Asahi Linux: Problems with the port for Apple's M4
So far, the Linux derivative for Apple machines does not run on computers with the latest chip. Adaptations involve a lot of work.
A penguin cleans itself: Asahi Linux also has to clean itself out for Apple's M4.
(Image: heise online / dmk)
Users who are interested in Asahi Linux on their Mac should check which Apple Silicon chip they have in their device. The current M4 models, just like the predecessor M3, are not yet supported. One of the developers, Sven Peter, recently announced on Mastodon that they are still focused on Macs with M1 and M2. These ARM chips were launched in Macs in 2022 and 2023.
Bootloader doesn't want it yet
"It looks like support for the M4 is going to be quite painful for Asahi Linux." They are still focusing on "upstreaming" the M1 and M2 support. "But a few people have tried to bring [the bootloader] m1n1 to the M4 and it seems like a few things have changed." You're now "thrown into an environment where [Apple's Secure Page Table Monitor] is running in the GL2 register and we're supposed to communicate with it from EL2 (Exception Level 2) with the Memory Management Unit already enabled to set up page tables. This does not work for Linux or for running XNU under our hypervisor to reverse engineer the new hardware."
What this actually means in terms of practical feasibility is still unclear. Even with a raw boot object, all Apple-specific extensions would presumably be disabled. This would not interfere with Linux as such, but there would be no way of gaining insight into the hardware. Peter and other team members are not yet sure what the schedule looks like. Information on the M3 –, which is even more widespread than the more recent M4 –, has also not yet been provided.
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Asahi Linux with changes at the top of the project
The Asahi team has recently undergone further changes. Project manager Hector Martin had already thrown in the towel in February due to burn-out and community conflicts. One of his points of criticism was that he was asked the same thing over and over again –, including when support for M3 and M4 would finally arrive.
"No matter how much we did, how many impossible things we did, people always wanted more. And more. Meanwhile, donations and pledges have slowly dwindled since the project was launched," says Martin in his farewell post.
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