At the end of last year, Linux developer Hector Martin stated that he would try to secure support for Apple’s own M1 chip in future versions of Linux, something that, among others, Linux creator Linus Torvalds previously said was something he wanted.
Now Martin states that he has managed to implement an initial support for Apple’s M1 in Linux SoC code. How well he succeeded in that remains to be seen. It is not a completely uncomplicated task Martin and his co-developers have taken on. Ars Technica writes:
“This is a daunting task. Apple does not offer any community documentation for Apple Silicon, so Martin and cohorts must reverse-engineer the hardware as well as write drivers for it. And this is especially difficult considering the M1 GPU—without first-class graphics support, Asahi cannot possibly offer a first-class Linux experience on M1 hardware such as the 2020 M1 Mac Mini, Macbook Air, and Macbook Pro.”
However, the support for M1 in the upcoming Linux 5.13 is described as being at a basic level and probably not something that can be used for those who hope to be able to run a complete Linux installation on their Apple M1 computer. How far into the future something like this may be, there is so far no information about.
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