Asahi Linux for Apple M1 progress report, August 2021 (asahilinux.org)

Article summary

The Asahi Linux project has made significant progress in bringing Linux to Apple M1 devices, with the core bring-up work being upstreamed into Linux 5.13. The project has also developed a hypervisor to reverse engineer the M1 hardware, which has allowed them to make progress on supporting the display controller. The display controller, known as DCP, is a complex piece of hardware that requires a bespoke implementation. The project expects to require specific firmware versions for Linux support, starting with the firmware released with macOS 12.

Main themes

• Asahi Linux progress
• M1 hardware reverse engineering
• DCP support
• GPU support
• ARM compatibility
• Custom kernel installation risks
• Firmware version support
• Hypervisor development

What commenters say

• Installing a custom kernel on an M1 device may void the warranty or cause data corruption, so it should be done with caution.
• The risks of installing a custom kernel can be mitigated by using a spare machine and understanding the potential risks.
• The Asahi Linux project's progress is impressive, but the complexity of the M1 hardware and the need for reverse engineering make it a challenging task.
• The project's goal of getting the GPU working by the end of the year is ambitious, but achievable with continued progress.
• The lack of support for other ARM hardware makes the M1 a crucial platform for testing ARM compatibility.
• The use of a hypervisor to reverse engineer the M1 hardware is a novel approach that has allowed the project to make significant progress.
• The complexity of the DCP interface and the need for a bespoke implementation make it a difficult task to support the display controller.
• The project's decision to only support specific firmware versions may limit its compatibility with different macOS versions.