Asahi Linux
| Company type | Open source project |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Operating systems |
| Founded | 2021 |
| Founder | Hector Martin |
Area served | Apple Silicon-based Mac devices |
| Products | Linux distribution for Apple Silicon Macs |
| Website | asahilinux |
Asahi Linux is an initiative dedicated to adapting the Linux kernel and associated software for Apple Silicon-based Mac devices. This endeavor was started by Hector Martin and depends heavily on reverse engineering Apple's proprietary system-on-chips, which lack official documentation.
History
After Apple's announcement in late 2020 to shift away from Intel processors, Linux creator Linus Torvalds showed enthusiasm for supporting the Apple M1 Mac but was unable to allocate time for its development. Consequently, Martin established the Asahi Linux project in early 2021 with funding raised through crowdfunding.[1] Alyssa Rosenzweig, recognized for her work on the open-source graphics driver stack Panfrost, joined the team to assist with Apple silicon GPU support.[2] The project confronts significant obstacles due to the absence of publicly available documentation for Apple's proprietary firmware.[3]
The process of booting the Linux kernel on Apple silicon proved to be highly intricate, necessitating thorough reverse engineering of Apple's closed-source boot code. This complex task dominated much of the first year’s efforts and involved submitting numerous pull requests to maintain compatibility with mainline Linux. Additionally, comprehensive documentation detailing the boot sequence was made available on GitHub.[4]
In March 2022, Asahi Linux introduced an experimental alpha installer that provided options including an Arch Linux ARM desktop environment, a minimal setup, or a UEFI shell. This enabled users to install alternative operating systems such as OpenBSD on Apple silicon via USB.[5] There is currently no support or plans to enable booting Microsoft Windows due to the proprietary kernel modifications that would be required.[6]
Complete compatibility across all Apple silicon Macs is anticipated within one to two years following the alpha release.[7] By July 2022, support expanded to include the M1 Ultra, Mac Studio, and initial compatibility with the M2 MacBook Pro.[8]
In August 2023, Asahi Linux formed a collaboration with the Fedora Project to launch Fedora Asahi Remix, which replaced the original Arch-based distribution as its primary operating system.[9] This upstream-first strategy focuses on integrating all modifications into mainline Linux, aiming ultimately to remove the necessity for a distinct distribution.
Fedora Asahi Remix reached Beta status in October 2023 and achieved a stable release three months thereafter.[10][11]
In February 2025, Hector Martin stepped down as project leader citing burnout and difficulties interacting with the Linux kernel community; nonetheless, ongoing development efforts are expected to persist.[12]
Hardware and driver support
A Vulkan driver prototype is currently operational, providing support for OpenGL 4.6 and OpenGL ES 3.2. This driver stands as the sole fully compliant AGX (Apple Silicon GPU) driver compatible with any widely adopted graphics standard. Initially based on the Panfrost driver framework, development has also incorporated Gallium-3D and Rust for Linux APIs. Support for OpenCL enables hardware-accelerated rendering within environments like KDE Plasma, although video decoding capabilities remain unavailable.
HDMI output functions correctly on Apple silicon models such as the Mac mini and MacBook Pros equipped with Pro chips; however, video transmission over Thunderbolt is unsupported. External monitors can be connected through DisplayLink docks.
The operating system kernel is configured exclusively for 16 kB memory pages to optimize performance, which results in alignment challenges for applications designed around 4 kB or 64 kB pages. Since Linux enforces a global page size setting without supporting multiple sizes simultaneously, this poses limitations. The Apple GPU driver accommodates both 4 kB and 16 kB page sizes.
Reception
The initiative has garnered positive feedback. An evaluation in The Register highlighted that it performed remarkably well considering it remains in the alpha development phase. Likewise, Ars Technica commended the project for achieving broad hardware compatibility early on in its development process.