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Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

asahilinux.org

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Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#211

Post by zarkov99 »

abestic9 wrote: post #197
GordonS wrote: post #182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is really promising, but I do think scepticism is warranted - Apple loves their walled gardens.

There's a not-insignificant number of people that want to do more with their Mac than run software from a single marketplace.

Yes, I am one, but is Apple really better off selling more machines but having fewer people inside their eco-system?

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#212

Post by zarkov99 »

brundolf wrote: post #31
raverbashing wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say there might be ongoing work to support Windows/BootCamp but in true Apple tradition (or maybe due to MS delays) it is being kept secret

That would make a lot of sense. Windows is in a tight spot right now because OEMs have lagged on ARM. Apple could offer MS a way out of that, while at the same time giving people one more reason to spend money on a Mac.

Or they could take significant market share away from Windows, possibly permanently, by offering increasingly more performant machines. Seems like a better move to me.

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#213

Post by hurt_and_afraid »

On one hand I'm very excited about the enormous amount of innovation involved in Apple Silicon, and excited about how this will direct the future of the computer manufacturing industry. On the other hand, I'm still wary of buying anything from one of the world's most anti-consumer companies. I'm not the least-bit confident that Apple won't later rescind the ability to boot other Operating Systems. This kind of benevolence is entirely uncharacteristic of a company so fond of walled-gardens.

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#215

Post by Tsiklon »

zinekeller wrote: post #166
marcan_42 wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think recent Intel macs even support "Boot Camp" (CSM) any more. You need to go through UEFI, Boot Camp now is just a software wizard for getting UEFI Windows installed.

You're totally correct, it is indeed just putting the drivers on the installation media and partitioning magic.

On 2017+ machines you don’t even need an external drive, during the partitioning setup it carves out a temporary partition to store the contents of the ISO + their drivers, windows installation customisation etc. And it’s all deleted after the installation of the drivers after windows is installed

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#216

Post by paulryanrogers »

gorkish wrote: post #204

Apple needs to give a little here. I think it's patently ridiculous that we have to enlist the assistance of console hackers in order to have a chance at porting the most used operating system in the entire world to run on hardware that in all likelihood already happily runs it inside of Apple's labs. > In particular, we will be reverse engineering the Apple GPU architecture and developing an open source driver for i…

Apple sells hardware and now services. Software seems to be a cost center. So I doubt a third party OS like Linux will ever be a priority for them in their consumer products.

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#217

Post by bluepizza »

gorkish wrote: post #204

Apple needs to give a little here. I think it's patently ridiculous that we have to enlist the assistance of console hackers in order to have a chance at porting the most used operating system in the entire world to run on hardware that in all likelihood already happily runs it inside of Apple's labs. > In particular, we will be reverse engineering the Apple GPU architecture and developing an open source driver for i…

> This is all a noble goal, but I can't see this as being anything other than a complete and total non-starter with zero cooperation from Apple.

Why? There have been several success cases of reverse engineering in the past, for all sorts of popular and fringe hardware.

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#218

Post by smoldesu »

gorkish wrote: post #204

Apple needs to give a little here. I think it's patently ridiculous that we have to enlist the assistance of console hackers in order to have a chance at porting the most used operating system in the entire world to run on hardware that in all likelihood already happily runs it inside of Apple's labs. > In particular, we will be reverse engineering the Apple GPU architecture and developing an open source driver for i…

Well put, it's very confusing that Apple is willing to reduce the matter of Windows on M1 to a matter of licensing, but Linux on M1 is somehow seen as competition. I was gonna buy an M1 Mac Mini to replace my aging desktop, but Apple can forget my patronage if I can't control the hardware I own.

Re: Asahi Linux: Linux on Apple Silicon project

#219

Post by saagarjha »

klelatti wrote: post #152
mhh__ wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are currently undocumented instructions on M1, and Apple aren't a regular Arm partner so I'm kind of classing it as it's own ISA

I've seen that too! I have a lot of sympathy for what you're saying here but I think classing it as it's own ISA is a bit of a stretch! How much flexibility Apple have with the ISA is an interesting point - I suspect they are pushing the limits of what they can get away with (what's Arm going to do?) Might be different when Nvidia own Arm?

Apple exposes standard aarch64 to developers.
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