Asahi Linux Progress Report: Linux 7.2

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Asahi Linux’s latest progress on bringing a full-featured, upstreamed Linux experience to Apple Silicon Macs impresses many, especially given the lack of official hardware documentation and minimal cooperation from Apple. Commenters weigh the appeal of Apple’s hardware—performance, battery life, display and trackpad quality—against long bring‑up times, repairability concerns, and the fact that most x86 laptops now offer strong Linux support out of the box. The project’s strict anti-LLM policy, limited funding, and reliance on volunteer reverse engineering spark broader calls for right‑to‑repair and open hardware rules so Linux and other systems can run on consumer devices without heroic community efforts.

Project Progress & Technical Achievements

  • Commenters are impressed by the pace and depth of Asahi’s work, especially given the small team and reverse‑engineering burden.
  • New support includes USB 3.0, Thunderbolt on M3 devices, and hypervisor support on M4.
  • Some note that once older SoCs are fully supported, adding new generations should get easier and faster.
  • There is concern about power management and battery life; people hope Linux can eventually approach macOS-level efficiency on Apple Silicon.

Apple’s Openness, Security, and Intentions

  • Debate over whether Apple has made “tremendous effort” or only done the bare minimum to allow alternative OSes.
  • One side emphasizes Apple’s secure-boot design with intentional “escape hatches” for non‑macOS code and the fact they could have fully locked Macs down.
  • The opposing view stresses lack of documentation, locked features, non-user-replaceable parts, and argues Apple is still less friendly to alternative OSes than Intel/AMD ecosystems.
  • Some expect Apple may eventually remove the option for alternative OSes; others see evidence of a deliberate, if limited, accommodation.

Why Run Linux on Macs?

  • Motivations include: superior display, trackpad, and chassis quality; high RAM configs; desire for i3/Sway-style environments; and extending hardware life after macOS support ends.
  • Others argue modern Intel/AMD laptops (ThinkPad, Framework, etc.) now offer good Linux support and improving efficiency, questioning whether M-series is uniquely necessary.
  • Some prefer running Linux in a VM on macOS for easier data sharing and acceptable performance.

Repairability, E‑Waste, and Regulation

  • Concerns about soldered SSDs, cryptographic parts pairing, and lack of spare parts as forms of planned obsolescence.
  • Some personal anecdotes show long SSD life; others report sudden SSD deaths with no warning.
  • Several call for “open hardware” or stronger right‑to‑repair style laws mandating documentation, open bootloaders, and available parts.

Funding, AI Tools, and Project Pace

  • Funding for Asahi is described as modest and declining, limiting access to new hardware.
  • The project has an explicit anti‑LLM policy, viewing LLM-generated code as unsuitable and risky for copyright and Apple NDA–adjacent reasons.
  • A few wonder if this slows development; others frame it as maintaining legal and quality standards rather than a speed issue.