Turbocharge your T2 MacBook Air 2020 (Intel)
Field-tested scripts and configuration for installing and optimising CachyOS on the 2020 Intel MacBook Air (MacBookAir9,1) with Apple T2 chip. Full documentation is available at iceunit.com.
| Component | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi (BCM4377b) | Working | brcmfmac — firmware extraction required |
| Bluetooth (BRCM4377) | Working | hci_bcm4377 |
| Audio (T2) | Working | apple-bce + PipeWire |
| Keyboard / Trackpad | Working | Via apple-bce USB-over-PCIe |
| Graphics (Iris Plus G7) | Working | i915 hardware acceleration |
| Display | Working | Full native resolution |
| NVMe | Working | TRIM via discard=async |
| Sleep / Wake | Mostly working | Suspend fix service recommended |
| Webcam | Partial | May require apple-bce updates |
| Thunderbolt | Limited | Basic USB-C works |
| Touch ID | Not supported | T2 Secure Enclave — inaccessible from Linux |
# Ensure prerequisites are installed
sudo pacman -S --needed go make git
git clone https://github.com/sebastienrousseau/cachyos-macbook-intel-2020.git
cd cachyos-macbook-intel-2020
# Run the interactive Iceunit (ICU) installer
sudo make installThe new installer features a beautiful, interactive CLI interface built with Go and Bubble Tea, automatically executing the post-installation optimization steps concurrently where possible.
cachyos-macbook-intel-2020/
├── .github/ # GitHub Actions workflows
├── config/ # System configuration drop-ins
├── docs/ # VitePress documentation site
├── installer/ # Go-based interactive Iceunit installer
│ ├── main.go # TUI orchestrator source
│ ├── main_test.go # Installer unit tests
│ ├── go.mod # Go module definition
│ └── installer_bin # Compiled installer binary
├── scripts/ # Core hardware automation scripts
│ ├── 00-setup-vault.sh # Encrypted vault creation
│ ├── 00-system-init.sh # Smart package synchronisation
│ ├── 01-thermal-setup.sh # Fan & thermal control
│ ├── 02-wifi-firmware.sh # Wi-Fi & Bluetooth firmware
│ ├── 03-optimise.sh # Post-install optimisation
│ ├── 04-bootloader.sh # Bootloader management
│ ├── 05-mount-vault.sh # Unlock and mount vault
│ ├── 06-unmount-vault.sh # Lock and unmount vault
│ ├── 07-install-apps.sh # Standard application suite
│ └── 99-verify-install.sh # System health audit
├── tests/ # Unit and integration test suites
│ ├── *.bats # 144 unit tests (bats-core)
│ ├── Dockerfile.unit # Unit test container
│ ├── Dockerfile.integration # Integration test container
│ ├── setup-bats.sh # BATS installation helper
│ ├── test_helper.bash # Test framework & mocks
│ └── integration/ # Integration test scripts
├── workstation/ # Workstation provisioning modules
│ ├── 00-ai-dev-workstation.sh # AI/LLM & Dev stack
│ ├── 10-gnome-productivity.sh # GNOME UI tweaks
│ ├── 20-devops-tools.sh # K8s & Cloud-native tools
│ ├── 30-security-tools.sh # Firewall & Secrets hardening
│ └── 40-dotfiles-link.sh # Symbolic configuration links
├── bootstrap-dotfiles.sh # Dotfiles bootstrap helper
├── install.sh # Unified Iceunit (ICU) installer entry point
├── Makefile # Task runner for install, verify, and test
├── README.md # Project documentation
├── LICENSE # MIT licence
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines
├── SECURITY.md # Security policy
└── package.json # Documentation site dependencies
| Script | Purpose | Status | Run As | Docs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
00-setup-vault.sh |
Create LUKS2 encrypted vault | Optional | make vault |
Reference |
00-system-init.sh |
Smart package sync | Mandatory | sudo make init |
Reference |
01-thermal-setup.sh |
Fix fan/thermal control | Mandatory | make thermal |
Reference |
02-wifi-firmware.sh |
Manage Wi-Fi/BT firmware | Mandatory | make wifi |
Reference |
03-optimise.sh |
System-wide optimisation | Recommended | make optimise |
Reference |
04-bootloader.sh |
Limine & boot management | Recommended | make bootloader |
Reference |
05-mount-vault.sh |
Unlock and mount vault | Optional | make mount |
Reference |
06-unmount-vault.sh |
Lock and unmount vault | Optional | make unmount |
Reference |
07-install-apps.sh |
Standard application suite | Recommended | make apps |
Reference |
99-verify-install.sh |
System health audit | Recommended | make verify |
Reference |
All scripts support DRY_RUN=1 to preview changes and --help for usage information.
| Script | Purpose | Status | Run As | Docs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
00-ai-dev-workstation.sh |
AI/LLM & Dev Stack | Optional | sudo |
Reference |
10-gnome-productivity.sh |
GNOME Speed & UI Tweaks | Optional | User | Reference |
20-devops-tools.sh |
K8s & Terraform Stack | Optional | sudo |
Reference |
30-security-tools.sh |
Firewall & Secrets | Optional | sudo |
Reference |
40-dotfiles-link.sh |
Symbolic Config Links | Optional | User | Reference |
make verify # Run the Iceunit system health audit
make test-all # Run all tests (Lint, BATS, Go, Docker)
make lint # Run ShellCheck and Go vet/fmt
make test # Run unit tests locally (requires bats-core)
make test-go # Run Go unit tests for the installerThe full guide is hosted at iceunit.com and covers:
- Getting Started — hardware specs, compatibility status, introduction
- Pre-Installation — T2 security, Wi-Fi firmware, bootable USB, partition layout
- Installation — running the CachyOS installer, Limine bootloader setup
- Post-Installation — thermal setup, system optimisation, encrypted vault
- Reference — troubleshooting, FAQ
- Scripts — detailed reference for all modules
See CONTRIBUTING.md for script conventions, ShellCheck requirements, and the PR process.
MIT — configurations and scripts are based on field testing on a MacBook Air 2020 (MacBookAir9,1) running CachyOS with kernel 6.19.x.
THE ARCHITECT ᛫ Sebastien Rousseau
THE ENGINE ᛞ EUXIS ᛫ Enterprise Unified Execution Intelligence System