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Apr 12, 2001
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Developer Hector Martin, who describes himself as someone who "likes putting Linux on things," has launched a plan to create a Linux port for Apple Silicon Macs.

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Martin, also known as "Marcan," has created a Patreon with the goal of earning enough funding to be able to take on the complexities of bringing Linux to Macs equipped with an M1 chip. Creating a Linux port is no easy task, and Linux creator Linus Torvalds has even said that he doesn't think it's a possibility.

Martin has experience getting Linux running on unusual platforms and has been able to create a Linux port for the PlayStation 4 but he acknowledges that an Apple Silicon Linux port is a much more serious undertaking. Creating a Linux port for Apple's Macs is a full time job, and Martin says that it's not viable without financial support. He's started a Patreon that's asking for $4,000 per month with $3, $6, and $12 pledge tiers. He's 88 percent of the way funded and doesn't plan to start the project unless he gets the full amount.


According to Martin, he's qualified to take on the project because of his experience working on Linux ports for other devices like the PlayStation 4. From the FAQ on his website:
I've been reverse engineering devices for over half of my life, since the early 2000s. I've worked to build unofficial open software support for platforms such as the Nintendo Wii (where I am one of the largest contributors to hardware documentation, open libraries, "jailbreaking" software (The Homebrew Channel), recovery tools (BootMii), etc), the Sony PS3 (where I wrote AsbestOS and a Linux patchset to enable Linux to work on the PS3 Slim as well as up-to-date PS3 units after the original Linux support was removed), the PS4 (which I ported Linux to, to the point of being able to run Steam games with full OpenGL/Vulkan graphics support), and other smaller platforms.

I always strive to write clean and robust code that is safe, puts the user first, and is upstreamable. I support open hardware and software development. I've gone through the Linux kernel patch process multiple times and I know what it takes to get stuff upstreamed.
Martin says that he wants to create a Linux port for Apple Silicon Macs that people "actually want to use" with all basic hardware working, decent power management, and more. The "big time sink" will be GPU support, which is necessary to make the port happen. Martin was able to get the PS4 version up and running because it's using a GPU that's only slightly customized, but Apple Silicon will be more difficult. There's proof of concept, though, in Nouveau, a GPU driver project for NVIDIA cards.


The project is not sanctioned by Apple, but so long as Martin does not use code from macOS to build Linux support, he says it is legal for him to distribute to users. Apple also allows for the booting of custom kernels on Apple Silicon, which paves the way for Linux support, but Martin will need to reverse engineer Apple drivers.

Linus Torvalds earlier this month said that he'd love an M1 Mac if it ran Linux, but that he doesn't feel it's possible without Apple's cooperation. "The main problem with the M1 for me is the GPU and other devices around it, because that's likely what would hold me off using it because it wouldn't have any Linux support unless Apple opens up," said Torvalds. He went on to say that he thinks it "seems unlikely" Apple would open up its chipsets, but "you can always hope."

If the project is funded, and it's looking like it will be, Martin plans to develop in the open with regular pushes to GitHub, and he will accept help from anyone who wants to contribute.

Article Link: Notable Developer Starts Patreon to Fund Apple Silicon Linux Port
 
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I wonder if the lack of eGPU support is due to a hardware limitation or if Apple just does not want to deal with AMD graphics in the M1 version of macOS.

If it is theoretically possible to use an eGPU on the machine, it shouldn't be that hard for the Linux devs to add such support. AMD's drivers for Linux are mostly open-source. Getting the M1's graphics to work on Linux isnt as easy as he makes it sound.
 
Of course the irony is that Macs ARE running Linux, just a heavily customized version.
Not in any way shape or form is macOS based on Linux and I wish this idea would die.

macOS is based on Darwin, which is in turn based on the Mach micro kernel. None of that has anything to do with Linux or Linus Torvalds.

Both run utilities and codebases written by GNU.

All of these are attempts to build a "better" version of UNIX.
 
Of course the irony is that Macs ARE running Linux, just a heavily customized version.
Incorrect.

Their running Darwin/MACH which is Unix based not Linux. Just cause the commands are similar they’re rooted in Unix. Heck even Minux (Linus Torvald’s Linux has roots in Unix). There was a lot of lawsuits from SantaCruz etc around Linux having code or similarities to/of Unix that should’ve been licensed ... it’s a mess. But the core and history of facts is all there.

back on topic ...

I think it would be best to involve RedHat and get their Fedora Core Linux going - it’s always had THE best new technologies for Linux bundled into their nightly’s and stable core builds. Not sure if that’s still current beyond FC10.


Oh and seeing so many of these projects popping up now ... ”hey Steve Balmer eat your heart out ‘Developers, Developers, Developers, Developers!!” Lol.
 
I'm probably going to regret this but what would be the purpose of running Linux?

I tried it out years ago, before I switched to a Mac, and couldn't see the purpose of it.
 
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I'm probably going to regret this but what would be the purpose of running Linux?

I tried it out years ago, before I switched to a Mac, and couldn't see the purpose of it.
There's a little bit of "because I can".
Some people don't like software that they can't see the source code to. The fact they can't understand it, don't have the time to audit it, and don't compile it themselves doesn't matter; they just want to know they could.
Some people also just hate well built, fast, reliable software and like quirky, hard to use and ugly apps.

"Linux" is a kernel, effectively useless to almost anyone. Operating systems build around the Linux kernel, generally, are based around the GNU family of software which now also has its own kernel and is a full OS.

Brief history: for years rms and GNU aimed to build a free OS. They started with the tools (compilers, editors, terminal emulators, etc.) and intended to build the kernel last. Linus came along and said 'I want to build and OS', started with the kernel and scooped up the other 95% of the OS from GNU's stuff and called it Linux.
 
Waste of time. Apple will more than likely lock down the ability to boot from other operating systems.

just like they prevented booting other OS’ with Macs containing a T2.... except oh wait they didn’t.

Of course the irony is that Macs ARE running Linux, just a heavily customized version.
Not only is this not true, even if it were it wouldn’t be ironic.
 
There's a little bit of "because I can".
Some people don't like software that they can't see the source code to. The fact they can't understand it, don't have the time to audit it, and don't compile it themselves doesn't matter; they just want to know they could.
Some people also just hate well built, fast, reliable software and like quirky, hard to use and ugly apps.
I think I tried Linux about the same time I was tired of messing with Windows XP customizations, I was about to build my 4th PC, and I was just tired of messing with all that. I bought a CoreDuo MacBook and never looked back.

And because of that, I'm waiting until revision 2 of the AS Macs. At the time, I didn't know they had switched from PPC to Intel, I just happened to hop on around then. I really wish I had waited for the C2D.
 
I'm probably going to regret this but what would be the purpose of running Linux?

I tried it out years ago, before I switched to a Mac, and couldn't see the purpose of it.
Some people really like Apples hardware build quality. Linus Torvalds, the creator and lead developer of the Linux kernel previously used an intel MBA, and has said he’d like to use an Arm Mac, but getting it (Linux) working well enough (On a new platform) for daily use is a non trivial task, and there’s unlikely to be any support from the hardware vendor (Apple).

It can also be useful for repurposing older Macs once they don’t receive macOS updates any more.
 
I'm probably going to regret this but what would be the purpose of running Linux?

I tried it out years ago, before I switched to a Mac, and couldn't see the purpose of it.
It's much easier to get certain software running on Linux, especially of the open-source variety, *especially* if you're building it yourself. I keep a headless Linux VM running on my Mac at all times for that, and Linux was always my go-to for research while I was in school. All software that I manage via the command line over SSH, not through GUIs.

All the GUIs running on Linux suck, though, especially the desktop environments. Not just difficult to use but actually inefficient. Cinnamon takes more CPU time than anything else on the workstation I use at work, and I've never even logged into it except for my first day, during which I crashed the entire thing trying to drag a folder into a folder.

Funny enough, Linux is also better than macOS for games since Steam Proton only exists for Linux, but idc about games.
 
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Some people really like Apples hardware build quality. Linus Torvalds, the creator and lead developer of the Linux kernel previously used an intel MBA, and has said he’d like to use an Arm Mac, but getting it (Linux) working well enough (On a new platform) for daily use is a non trivial task, and there’s unlikely to be any support from the hardware vendor (Apple).

It can also be useful for repurposing older Macs once they don’t receive macOS updates any more.

bad read on my part. correction retracted.
 
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Without proper documentation, it's very-likely NOT possible !
Marcan knows what he's doing, he ported Linux to the Wii, PS3, and PS4 (and many other devices besides). The version of Linux for the PS4 can run games from Steam.

He's made it clear that the Apple Silicon port will be much harder due to all the custom components, particularly the GPU. But, that's why he set up a Patreon!

I do wonder whether Apple might actually provide some minimal amount of assistance (namely documentation, and possibly making an engineer available to answer occasional questions). It's not necessary, but it would help a lot, and why not help developers who are working to make your hardware more capable?
 
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