Therefore, it’s aimed towards power users and developers. Please keep in mind that this is currently an alpha release. This massive feat was achieved by having a bunch of drivers merged for Linux 5.16, which includes drivers for the PCIe, USB-C PD, ASC mailbox, etc.

In particular, we will be reverse engineering the Apple GPU architecture and developing an open-source driver for it.īecause Apple utilizes many proprietary technologies that don’t play well with operating systems other than its macOS, the makers of Asahi Linux are accomplishing a feat that is more impressive than you may think. Doing this requires a tremendous amount of work, as Apple Silicon is an entirely undocumented platform. Our goal is not just to make Linux run on these machines but to polish it to the point where it can be used as a daily OS. Because the M1 is Apple’s most powerful chip, it’s easy to see why developers are interested in porting Linux to it and running programs like Proton, which would turn the Mac into a powerful gaming PC. For those of you unaware, Asahi Linux is a project and community dedicated to bringing Linux to Apple Silicon Macs, beginning with the 2020 M1 Mac Mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.Īs you know, the M1 is Apple’s custom Arm-based SoC which started showing on Macs in 2020 after ditching Intel’s x86 silicon chip. The development of Asahi Linux for Macs equipped with Apple chips is in full swing. Except for the recently launched Mac Studio, this initial alpha release of Asahi Linux is compatible with M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max hardware.

How to install linux on m1 mac