15 Dec 2025

The following document provides an overview about Linux support for Apple's MacBook Pro late 2016 with Touch Bar and T1 Chips (model 13,2).

The information below is with followings conditions:

• Dual boot MacOS and Linux
• OCLP (Open Core Legacy Platform) is installed.
• Arch Linux rolling-model Installation
• Linux Kernel 6.17.9
• Systemd boot

Current Status:

• Battery: Working
• Bluetooth: Working
• Graphic Card: Working
• Keyboard & Touchpad: Working
• NVME SSD: Working
• Screen: Working
• System Management Controller: Working
• Thunderbolt: Working
• USB: Working
• Audio Input & Output: Working (Additional patch required)
• FaceTimeHD Camera: Working (Additional patch required)
• Touch Bar: Working (Additional patch required)
• Sleep and Suspend: Working (Additional setup required)
• WiFi: Working (Additional setup required)

Not Working:

• Hibernation (still no time to experiment this feature)
• Touch ID

Some Works need to be applied especially for:

Audio Input & Output

The in build kernel module from Arch Linux is not working properly, snd_hda_intel is loaded and hooked but there is no sound. The issue is lying on Cirrus 8409 snd_hda_codec_cs8409 in build kernel driver and it needs to be patched and replaced. Install the patch for Cirrus 8409 driver from https://github.com/davidjo/snd_hda_macbookpro

Follow the instruction in there.

Facetime HD Camera and Touch Bar

Macbook Pro late 2016 is using T1 Chip and recognized by the autodetect kernel as Apple-IBridge. But there is non kernel driver for IBridge to hook up with FacetimeHD Camera and Touch Bar. To do that a custom kernel driver needs to be installed, compiled and hooked.

Install the kernel driver from https://github.com/parport0/mbp-t1-touchbar-driver/
There will be 3 drivers needed apple-ibridge (virtual usb to manage facetimehd and touch bar), apple_ib_tb for touch bar and apple_ib_als for the ambient light sensor.

Follow the instruction and make a systemd service for apple-ibridge.service Here is an example:

[Unit]
Description=Activate Apple iBridge Driver (Touch Bar & Camera)
After=multi-user.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
##### 1. Load the driver modules
ExecStart=/usr/bin/modprobe apple-ib-tb idle_timeout=-1 dim_timeout=-1 fnmode=2

##### 2. Unbind from generic usb driver and reprobe to trigger apple-ibridge binding
ExecStart=/usr/bin/bash -c 'echo -n "1-3" > /sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb/unbind'
ExecStart=/usr/bin/bash -c 'echo 1-3 > /sys/bus/usb/drivers_probe'
RemainAfterExit=yes

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and Start the service

Create a config file in /etc/modprobe.d to ignore the default usbhid driver to take over apple-ibridge and run mkinitcpio -P afterwards.

options usbhid ignore_special_drivers=1 quirks=0x05ac:0x8600:0x4

reboot or turn 0ff/0n, avoid any usb flash drive plugged in booting time.

If Touch Bar is still not working, check some parameters:

# check all the options of paramaters for the touchbar
modinfo apple-ib-tb
# check the recorded parameters
cat /sys/module/apple_ib_tb/parameters/idle_timeout
# return should be -1
cat /sys/module/apple_ib_tb/parameters/dim/timeout
# return should be -1
# or set the parameters in the systemd service to suite your preference.

If the Touch Bar is still not working, try to insert driver in module section on mkinitcpio.conf,

# nano /etc.mkinitcpio.conf
MODULES=(apple-ib-tb)
# save the config file and create a config file in /etc/modprobe.d
# nano ibridge.conf
options apple_ib_tb idle_timeout=-1 dim_timeout=-1
# save and run
sudo mkinitcpio -P

# edit the systemd service (apple-ibridge.service) by deleting or uncoment this parameters:
ExecStart=/usr/bin/modprobe apple-ib-tb idle_timeout=-1 dim_timeout=-1 fnmode=2
# Then update systemd
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

reboot

FacetimeHD is using uvcvideo kernel driver and it will hook to IBridge automatically. run lsusb -t and the result is as follows:

/:  Bus 001.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/12p, 480M
    |__ Port 003: Dev 002, If 0, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
    |__ Port 003: Dev 002, If 1, Class=Video, Driver=uvcvideo, 480M
    |__ Port 003: Dev 002, If 2, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 480M
    |__ Port 003: Dev 002, If 3, Class=Human Interface Device, Driver=usbhid, 480M
/:  Bus 002.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/6p, 5000M
/:  Bus 003.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/2p, 480M
/:  Bus 004.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/2p, 10000M
/:  Bus 005.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/2p, 480M
/:  Bus 006.Port 001: Dev 001, Class=root_hub, Driver=xhci_hcd/2p, 10000M

As long as apple-ibridge driver is installed and loaded, uvcvideo will hook to IBridge automatically.

WiFi

This Model is using brcmfmac as the kernel driver and it load automatically. The problems are in the Registration Domain and the incompatibility with wpa_supplicant apps.

Install the package wireless-regdb and set the Region to your country:

iw set reg <your country>

edit /etc/conf/wireless-regdom and uncomment your region domain.

Use iwd to connect to wifi access point as iwd has more compatibility to Broadcom 43602 and avoid to use wpa_supplicant (incompability issue with keyphrase password).

If you are using NetworkManager, use iwd as the backline or install networkmanager-iwd package.

The Wifi is working only at 2.4G, but it is sufficient.
Check Arch Wiki https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Network_configuration/Wireless and read throughly.

Suspend

Follow this instruction to make the suspend mode working. Take a look at Arch Wiki to enable the suspend mode https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Power_management/Suspend_and_hibernate. Follow this tips for macbook pro https://takachin.github.io/mbp2017-linux-note/en/suspend-resume.html