Kali 2.0 Installation Tips for Macbook Pro 2015 Retina

[yzh503]

Hi all,

Kali 2.0 live USB does not really well support Macbook pro 2015 Retina. I've seen lots of people having problems like "black screen after booting from EFI", "got a very small freezing menu in the top left corner", and "Legacy bootloader not found". After a few days exploring, I suddenly found a solution to the booting issue, and now Kali 2.0 runs perfectly on my MBP 2015. The following are some tricks I did.

1. Booting problem
Step 1. Prepare 1 USB sticks and a free partition on your hard disk.

Step 2. Make a Kali live USB stick following link. http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install

Step 3. On mac, in your USB drive, Open folders EFI - BOOT. Open syslinux.cfg with a text editor.

Step 4. Change “vesamenu.c32” to “menu.c32”. Save the file.

Step 5. Restart the computer, with the option key pressed.

Step 6. Choose the EFI option, which is your usb stick.

Step 7. Now the booting menu should not be freezing any more. Graphical install and install options should work. If this does not work for you, you may stop reading further.

2. Network device not detected
The installation wizard cannot identify ethernet card, so just continue without network configured. We will install the network driver later.

3. Network driver
Once you finish installing, boot into Kali, and you will see network device is missing. Type in terminal

ifconfig

There is only one "lo".

To fix this, download the firmware for macbook pro 2015 from here https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/ke...43602-pcie.bin

Copy the file into /lib/firmware/brcm

Reboot and you will see WiFi is working, but still has no network access.

Start the network manager by modifying configuration file.

root@kali:~# nano /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Turn false to true

root@kali:~# /etc/init.d/network-manager restart

Reboot and WiFi should work. This may not work on Thunderbolt-Ethernet wired network.

4. Cannot boot into OSX
Step 1. Hold option when booting, and boot from Mac HD.
Step 2. Reinstall your rEFInd.
Step 3. Restart.

[g0tmi1k]

Nicely done =).

[lovelyboy9870]

Thanks for the detailed tutorial yzh503. Just wanted to share another way of booting/bypass black freezing screen issue on Macbook Pro 2015 model.

1) Download and install rEFind with the following command (use without quotes).
"sudo ./install.sh --notesp"

2) Create a bootable USB using the following tutorial.
http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install

3) Restart the machine and keep holding "Option" Key until you see the boot menu.

4) Select the "EFI Boot" or whatever the name of your bootable device is.

Voila!!! You should now be able to live boot or install Kali Linux 2.0 on your machine.

Once you are booted into Kali, You can use yaz503's tutorial for getting the network to work.

[yzh503]

Thanks for the detailed tutorial yzh503. Just wanted to share another way of booting/bypass black freezing screen issue on Macbook Pro 2015 model.

1) Download and install rEFind with the following command (use without quotes).
"sudo ./install.sh --notesp"

2) Create a bootable USB using the following tutorial.


3) Restart the machine and keep holding "Option" Key until you see the boot menu.

4) Select the "EFI Boot" or whatever the name of your bootable device is.

Voila!!! You should now be able to live boot or install Kali Linux 2.0 on your machine.

Once you are booted into Kali, You can use yaz503's tutorial for getting the network to work.

Thanks for sharing!

[v3ru54n9u!s]

Any tips on getting force touchpad to work - at least scrolling and left/right click. So far I can't find system settings>admin tools>synaptic...

noob question but I hope you'll help

p.s. All issues mentioned above I have managed to bypass by not getting an mbr partition on usb, then starting system with alt pressed:
1st boot-black screen
2nd boot - partial/unresponsive menu
3rd boot - all ok

works all the times

after install installed rEFInd and have no problem booting, although I wish there was an option to hide refind and only bring it up by pressing another key when powering up my macbook

I am running 15in 2015 mbp.

Regards

[9line]

I keep getting the black screen and cursor. Not quite sure how to get around it.

[v3ru54n9u!s]

I have installed successfully built in wi-fi. Now when I plug in AWUS036H it just flashes. If I turn it on it also turns on built in wifi card. If I turn off built in wifi it turns off usb wifi... I am going crazy... Google is as useful as suncream in UK... Help ?

[4wk_]

OP's answer don't work for me :/

see there : https://forums.kali.org/showthread.p...ro-Retina-2015

[ElleHarries]

I tryed and it works well. Thank you for sharing!

[Hoe]

Hi, I had manage to get into live boot, but keyboard trackpad is not responding - i'm using the new macbook by the way... Please help

[loppy]

Thanks for the detailed tutorial yzh503. Just wanted to share another way of booting/bypass black freezing screen issue on Macbook Pro 2015 model.

1) Download and install rEFind with the following command (use without quotes).
"sudo ./install.sh --notesp"

2) Create a bootable USB using the following tutorial.
http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install

3) Restart the machine and keep holding "Option" Key until you see the boot menu.

4) Select the "EFI Boot" or whatever the name of your bootable device is.

Voila!!! You should now be able to live boot or install Kali Linux 2.0 on your machine.

Once you are booted into Kali, You can use yaz503's tutorial for getting the network to work.

I was very hopeful about this, but I cannot get it to work. When I get to the boot menu in refind, it does not find the Kali distro on the USB drive. And when I try to hold option and boot kali from that menu via the EFI option I still get the black screen.
Is there something I need to configure within rEFind so that I can boot Kali from there?

I tried lovelyboy's steps to get past the black screen / stuck menu and it didn't quite work for me. I tried using the options key and booting from EFI and I still get the black screen. And when I use rEFind, it does not find the Kali distro on the usb. Is it possible I have to configure rEFind for this?

[Hoe]

Hi all,

Kali 2.0 live USB does not really well support Macbook pro 2015 Retina. I've seen lots of people having problems like "black screen after booting from EFI", "got a very small freezing menu in the top left corner", and "Legacy bootloader not found". After a few days exploring, I suddenly found a solution to the booting issue, and now Kali 2.0 runs perfectly on my MBP 2015. The following are some tricks I did.

1. Booting problem
Step 1. Prepare 2 USB sticks and a free partition.
Step 2. Make a Ubuntu USB drive (simply extract ".iso" file into USB drive).
Step 3. Make a Kali live USB stick following http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install using dd command (It takes over half an hour).
Step 4. Plug in BOTH USB sticks, and restart the computer, with the option key pressed.
Step 5. Choose one of the EFI options. If you are not sure, just randomly try one. In my experience, The first EFI option is usually from the left USB port.
Step 6. Now the booting menu is not freezing! If this does not work for you, you may stop reading further.
Step 7. Play with Kali live for a while if you want. To install Kali on hard disk, go back to boot up menu, and select graphic install. Live installation failed to install grub on my computer for some reason.

2. Network device not detected
The installation wizard cannot identify ethernet card, so just continue without network configured. We will install the network driver later.

3. Network driver
Once you finish installing, boot into Kali, and you will see network device is missing. Type in terminal

ifconfig

There is only one "lo".

To fix this, download the firmware for macbook pro 2015 from here https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/ke...43602-pcie.bin

Copy the file into /lib/firmware/brcm

Reboot and you will see WiFi is working, but still has no network access.

Start the network manager by modifying configuration file.

root@kali:~# nano /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf

Turn false to true

root@kali:~# /etc/init.d/network-manager restart

Reboot and WiFi should work. This may not work on Thunderbolt-Ethernet wired network.

4. Cannot boot into OSX
Step 1. Hold option when booting, and boot from Mac HD.
Step 2. Reinstall your rEFInd.
Step 3. Restart.

Hi,

Sorry to bump this thread again, but I had manage to get into live boot / install or install with graphic. The only issue is the Keyboard and the Trackpad ain't working at all. Although I manage to get a usb mouse to scroll around but since I need Keyboard for input it still useless.

I am using the new macbook 2015 12-inch

Please advise...

[jonsbr]

Step 2. Make a Ubuntu USB drive (simply extract ".iso" file into USB drive).
Step 3. Make a Kali live USB stick following http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install using dd command (It takes over half an hour).
Step 4. Plug in BOTH USB sticks, and restart the computer, with the option key pressed.

Hey zyh503! I didn't understand: why having both usb plugged would work Kali Live itslef?
I didn't try this tip yet. Just by plugging the ubuntu usb, would change the way of starting Kali Live?

j.

[domdorn]

I encountered the same issue with the hanging boot menu.

I found a fix for that (changing EFI/BOOT/stdmenu.cfg ) and documented that in the following bug report:
https://bugs.kali.org/view.php?id=2998

does anyone know how to get the firmware added to the live version?
I managed to unhide the first partition, but its write-locked, so I cannot change the contents on it or add additional firmware debs.

[mach]

I encountered the same issue with the hanging boot menu.

I found a fix for that (changing EFI/BOOT/stdmenu.cfg ) and documented that in the following bug report:
https://bugs.kali.org/view.php?id=2998

does anyone know how to get the firmware added to the live version?
I managed to unhide the first partition, but its write-locked, so I cannot change the contents on it or add additional firmware debs.

I have too a macbook pro retina 2015 (12,1) and capitan 10.11.4.
Don't work for me. If i setup kali with mac linux usb loader, i can run kali live, but without install option (run directly live and no "install kali" in system tool).
There is no sense for me you need to have two usb while you don't use one.

The farther i was able to go is to have two usb, one with refind, the other with kali live usb (installed with this : http://docs.kali.org/downloading/kal...ve-usb-install), boot on refind, and then boot kali from there. The first time it works but i got a black screen after "install" option. The second after going down on option with the keyboard the keyboard stop working. After refind return "error while loading legacy loader".

Anybody found a solution ?
I guess if mac linux usb loader can setup kali properly in live, it's just needed to modify the efi folder with the "install" option.

UPDATE : Mac Linux USB loader mac kali booting live-way. Need to cnfigure efi folder before trying to installing kali. then it's working. if i remember it's working with the official kali guide + modify files for usb install.

[Anker_by]

Nice, i will try to install on my macbook 2010. I think works good and stable.

[NCols]

Nice, i will try to install on my macbook 2010. I think works good and stable.

Hi Anker_by,

Did you succeed in installing it on your 2010 macbook? Did you do anything special?

I can get to the boot menu, but then when I choose live option, at some point during the booting screens it just freezes and I cannot do anything except reboot.

Any idea? I'm also using a 2010 macbook pro.

Thanks!

[kazrak]

Hi, I had manage to get into live boot, but keyboard trackpad is not responding - i'm using the new macbook by the way... Please help

The 12" MacBook uses a different keyboard/trackpad driver, which is apparently not supported by default.

https://github.com/cb22/macbook12-spi-driver is the driver; I haven't looked into what it would take to get it integrated into the ISO.