4 ms·
I really fear that Linux might get left behind as Apple and Microsoft go after this ARMs-race (pun intended). At least Microsoft requires UEFI with their ARM o
by djsumdog 6y ago
I really fear that Linux might get left behind as Apple and Microsoft go after this ARMs-race (pun intended).
At least Microsoft requires UEFI with their ARM offerings, but often the bootloaders are locked. I love Linux and I love running it natively. Currently I can grab almost any Dell, HP, Lenovo, MSI, etc. desktop/laptop and there's a very good chance all the hardware will work with mainline Linux. If I get a laptop with replaceable Wi-Fi on those little PCI-E or M.2 cards, I can pretty much get past any hardware limitations.
Microsoft pretends they're onboard with Linux, but they still have hundreds of thousands (maybe millions? I don't think they sold that well) Nokia Lumina Windows phones that are e-waste bricks. They've released no docs for people who want to make Linux drivers and people have had to find exploits to unlock their bootloaders.
PostmarketOS is making some amazing strides, but they can't keep up with all these new incompatible ARM devices. PC architecture based Intel x86/64 devices allowed for Linux to thrive in the niece hacker/developer world. ARM has no standards for basic-input-output or device management (please don't say "device tree." It's garbage and no one uses it).
Alternatively, Intel or AMD need to step up their game and show the x86_64 instruction set can be implemented in such a way to get some of the same speed boosts seen on the M1. I'm not sure which one we'll see going forward, but I hope Linux doesn't get left behind.
- africanboy 6y agoVery important points We are to a point where we could be forced to trade performances for openness
- tempfs 6y agoI mean Raspberry Pi's are ARM and there are more than a few of these are running Linux(Raspian/Arch/etc/). Linux will run on pretty much anything given an ounce of driver support. I'm not that overly worried about Linux and ARM. Microsoft is the one that should be worried!
- djsumdog 6y agoYes, but each distribution has to make a custom image for each Pi. One of my favorite distros, Void Linux, only has support for the Pi 1, 2 and 3: https://voidlinux.org/download/ https://voidlinux.org/download/ (click on arm platforms) The Pi3 image does not work on the Pi 4. There are mentions on the bug tracker and how to patch in support, but this wouldn't happen at all on a UEFI+x86 system. You'd always be able to boot to a prompt on over 90% of motherboards.
- glandium 6y ago> At least Microsoft requires UEFI with their ARM offerings, but often the bootloaders are locked. AFAIK, that's not true with their ARM64 offerings.
- klelatti 6y agoWhilst I have sympathy on many of your points and understand frustration the answer cannot be neverending lock-in to the Intel/AMD duopoly. How many x86 based netbooks are e-waste now (despite being able to run linux) because the hardware simply wasn't up to the job?
- djsumdog 6y agoSure, they can be e-waste, but I can always pick up and old one and put Linux on it and there's a good chance I can get it working with a simple Live USB/CD, maybe some additional drivers. The barrier to getting old ARMs to work is MUCH higher. Would a lot of them get thrown out anyway even if there was a Linux option? Most likely, but the option isn't even there.
- buss 6y agoDo we need to push legislation to ensure unlocked bootloaders? Or even a "click this box to void your warranty and unlock the bootloader".