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Another catch is that you cannot install Linux (at least Asahi Linux) without first booting macOS, opening up a GUI terminal there and installing Asahi via a sh

Another catch is that you cannot install Linux (at least Asahi Linux) without first booting macOS, opening up a GUI terminal there and installing Asahi via a shellscript downloaded from their website. Also, saying that "lacking GPU support" is the only drawback, is minimizing the issue a bit. Here is the following components that don't currently work with Asahi Linux: - DisplayPort - Thunderbolt - HDMI on the MacBooks - Bluetooth - GPU acceleration - Video codec acceleration - Neural Engine - CPU deep idle - Sleep mode - Camera - Touch Bar

_ph_ 4y ago
I am not sure how the method of installation plays a role and I have not said, that lacking GPU support is the only drawback, just the biggest. The rest is work im progress or already working. But to a few of your points: - HDMI: the MacBook Air doesn't have HDMI, seems to work on the Mini or how are they getting a monitor attached. Or they use DisplayPort, what you listed as not working. - GPU accelleration, I mentioned that. Of course you cannot expect Video accelleration without GPU support - Neural engine: well, most other devices don't even have one. - CPU idle certainly will come, run times are already excellent under Linux. - Touch Bar: except for the M2 Pro, there are no devices with a touch bar left, and I expect the touch bar to go away entirely soon.
- capableweb 4y ago
  > I am not sure how the method of installation plays a role It does, because it means I cannot just install Linux on the machine. I have to have macOS installed and running first, then and only then can I install Linux. It makes the hardware dependent on macOS, even if I just wanna run Linux. Other computers you can have literally nothing on it, and then get Windows or Linux running on it (or macOS even). I didn't make that list myself, it's from the official Asahi website. And I'm not gonna argue against you if each item on the list has a big impact or not. I'm generally a fan of Asahi (and I donate to their efforts each month), I was just putting it out there to show that there are actually a bunch of "drawbacks" (more like missing features) than people in this comment thread is letting on.
  - matthewmacleod 4y ago
    Other computers you can have literally nothing on it, and then get Windows or Linux running on it This is absolutely not the case, of course - it’s just the pre-installed environment you use to install Windows or Linux is called “BIOS” or “UEFI” instead of “macOS”.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - philistine 4y ago
      Exactly. The incapacity to understand what it means to have one company responsible for every component of a computer is incredible.
gjsman-1000 4y ago
This is incorrect as Asahi Linux can also be installed from macOS Recovery, which is the Apple UEFI equivalent.
- capableweb 4y ago
  Can I install macOS Recovery without installing full macOS? If my memory serves my well, macOS Recovery is a part of full macOS, so to get it, you need a full install. If that's true, you still need a full macOS install in order to install Asahi Linux, in comparison to normal laptop/desktop computers which can have nothing on them, but still allow you to install Windows/Linux/macOS.
  - smaccona 4y ago
    Apple computers come with macOS pre-installed, so technically you don’t have to install anything. It’s not possible, as far as I know, to purchase a Mac without macOS already installed.
    - wrycoder 4y ago
      I’m planning on buying an M2 Air. That leaves my mid 2012 Air running Catalina (poorly). I don’t want to continue running the old Catalina system. Is there a way to install Linux on that bare metal? What’s the best approach - direct install, or use something like QEMU underneath?
      - aordano 4y ago
        Typing this from a MacBook Air 2013 running ArchLinux :) You just flash the installer of your favorite distro (don't use ventoy) to a USB and install as usual.
        wrycoder 4y ago
        Do you reformat / partition the drive?
rowanG077 4y ago
Bluetooth works now. and GPU acceleration is "close"

_ph_ 4y ago

I am not sure how the method of installation plays a role and I have not said, that lacking GPU support is the only drawback, just the biggest. The rest is work im progress or already working. But to a few of your points: - HDMI: the MacBook Air doesn't have HDMI, seems to work on the Mini or how are they getting a monitor attached. Or they use DisplayPort, what you listed as not working. - GPU accelleration, I mentioned that. Of course you cannot expect Video accelleration without GPU support - Neural engine: well, most other devices don't even have one. - CPU idle certainly will come, run times are already excellent under Linux. - Touch Bar: except for the M2 Pro, there are no devices with a touch bar left, and I expect the touch bar to go away entirely soon.

capableweb 4y ago
> I am not sure how the method of installation plays a role It does, because it means I cannot just install Linux on the machine. I have to have macOS installed and running first, then and only then can I install Linux. It makes the hardware dependent on macOS, even if I just wanna run Linux. Other computers you can have literally nothing on it, and then get Windows or Linux running on it (or macOS even). I didn't make that list myself, it's from the official Asahi website. And I'm not gonna argue against you if each item on the list has a big impact or not. I'm generally a fan of Asahi (and I donate to their efforts each month), I was just putting it out there to show that there are actually a bunch of "drawbacks" (more like missing features) than people in this comment thread is letting on.
- matthewmacleod 4y ago
  Other computers you can have literally nothing on it, and then get Windows or Linux running on it This is absolutely not the case, of course - it’s just the pre-installed environment you use to install Windows or Linux is called “BIOS” or “UEFI” instead of “macOS”.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - philistine 4y ago
    Exactly. The incapacity to understand what it means to have one company responsible for every component of a computer is incredible.

gjsman-1000 4y ago

This is incorrect as Asahi Linux can also be installed from macOS Recovery, which is the Apple UEFI equivalent.

capableweb 4y ago
Can I install macOS Recovery without installing full macOS? If my memory serves my well, macOS Recovery is a part of full macOS, so to get it, you need a full install. If that's true, you still need a full macOS install in order to install Asahi Linux, in comparison to normal laptop/desktop computers which can have nothing on them, but still allow you to install Windows/Linux/macOS.
- smaccona 4y ago
  Apple computers come with macOS pre-installed, so technically you don’t have to install anything. It’s not possible, as far as I know, to purchase a Mac without macOS already installed.
  - wrycoder 4y ago
    I’m planning on buying an M2 Air. That leaves my mid 2012 Air running Catalina (poorly). I don’t want to continue running the old Catalina system. Is there a way to install Linux on that bare metal? What’s the best approach - direct install, or use something like QEMU underneath?
    - aordano 4y ago
      Typing this from a MacBook Air 2013 running ArchLinux :) You just flash the installer of your favorite distro (don't use ventoy) to a USB and install as usual.
      - wrycoder 4y ago
        Do you reformat / partition the drive?

rowanG077 4y ago

Bluetooth works now. and GPU acceleration is "close"