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Last active March 2, 2026 11:04
Linux Mint on MacBookPro 11.5: force Intel iGPU + power off Radeon dGPU (repro guide)

Linux Mint on MacBookPro 11,5: force Intel iGPU + power off Radeon dGPU (repro guide)

This is a guide for improving the power consumption on Linux Mint 22.2 by disabling the Radeon GPU and enabling the Intel GPU on a 2015 MacBook Pro 11,5 (Intel Haswell iGPU + AMD Radeon dGPU + Apple GMUX). It is based on the work of Bruno Bierbaumer https://github.com/0xbb/apple_set_os.efi and credits belong to Andreas Heider who originally discovered this hack: https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/grub-devel/2013-12/msg00442.html

I simply adapted it to work on Linux Mint 22.2.

Goal:

  • Boot in a way that exposes/keeps the Intel iGPU usable (some Mac firmware disables or hides it for non-macOS boots).
  • Ensure the internal panel (eDP) is driven by i915.