Is the Linux kernel finally compatible with the Apple M1 chip?

by [email protected] Larry Ewing and The GIMP

The Asahi Linux project, which aims to run Linux on Macs with the 'M1 ' chip, Apple's own Arm-based SoC, has announced that it has integrated initial support for the Apple M1 into its Linux SoC tree. Support for the M1 boot environment is expected to be included in the Linux 5.13 kernel, which is scheduled to be released around July 2021.

kernel / git / soc / soc.git --Nameless repository; edit this file'description' to name the repository.
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/soc/soc.git/commit/?h=for-next&id=0d5fe4b31785b732b71e764b55cda5c8d6e3bbbf

Apple M1 hardware support merged into Linux 5.13 | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/04/apple-m1-hardware-support-merged-into-linux-5-13/

Apple does not provide Apple Silicon community documentation, including the M1 chip, and reverse engineering drivers are required to run the Linux kernel on Apple Silicon-powered Macs.

Under such circumstances, the 'Asahi Linux' project was launched. The Asahi Linux project aims to increase the number of Linux distributions that support Apple Silicon and is under development on GitHub.

Introducing 'Asahi Linux' aiming to work on Mac with Apple Silicon --GIGAZINE

And Arned Bergman, co-maintainer of the arm-soc kernel tree, merged the arm / apple-m1 branch into for-next at midnight on April 8th. This arm / apple-m1 contains only the basic part of the Apple M1 boot environment, and does not include everything necessary for a normal OS. Therefore, it will take some time before Linux is fully functional and used on a daily basis under the Apple M1 boot environment.

The Twitter account for the Asahi Linux project announced on April 9, 2021 that 'the first M1 support will be integrated into the Linux SoC tree and will be introduced in Linux 5.13.'

Initial M1 support has been merged into the Linux SoC tree and will be coming to Linux 5.13! ???? https://t.co/azZwZ2XoLE

— Asahi Linux (@AsahiLinux) April 9, 2021

Note that merging the arm / apple-m1 branch does not guarantee that it will be included in Linux 5.13. 'Technically, Linus Torvalds could refuse to merge, and I hope that doesn't happen,' said Hector Martin, the developer who founded the Asahi Linux project. Did.

(technically Linus could still reject the SoC merge, but I'm kind of hoping we don't run into something there: P)

— Hector Martin (@ marcan42) April 9, 2021

However, being able to merge the arm / apple-m1 branch into for-next means that it has been approved by more than 20 reviewers involved in the development of the Linux kernel, so support for Apple M1 has been implemented in Linux 5.13. It seems that it will be almost confirmed.