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Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

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Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#11

Post by mort96 »

throw728349 wrote: post #4
einsteinx2 wrote: post #2

I really love what Asahi Linux is doing, but given Apple’s yearly release cadence of new chips, it feels like a Sisyphean task. Though in the plus side, even the base M1 is so capable that even if they stopped there it would be useful for years to come.

[flagged]

Since they didn't mention a computer line but rather a CPU, I assume they used "base M1" to mean the CPU called "M1" as opposed to the "M1 Pro" or "M1 Max" or "M1 Ultra". I don't think they were referring to "base M1 MacBook Pro" or "base M1 MacBook Air" or "base M1 Mac Mini".

And they're right, the "base M1" (as in not the Pro, Max or Ultra) is a very capable chip.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#12

Post by einsteinx2 »

ForHackernews wrote: post #8
einsteinx2 wrote: post #2

I really love what Asahi Linux is doing, but given Apple’s yearly release cadence of new chips, it feels like a Sisyphean task. Though in the plus side, even the base M1 is so capable that even if they stopped there it would be useful for years to come.

We're witnessing the end of the IBM PC-compatible era, and maybe more ominously of general-purpose personal computing. The future looks like custom chipsets with signed bootloaders that only run signed OEM applications. You will not have root on any of the devices you nominally own.

The tide does seem to be turning that way, though I do think it will be possible to buy general purpose computers for the foreseeable future.

Also as a minor counter point, the only reason Asahi is even possible is that Apple explicitly designed in support for booting other operating systems into the M-series chips. They certainly could have locked them down just like they did the iPhone and iPad, but they didn't. That was a conscious choice according to the Asahi folks.

So while they may not be sharing technical documentation/drivers or otherwise making it easy on the Asahi devs, even the famously "walled garden" Apple seems to have explicitly not restricted their new line of computers in the way you're describing.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#13

Post by mort96 »

bestouff wrote: post #10
mort96 wrote: post #5

I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it with a new MacBook Pro in not too long. But honestly, losing Linux support would be pretty devastating. Docker and virtualization just isn't the same. There's lots of interesting stuff you can do with your hardware in Linux, there's for example Linux-specific software which puts the WiFi card in promiscuous mode and do…

I used to have the same one, with Asahi. There were some problems which were never fixed (battery drain in sleep mode, no working Thunderbolt ...). Now job will give me a brand new one (I guess M4 or M5), I don't know how I'll do to run Linux on this. Either it'll be a VM or I'll use my own thinkpad. So sad.

The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#14

Post by einsteinx2 »

mort96 wrote: post #11
throw728349 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Since they didn't mention a computer line but rather a CPU, I assume they used "base M1" to mean the CPU called "M1" as opposed to the "M1 Pro" or "M1 Max" or "M1 Ultra". I don't think they were referring to "base M1 MacBook Pro" or "base M1 MacBook Air" or "base M1 Mac Mini". And they're right, the "base M1" (as in not the Pro, Max or Ultra) is a very capable chip.

> I assume they used "base M1" to mean the CPU called "M1" as opposed to the "M1 Pro" or "M1 Max" or "M1 Ultra".

Yep, that is exactly what I meant.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#15

Post by achandlerwhite »

throw728349 wrote: post #4
einsteinx2 wrote: post #2

I really love what Asahi Linux is doing, but given Apple’s yearly release cadence of new chips, it feels like a Sisyphean task. Though in the plus side, even the base M1 is so capable that even if they stopped there it would be useful for years to come.

[flagged]

do you have a link or anything that supports this claim? As I recall it was an error in the reporting utility not the drives themselves.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#16

Post by intrasight »

mort96 wrote: post #13
bestouff wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to have the same one, with Asahi. There were some problems which were never fixed (battery drain in sleep mode, no working Thunderbolt ...). Now job will give me a brand new one (I guess M4 or M5), I don't know how I'll do to run Linux on this. Either it'll be a VM or I'll use my own thinkpad. So sad.

The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.

Honest question: why would you care about battery in your daily driver? aren't you sitting or standing at a desk?

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#17

Post by rjdj377dhabsn »

mort96 wrote: post #13
bestouff wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to have the same one, with Asahi. There were some problems which were never fixed (battery drain in sleep mode, no working Thunderbolt ...). Now job will give me a brand new one (I guess M4 or M5), I don't know how I'll do to run Linux on this. Either it'll be a VM or I'll use my own thinkpad. So sad.

The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.

Why not just suspend to disk?

My Asus laptop with 32 GB of RAM is 4 years old, but resumes from the encrypted swap partition in under 5 seconds, which is fast enough for me.

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#19

Post by simjnd »

mort96 wrote: post #5

I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it with a new MacBook Pro in not too long. But honestly, losing Linux support would be pretty devastating. Docker and virtualization just isn't the same. There's lots of interesting stuff you can do with your hardware in Linux, there's for example Linux-specific software which puts the WiFi card in promiscuous mode and do…

On macOS you can use OrbStack [1] for a much better experience working with Docker on Mac, as well as quickly spinning up headless Linux VMs (WSL on Mac kind of thing). The free tier will probably be rug-pulled someday, but I've been using it for a couple of years and it makes my life a lot easier when I'm on macOS.

[1]: https://orbstack.dev/

Re: Asahi Linux Still Working on Apple M3 Support, M1n1 Bootloader Going Rust

#20

Post by mort96 »

intrasight wrote: post #16
mort96 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.

Honest question: why would you care about battery in your daily driver? aren't you sitting or standing at a desk?

When I'm at my desk at my office I use my Linux desktop. My use case for my laptop is to use when I'm out and about, commuting on the train or bus, visiting people, or just relaxing on the couch.
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