The 3.2 kernel has several bugs or limitations which affect this Macbook. If that happens, don't worry too much: network access is possible, as well as booting in rescue mode or booting from the installation medium and chrooting to the installed partition. The system boots, but you have no feedback. However, if you carelessly install a graphical desktop, you may end-up with a blank screen. Getting a MacBookPro to install and boot in text console mode is fairly easy ( instructions for older MacBook Pros apply). Installing Debian Wheezy (7.0) on an Apple MacbookPro9,1 (15', June 2012) I leave the older Wheezy remarks for reference, as they may come in handy in case of difficulties (some bits probably still apply). I let the reader look on the web for instructions on using the vgaswitcheroo interface, the generic instructions apply. this means that this computer fares as well as any other dual-GPU laptop. With this kernel, it becomes possible to switch between the two GPUs without rebooting (but one still has to log out of X11, do the switch using the vgaswitcheroo interface, and restart X11). Update June 2016: Linux kernel 4.6 is now available from jessie-backports.

On the other hand, the computer will heat to an uncomfortable temperature and consume battery power fairly fast. The external monitor will then work (you may have to click 'detect monitors' in the monitor preferences). use the NVidia, discrete GPU with the nouveau (open source) driver.

You can use DRI2 or bumblebee to get 3D acceleration on the NVidia GPU for individual applications. - use the integrated (Intel) card: battery life will be longer and the computer cool.To select the card, boot into OSX and use gfxCardStatus (tested version 2.2.1). Jessie's version of of Grub and the kernel do a very fine job in EFI. The article below documents a hack to select which should be the primary device. The biggest difficulty presented by this device is the presence of a two graphics cards: an Intel integrated device and an additional discrete nVidia card. Basically everything works fine now, InstallingDebianOn/Apple/MacBookPro/9-2 applies.

This rest of the page is mostly obsolete. Installing Debian Jessie on an Apple MacbookPro9,1 (15', June 2012)

Arch linux macbook screen brightness