Asahi Linux, the first Linux distribution to support Apple chips
Asahi Linux, the first Linux distribution to support Apple chips
Asahi Linux The first Linux distribution that supports Apple chips has been released to the public.
Also, Asahi is the first Linux distribution to support Apple M1 chips and is now available to the general public. Of course, you should note that this operating system is currently offered in the alpha version, and for this reason, there will probably be bugs in it, and some features may not work properly. However, the release of this distribution is a turning point for Linux. And its development team has promised that new features will be available to users more quickly in the future.
Asahi means “morning sun” in Japanese, so using the name for a leading Linux distribution developed for Apple’s M1 Macs would be appropriate. The development team of this distribution wrote in their blog post:
We’re excited to finally get to the point where Linux is released on PCs with Apple chips. The important thing about installing Easy Linux on a Mac is that your device does not need a jailbreak. In addition, installing this distribution will not affect the security level of your Mac OS installation. So Mac features such as FileVault, running iOS apps, and watching Netflix in 4K resolution will still be available to users.
While the Easy Linux development team has shared a list of system requirements, installation guides, and incompatible features, you should note that the current alpha version is primarily for developers and users who are interested in installing and testing new operating systems. Be aware that it is intended. In other words, the developers have honestly stated that you should expect various bugs and incompatibilities by installing this version of Asah Linux.
To use Asahi Linux Alpha, you have a device equipped with the M1 Pro, M1, or M1 Max chip that runs Mac OS 12.3 or higher. In addition, to install this distribution, you must have at least 53 GB of free storage space available. After running the installer, you will be prompted to change the Mac OS partition (if required), install your new operating system, and then access the Asahi Linux desktop. In the installation description of this Linux distribution, it is written:
A custom remix of Arch Linux ARM comes with the Plasma Desktop environment. And all the basic packages you need to get started with the desktop environment.
In addition, Asahi includes a driver that prepares your system to install this Linux distribution. In addition, the option to install this distribution is in the UEFI environment so that you can boot the operating system installer from the drive connected to USB. You can set this distribution to dual boot mode by default so you can return to the Mac OS environment.
It is quite understandable to see various bugs and incompatibilities in the Linux beta version; Because the developers have marked this version with a big red flag. In this version of Asahi, a large number of Mac input and output ports and some other hardware capabilities are not currently working, the most important of which are listed below:
- DisplayPort
- Thunderbolt
- HDMI on MacBook
- Bluetooth
- GPU accelerator
- Video codec accelerator
- Nervous motor
- Deep CPU off mode
- Sleep mode
- Camera
- Touch bar
However, these shortcomings are due to the amazing work that the developers have done to make this Linux distribution work with support for essentials such as NVMe, USB, WiFi, display, charging port, keyboard, Ethernet (desktop) port, battery info, and more. Are balanced.
Some programs are also not compatible with the Asahi alpha version. For example, chromium does not work well in this distribution, and Emacs have problems. However, bug fixes are currently underway. And other apps running Jemalloc and Libunwind will not work properly in this initial alpha.
For more information on Linux security, installation notes, and frequently asked questions. You can refer to the blog post about this operating system. In addition, you can follow all the updates and fixes of this Linux distribution by following the official Asahi Linux Twitter account.
