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I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it with a new MacBook Pro in not too long. But honestly, losin

by mort96 1y ago

I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it with a new MacBook Pro in not too long. But honestly, losing Linux support would be pretty devastating. Docker and virtualization just isn't the same. There's lots of interesting stuff you can do with your hardware in Linux, there's for example Linux-specific software which puts the WiFi card in promiscuous mode and does useful stuff with that. That sort of software doesn't work virtualized. And I have all sorts of issues with loopback devices in Docker in macOS; 'losetup --partscan' doesn't seem to work at all, even in a privileged container. For these sorts of things, having a genuine bare-metal Linux install I can reboot into is invaluable. I wish things had turned out otherwise, and we didn't have to choose between buying a Mac without Linux support and buying a 3-5 year old Mac with Linux support. And I expect that as time goes on, Asahi will just fall further and further behind. I'm not really sure what to do. Maybe this MacBook Pro was just a one-off, and I have to go back to buying Windows laptops and putting Linux on them. But they just aren't as nice.

bestouff 1y ago
I used to have the same one, with Asahi. There were some problems which were never fixed (battery drain in sleep mode, no working Thunderbolt ...). Now job will give me a brand new one (I guess M4 or M5), I don't know how I'll do to run Linux on this. Either it'll be a VM or I'll use my own thinkpad. So sad.
- mort96 1y ago
  The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.
  - intrasight 1y ago
    Honest question: why would you care about battery in your daily driver? aren't you sitting or standing at a desk?
    - mort96 1y ago
      When I'm at my desk at my office I use my Linux desktop. My use case for my laptop is to use when I'm out and about, commuting on the train or bus, visiting people, or just relaxing on the couch.
      - intrasight 1y ago
        I do that too. But it's like 5% of my computer usage time. And maybe 10% of that fracrion I don't have access to power outlet. My point is that it's just a tiny fraction - for me anyway.
    - wara23arish 1y ago
      which begs the question why even get a laptop as a daily driver people do it all the time for gaming laptops etc when probably 99% of their usage is at the same desk
      - iknowstuff 1y ago
        I would go nuts if I was confined to working from one spot. Versatility and mobility are too important to give up. And there’s no tradeoff with apple silicon.
        heavyset_go 1y ago
        > And there’s no tradeoff with apple silicon. I would imagine there would be more thermal throttling and throttling to reduce power usage on a Macbook versus a machine that wasn't designed to be mobile.
      - mort96 1y ago
        I have a desktop, but I could imagine a life with only a laptop. Sure, maybe 99% of my usage would be at one desk, but if I need that other 1%, I need a laptop. It's the desktop that's an optional nice-to-have. And not everyone can afford or wants to have two computers which are powerful enough to do what they need. In reality, far more than 1% of my computer use happens away from the desk where my desktop is located. I'm guessing I'm not alone in that.
  - rjdj377dhabsn 1y ago
    Why not just suspend to disk? My Asus laptop with 32 GB of RAM is 4 years old, but resumes from the encrypted swap partition in under 5 seconds, which is fast enough for me.
    - cmurf 1y ago
      If UEFI Secure Boot is enabled, Fedora kernels detect this and lockdown. And hibernation is then disabled. The reason is lack of an autheticated hibernation image. This work has had several proposals but still isn't implemented. I'm not sure of the status on other distro kernels but allowing it would be a significant bypass of Secure Boot's purpose.
      - fluoridation 1y ago
        Can secure boot be disabled on Macs?
        GeekyBear 1y ago
        Macs allow the device owner to install an OS that isn't signed at all, without having it degrade the security of the system when you do boot into MacOS.
        fluoridation 1y ago
        Fine, but can it be disabled? If secure boot is interfering with another function of the computer, the owner might decide they prefer hibernation over secure boot.
        wtallis 1y ago
        I think what you're missing is that "secure boot" isn't a system-wide on/off thing on a Mac, it's a per-OS thing. And UEFI Secure Boot specifically is something that only exists on a Mac to the extent that Asahi shoehorns it into a system that doesn't natively do anything UEFI-related. It would be very surprising if Asahi Linux didn't still provide a way to skip their UEFI Secure Boot code paths and just plain boot.
- Lerc 1y ago
  How Linux-like can you make a Mac act without changing OS now? It's been a few years since I used a Mac regularly, but even back then you could go a fair way towards making it seem nice enough to use.
  - viraptor 1y ago
    You can mostly do that, but: forget about system wide debugging, desktop shell changes, easy security sandboxes, being able to just run new AI software (they're often assuming cuda or CPU), building obscure software without patching makefiles. And the get the general feeling of "whatever I want to change, I'm fighting against the system".
- whitehexagon 1y ago
  I do a full shutdown, since it boots from cold into Asahi in ~30s (M1 Pro). Plus I´d rather have a laptop that I know is shutdown, than this crazy 'we might need to do an update whilst it's in your backpack' fake sleeps. I think my next laptop will be M2 Pro/Max, but honestly at the moment I dont see the need for anything faster. And having discovered Asahi, I dont think I could ever go back to a BigTech commercial Ad platform OS. This feels like My computer.
simjnd 1y ago
On macOS you can use OrbStack [1] for a much better experience working with Docker on Mac, as well as quickly spinning up headless Linux VMs (WSL on Mac kind of thing). The free tier will probably be rug-pulled someday, but I've been using it for a couple of years and it makes my life a lot easier when I'm on macOS. [1]: https://orbstack.dev/ https://orbstack.dev/
- mort96 1y ago
  And you're saying that this can set my WiFi card in promiscuous mode as if I was running Linux bare metal?
  - simjnd 1y ago
    I'm not. You mentioned Docker and virtualisation and this tool has addressed most of my pain points with those, that's it.
    - mort96 1y ago
      Sounds like it doesn't address my pain points then...
      - simjnd 1y ago
        Indeed, I misunderstood "Docker and virtualization isn't the same" as "Docker and virtualization on Mac is not as good as on Linux". Now I understand you meant "Docker and virtualizating Linux isn't the same as bare metal Linux".
        mort96 1y ago
        Oh, I get the misunderstanding now. Yeah I meant that Docker and virtualization isn't the same as bare-metal Linux. Sorry for being a bit unclear
      - carlosjobim 1y ago
        [flagged]
Forgeties79 1y ago
I get this feeling but frankly I feel more comfortable running Linux on 2+ year old hardware than brand new hardware having experienced both now, if for no other reason than all the questions you have have probably been asked and answered. And yeah each iteration of the M chip has gotten better, but even a standard M1 is a very capable chip these days. My work laptop is a 2021 MBpro. M1, 16gb ram, nothing special. Still very capable machine for video editing. One of my department livestream machines is an M4 Mac mini, 16gb ram as well. I regularly juggle between the two and the only two big things I notice are 1) multi screen support (M1 can only push to one external which is annoying), and 2) noticeably better but not wildly improved render times (admittedly this difference is a bit more stark when you’re doing heavy lifts like resolve fusion comps and intense coloring/masking). On any given day they are basically the same machine to me. Suffice to say if you’re running on an M3 right now and are feeling the need for an M5, unless you’re doing really bleeding edge heavy duty work, I just don’t think there’s that much you’re missing out on. So Linux on an M3 to me is great.
dangus 1y ago
My advice is if you’re truly a Linux user first, give up the idea that Mac hardware is the only best/acceptable hardware. Break the cycle and don’t just buy Apple because their hardware is 10% better than competitors. The market really isn’t limited to “buying a windows laptop and putting Linux onto it” anymore. Lots of OEMs support Linux as a first-class citizen. For me personally I’m enjoying my Framework laptop a lot. Is it the same kind of hardware polish as a Mac? No, of course not. But owning a Framework is like owning an Apple in the sense that the community has fully integrated Framework systems into the ecosystem. One command installs Framework fan profiles into Bazzite Linux. One command inside Linux updates UEFI and device firmware, try doing that with Windows! Is the battery like half as good as a MacBook Pro? Yeah. It sucks a little bit. But also, owning/carrying around a $50 portable battery isn’t such a bad thing, and the weight difference is a wash since the 13” Framework is lighter than the 14” MacBook Pro. And on the plus side, I paid a less than MacBook Air money for a system with 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM (DIY previous AMD generation model), fully upgradable, fully repairable, with customizable I/O. A new battery is DIY, $60, not $250 with a wait for service. Replacing a broken screen is DIY $200, not $700 and a visit to the Apple service depot. One day, I’m sure framework will be selling an ARM mainboard with similar battery life compared to a Mac, and when that day comes I don’t even have to buy a whole new system to get one. And on top of all that, it’s still a nice laptop that feels premium even though it’s assembled DIY. I’d say the keyboard is better than a Mac keyboard (though the trackpad isn’t). But also, there are other OEMs where running Linux is a joy and a breeze, along with being fully supported and even sold preinstalled. System76, Lenovo, Dell, and HP all have Linux-supported configurations.
- notepad0x90 1y ago
  I don't think any other competitor makes hardware of a similar class in terms of quality. Framework is great, but it doesn't even come close in terms of quality. Specs are one thing, how the product looks, feels, attention to detail, and most importantly: long term viability! even if you take away everything else, macbooks are though. I've used a couple for over a decade with no hardware repair (except when I broke a screen). Most mac users have similar experiences, so it's not survivor's bias. If all you care about is specs or open hardware, obviously Apple hardware is not for you. I don't want framework or system76 to move to ARM, a lot of people like me still _need_ x86 hardware.
moffkalast 1y ago
[flagged]
- gavinsyancey 1y ago
  This is false. Per the asahi project, https://asahilinux.org/docs/platform/security/#apples-unspoken-agreement https://asahilinux.org/docs/platform/security/#apples-unspok... > When documenting the security model, Apple use the example of an XNU kernel developer wishing to test their changes on a second macOS installation. It is apparent however that the platform security model was engineered to allow third party operating systems to coexist with macOS in a way that does not compromise any of Apple's security guarantees for macOS itself. *Rumours circulating that Apple are actively hostile towards efforts such as Asahi, or that their security must be bypassed or jailbroken to run untrusted code are unfounded and false*. In fact, Apple have expended effort and time on _improving_ their security tooling in ways that _only_ improve the execution of non-macOS binaries. Regarding Framework laptops being "Macs for Linux," Frameworks are fantastic in their own way but they don't come anywhere near the build quality (or battery life) you get with a Mac.
- soupy-soup 1y ago
  IIRC, when the Asahi project first started, Apple's response was they they didn't care about the project, and would make no efforts to hinder or help them. They also hinted that running an alternate OS was an acceptable use of device. We will see if they continue that attitude.
  - Forgeties79 1y ago
    Man you randomly reminded me of when magic lantern was completely changing the game with their firmware side load on Canon DSLR’s. Then after a few years Canon decided “nah screw y’all” as they quietly pushed a firmware update that blocked it.
Teever 1y ago
Can you tell me more about promiscuous mode in Asahi? I'm not able to find much reliable stuff when I search. Is they possible with the built in WiFi chipsets?
- mort96 1y ago
  Promiscuous mode is just when the WiFi chipset picks up all the WiFi packet it sees. In the normal mode, the chipset will drop everything that's meant for a different MAC address. The ability to switch to promiscuous mode is very common, and Linux exposes generic APIs to switch an interface to promiscuous mode if the driver supports it.
hanikesn 1y ago
>I'm not really sure what to do. Maybe this MacBook Pro was just a one-off, and I have to go back to buying Windows laptops and putting Linux on them. But they just aren't as nice. Why would you think that? They're working hard on upstreaming all patches ATM, adding new hardware support will be much easier afterwards.
- mort96 1y ago
  And what's the ETA for M5 support?
  - scuff3d 1y ago
    [flagged]
    - bigyabai 1y ago
      Alternatively, you can buy a laptop from an OEM that doesn't play keep-away with the Linux upstream using their drivers. I write lots of Linux software but I have no intention to explicitly support Asahi or Macs whatsoever. Apple's greed is not something I will support with my money or my time, if Apple wants to court the Linux community then they can do it the same way Intel, AMD and Nvidia get along with us. Making your fans reverse-engineer devicetree drivers is just insulting. Mac hardware is and will be a second-rate Linux experience, which is a shame because Apple could be competing with Nvidia for market share if they simply gave a shit.
      - rogerrogerr 1y ago
        It's really pretty incredible - that people are putting up with Apple's "keep-away" is evidence of just how unbelievably far ahead they are in hardware.
        bigyabai 1y ago
        Or it could be a symbol of an unhealthy emotional attachment to Apple, that customers perceive to be symbiotic but business-wise is wholly parasitic. Like I said, Apple could be a real player... if they had any incentive to compete.
psanford 1y ago
I had an M2 air running asahi that I loved and had similar worries. I ended up buying a maxed out refurbished M2 which I expect will last me a few more years.
- evertedsphere 1y ago
  how's the battery life / what's your usual workload
gedy 1y ago
Son has a Framework with Linux and he prefers it to a MacBook Pro (with or without Linux).
- smm11 1y ago
  Yeah, run Linux on the laptop made for it, and OS X on the laptop made for it. Asahi is a bit like DOOM.
doctorpangloss 1y ago
another POV is that Asahi Linux would get way more adoption if it were "just" a better way to run Linux VMs and containers on macOS.
- mort96 1y ago
  I don't see the connection between Asahi and Linux VMs. All the work in Asahi is about making drivers for Apple's hardware and board bring-up, none of that is relevant for VMs. It sounds like you're saying Asahi Linux would get more adoption if it was something completely different which shares nothing at all with what Asahi actually is?
a-dub 1y ago
lenovo p1 and x1 are pretty nice. lunar lake machines are posting macintarm style benchmarks for battery life for light tasks. the screens are matte by default. you can upgrade ram and disk rather than discard (all the framework hype has been the thinkpad standard of upgradability for over a decade). the keyboards are fantastic. they have a pointer stick. no unified cpu/gpu memory, but you can get nvidia gpus and work with cuda rather than mlx. it's actually getting really good.
pmarreck 1y ago
I have a Framework laptop and it's pretty sweet. I also own an M4 so I can compare the two. The M4 wins on slickness due to 1) unibody 2) Apple Silicon (and running local AI models, and the occasional game that is actually optimized for Mac like BG3) 3) excellent screen (HDR, high contrast, etc.), but the Framework wins on cool-ness and, frankly, ethics. (Especially since I put NixOS on it with ZFS-on-root mirrored across 2 internal SSD's.)
johnboiles 1y ago
> there's for example Linux-specific software which puts the WiFi card in promiscuous mode and does useful stuff with that In the past, I've made this specific thing work with USB passthrough, Virtualbox, and external USB WiFi adapters with monitor mode support.
ActorNightly 1y ago
>I'm not really sure what to do. Get any of the modern laptops with good battery life, install linux + Elementary OS without any hacks or workarounds (or better yet, i3wm which is the best window manager for laptops), and never look back. Or do what I do, which is buy $200 dells/thinkpads of ebay, and for anything requiring CPU, just ssh into your home server. Personally I went a step further and use a lapdock with a samsung phone - acts like a laptop with Termux, and I can do pretty much everything with good battery life, because lapdock battery also charges the phone.
- wetpaws 1y ago
  [dead]
- Difwif 1y ago
  I used to be in this camp until I tried and bought an M1 Macbook as my daily driver. I thought I was going to be Thinkpad/XPS w/ Linux until I die. I don't love MacOS but POSIX is mostly good enough for me and the hardware is so good that I'm willing to look past the shortfalls. Seriously I would love to switch back to a full-time Linux distro but I'm more interested in getting work done and having a stable & performant platform. Loosing a day of productivity fixing drivers and patching kernels gets old. The M-series laptops have been the perfect balance for me so far.
  - mikeweiss 1y ago
    This was me too. It just works and it's nice to use. Sometimes life's too short to be hacking around all day.
  - prmoustache 1y ago
    >Loosing a day of productivity fixing drivers and patching kernels gets old. You are talking like it was 1997. The typical linux users don't have to do that. Only those who buy unsupported devices on purpose for the challenge to make them work.
    - Difwif 1y ago
shepherdjerred 1y ago
I wonder if you’ll find apples native contains support useful at all https://github.com/apple/container https://github.com/apple/container
- hamandcheese 1y ago
  "Native" is a misnomer as it is still virtualizing Linux.
- mort96 1y ago
  No, it doesn't really solve any of the issues I mention.
baby 1y ago
Why is docker so bad on mac and why is apple not fixing that?
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- oblio 1y ago
  Because they don't care and don't have to care.
- zbentley 1y ago
  There is now work from Apple in that direction: https://github.com/apple/container https://github.com/apple/container No idea what the future of that project, or its potential integration with other container management systems might be, but it is certainly interesting at first glance.
  - baby 1y ago
    According to chatgpt: Why Not Use Apple Containers Instead? Because Apple containers: Aren’t meant for system-level isolation — they’re for app sandboxing. Don’t provide process namespaces, cgroups, or Linux syscalls, which are essential to containerization. Wouldn’t be compatible with the entire Linux-based Docker ecosystem (images, tooling, etc.). So Docker sticks with Linux containers, running them in a VM layer on macOS.
- jemmyw 1y ago
  Because docker containers need to run on a Linux kernel so it requires some form of VM on non Linux systems. No matter how well integrated that is it's never going to be as lightweight as running containers on Linux. It wouldn't be a trivial task to implement an emulation, if that's even possible.
m463 1y ago
Most engineers/scientists/tech people will just have to understand at a fundamental level that they are just not the target market for apple. That is the kind of thing that needs a strong vision from the top to provide.
- oblio 1y ago
  The eternal optimism of the techie mind. I saw this coming when Asahi was launched. What they did was impressive but nobody is superhuman and inherently Apple is all about control. Linux will always be - at best - a third rate citizen.
  - EbEsacAig 1y ago
    /thread
jacquesm 1y ago
My daily driver is a 2014 Thinkpad. The only mod compared to stock is that I maxed out the ram. It's been an absolutely amazing machine, especially given that it cost all of $200 second hand (W540). I find it really hard justifying buying hardware that doesn't allow me to do anything that I couldn't do before. Up to 2003 or so I was always chasing the latest and the greatest but now I find that I can do everything I need on this old beast.
- EbEsacAig 1y ago
  I used to have a W540. It was a stunningly useful and practical machine. Fond memories.
  - jacquesm 1y ago
    It's indestructible too.
- ac29 1y ago
  I got a new laptop recently and while I didnt need more speed or memory, the fact that it uses less than half the energy as my previous laptop (and correspondingly lasts more than twice as long on battery) is extremely nice. As an aside - I was under the impression x86 chips were still way behind Apple in battery life, but this doesnt seem to be the case. My new computer has a generation or two old Intel CPU (Meteor Lake) and I am getting 12+ hours out of a ~50Wh battery.
EbEsacAig 1y ago
> I wish things had turned out otherwise, and we didn't have to choose between buying a Mac without Linux support and buying a 3-5 year old Mac with Linux support. And I expect that as time goes on, Asahi will just fall further and further behind. IMO your expectation is correct. Such is the fate of all reverse engineering projects, or more generally, all heroism-based projects. Heroism is not sustainable. A sustainable business model is sustainable.
- mycall 1y ago
  There is no reason heroism cannot be a sustainable business model. Social entrepreneurship, B-corps, even Patagonia or Ben & Jerry's embed environmental or social activism directly into their core strategy and values.
thiht 1y ago
> I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it Why though? My 2021 M1 still feels more beefy than pretty much any other laptop on the market. I have a M1, and an M4 for work and I barely feel any difference between the 2, they’re pretty much top notch. Sure, the M4 pro is more future proof, I can imagine myself still using my M1 in 2030 and my M4 in 2035. But I honestly don’t see the point in replacing an M1 with an M4 today. Just my opinion though, I’m sure you have your own reasons for wanting to upgrade (I would guess RAM), but manage your expectations: the M1 is still an amazing machine.
- killingtime74 1y ago
  “640K ought to be enough for anybody.” M5 is roughly twice the speed of M1 now. It's a no brainer other than money. 4 years of wear and tear and battery cycles is also not nothing.
  - benoau 1y ago
    It's a bit like Bugatti being faster than a Lamborghini... M1 is so good Apple is still making MacBook Airs with it, and that's still better than most PCs on the market heh.
- mort96 1y ago
  Don't get me wrong, it still is an excellent machine. But the prospect of over double the multi-core performance and 1.5x the single-core performance, hopefully equating to close to half the compile times, is tempting. Wildly better GPU performance would also be useful now and then. I'd also take the opportunity to get more RAM (16GB is usually enough but not always) and more storage (1TB is sometimes a bit tight to be honest and I find myself uninstalling things to make space for other things). Do I need it? No, of course not. But could I make use of the extra power? For sure. And shiny new things are fun.
- doublebind 1y ago
  My 32GB RAM M1 is a fantastic machine, but it's getting old for the type of work I do. And I can't upgrade the RAM. I installed Omarchy via Asahi Alarm [1] and have been running it for 3 weeks without issues. I spent half a day setting everything to my taste (keyboard bindings, monitors, waybar, etc.), and I'm still getting used to Hyprland, but I have a fast machine. RAM usage with everything I need open is considerably lower than on macOS (80% -> 50%), and I don't have to pay a monthly subscription for every little piece of software not built into macOS. Asahi isn't perfect (touchpad rejection being my main issue), but I can live with the inconveniences. This is still a very good machine, and I can't afford a new one right now. [1] https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/pull/1897 https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/pull/1897
heavyset_go 1y ago
Thanks for pointing out one thing that gets lost in a lot of these discussions: the fact that the Linux kernel itself is something that is desirable, especially if you're a power user, sys/networking/etc admin or developer. There are so many big and little things you get for free with the kernel running directly on your hardware that you just don't, and can't, get on macOS or Linux VMs.
- vpShane 1y ago
  It is desirable. a bit off topic: I forgot the login to my Mac M1 and now I can't 'install Linux' on it, due to 'activation lock' - no apple support since I can't remember the phone number or e-mail and got it from e-bay. it worked, installed Mac, but I went full Linux and let it sit for a minute. Apple Support told me in their own words it's bricked. It's mine. I own it. I'd _love_ to play with M1 with my own Linux install. I'm not about to open it up and unsolder/solder things though.
  - heavyset_go 1y ago
    It's rough hearing that something similar is still an issue. I had a similar problem[1], like... 10 years ago now, with the original iPad Mini. Apple support told me they couldn't do anything about it and I was essentially locked out of my own device forever. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26482635 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26482635
  - ValentineC 1y ago
    > I forgot the login to my Mac M1 and now I can't 'install Linux' on it, due to 'activation lock' - no apple support since I can't remember the phone number or e-mail and got it from e-bay. You got locked out of your own Apple account? I don't see how getting it used from eBay matters.
d3Xt3r 1y ago
> go back to buying Windows laptops and putting Linux on them. But they just aren't as nice. There are native Linux laptops from several manufacturers such as Slimbook, Star Labs, System76, Tuxedo etc. Or if you prefer mainstream OEMs both Lenovo and Dell sell laptops with Linux preloaded (or have official Linux compatibility listed on the spec sheet). And of course, there's also Framework, if you're in the lucky 10% of the world's population where they ship to. Personally I'm a big fan of ThinkPads - I have the Z13 Gen 1 and it's honestly running Linux on it has been one of the best non-MacBook laptop experiences I've ever had. Just picture this: all day battery life, suspend/resume that works 100% of the time, every bit of firmware upgradable from within Linux (fwupd) and literally *zero* errors in the dmesg/boot logs. I've had this machine for over 3 years now (running Bazzite and CachyOS, both on KDE) and have had no major with either the hardware or software. I've also got an M1 MacBook Air, and the only thing it does better is the battery life, but otherwise I vastly prefer my ThinkPad. Happy to answer any questions.
- jpdb 1y ago
  I have the same z13 gen one, but my m1 is a Pro. I do absolutely love the z13 and prefer it most of the time...but I definitely would not call the battery life "all day" or even "almost all day"
  - d3Xt3r 1y ago
    Have you configured your tunables with powertop, set amd_pstate = active (and/or set up TLP)? If not, give that a try, it's a game changer. Also by all day I meant working day (8+ hours), which is good enough for me to take my laptop off-site and work without a battery. Still falls a good bit short from the Apple Silicon MacBook or course, can't really compete with that until we get a decent Linux-native ARM notebook (unless you count Chromebooks).
    - mort96 1y ago
      > Have you configured your tunables with powertop, set amd_pstate = active (and/or set up TLP)? If not, give that a try, it's a game changer. The nice thing about Macs is that you don't really have to do that...
pabs3 1y ago
> I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. > It's getting a bit old What about it is getting old? I'm still on a bog-standard 2013 Intel desktop and its mostly fine.
p0w3n3d 1y ago
Does mlx acceleration work under asahi?
paulddraper 1y ago
Frameworks are excellent on nearly every dimension
jjtheblunt 1y ago
> I'm not really sure what to do. You might try the UTM.app from the App Store (or build it), disable Qemu and enable Apple Silicon hypervisor, which i explain in the comment below, for very similar context and reason. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45696676 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45696676
- mort96 1y ago
  That would fix the partscan thing I'm guessing, but it introduces its own issues, and still doesn't give me the abilities that Linux on bare metal does.
  - jjtheblunt 1y ago
    What issues would it introduce that you're thinking of? (Perhaps i can test it and let you know.)
    - mort96 1y ago
      I've had tonnes of issues passing through USB devices to UTM. There are SBCs I'm working with which appear as one kind of USB device, then a flashing tool sends a command which makes the SBC disappear and re-appear as another kind of USB device, which the flashing tool then writes an image to. I have gotten it to work in UTM a few times, but it's very janky every time.
      - jjtheblunt 1y ago
        having written a usb driver myself while at apple, i wonder if it's the devices, but of course could be the utm wrapper. good to know though...i was wondering.

by mort96 1y ago

bestouff 1y ago

I used to have the same one, with Asahi. There were some problems which were never fixed (battery drain in sleep mode, no working Thunderbolt ...). Now job will give me a brand new one (I guess M4 or M5), I don't know how I'll do to run Linux on this. Either it'll be a VM or I'll use my own thinkpad. So sad.

mort96 1y ago
The battery drain in sleep mode is why Linux is relegated to a dual-boot option for use when necessary for me, rather than my daily driver. Battery drain when in use or idle seems perfectly acceptable, but I can't use a laptop which discharges itself overnight while the lid is closed. I'm sad that Asahi never implemented a proper sleep mode.
- intrasight 1y ago
  Honest question: why would you care about battery in your daily driver? aren't you sitting or standing at a desk?
  - mort96 1y ago
    When I'm at my desk at my office I use my Linux desktop. My use case for my laptop is to use when I'm out and about, commuting on the train or bus, visiting people, or just relaxing on the couch.
    - intrasight 1y ago
      I do that too. But it's like 5% of my computer usage time. And maybe 10% of that fracrion I don't have access to power outlet. My point is that it's just a tiny fraction - for me anyway.
  - wara23arish 1y ago
    which begs the question why even get a laptop as a daily driver people do it all the time for gaming laptops etc when probably 99% of their usage is at the same desk
    - iknowstuff 1y ago
      I would go nuts if I was confined to working from one spot. Versatility and mobility are too important to give up. And there’s no tradeoff with apple silicon.
      - heavyset_go 1y ago
        > And there’s no tradeoff with apple silicon. I would imagine there would be more thermal throttling and throttling to reduce power usage on a Macbook versus a machine that wasn't designed to be mobile.
    - mort96 1y ago
      I have a desktop, but I could imagine a life with only a laptop. Sure, maybe 99% of my usage would be at one desk, but if I need that other 1%, I need a laptop. It's the desktop that's an optional nice-to-have. And not everyone can afford or wants to have two computers which are powerful enough to do what they need. In reality, far more than 1% of my computer use happens away from the desk where my desktop is located. I'm guessing I'm not alone in that.
- rjdj377dhabsn 1y ago
  Why not just suspend to disk? My Asus laptop with 32 GB of RAM is 4 years old, but resumes from the encrypted swap partition in under 5 seconds, which is fast enough for me.
  - cmurf 1y ago
    If UEFI Secure Boot is enabled, Fedora kernels detect this and lockdown. And hibernation is then disabled. The reason is lack of an autheticated hibernation image. This work has had several proposals but still isn't implemented. I'm not sure of the status on other distro kernels but allowing it would be a significant bypass of Secure Boot's purpose.
    - fluoridation 1y ago
      Can secure boot be disabled on Macs?
      - GeekyBear 1y ago
        Macs allow the device owner to install an OS that isn't signed at all, without having it degrade the security of the system when you do boot into MacOS.
        fluoridation 1y ago
        Fine, but can it be disabled? If secure boot is interfering with another function of the computer, the owner might decide they prefer hibernation over secure boot.
        wtallis 1y ago
        I think what you're missing is that "secure boot" isn't a system-wide on/off thing on a Mac, it's a per-OS thing. And UEFI Secure Boot specifically is something that only exists on a Mac to the extent that Asahi shoehorns it into a system that doesn't natively do anything UEFI-related. It would be very surprising if Asahi Linux didn't still provide a way to skip their UEFI Secure Boot code paths and just plain boot.
Lerc 1y ago
How Linux-like can you make a Mac act without changing OS now? It's been a few years since I used a Mac regularly, but even back then you could go a fair way towards making it seem nice enough to use.
- viraptor 1y ago
  You can mostly do that, but: forget about system wide debugging, desktop shell changes, easy security sandboxes, being able to just run new AI software (they're often assuming cuda or CPU), building obscure software without patching makefiles. And the get the general feeling of "whatever I want to change, I'm fighting against the system".
whitehexagon 1y ago
I do a full shutdown, since it boots from cold into Asahi in ~30s (M1 Pro). Plus I´d rather have a laptop that I know is shutdown, than this crazy 'we might need to do an update whilst it's in your backpack' fake sleeps. I think my next laptop will be M2 Pro/Max, but honestly at the moment I dont see the need for anything faster. And having discovered Asahi, I dont think I could ever go back to a BigTech commercial Ad platform OS. This feels like My computer.

simjnd 1y ago

On macOS you can use OrbStack [1] for a much better experience working with Docker on Mac, as well as quickly spinning up headless Linux VMs (WSL on Mac kind of thing). The free tier will probably be rug-pulled someday, but I've been using it for a couple of years and it makes my life a lot easier when I'm on macOS. [1]: https://orbstack.dev/ https://orbstack.dev/

mort96 1y ago
And you're saying that this can set my WiFi card in promiscuous mode as if I was running Linux bare metal?
- simjnd 1y ago
  I'm not. You mentioned Docker and virtualisation and this tool has addressed most of my pain points with those, that's it.
  - mort96 1y ago
    Sounds like it doesn't address my pain points then...
    - simjnd 1y ago
      Indeed, I misunderstood "Docker and virtualization isn't the same" as "Docker and virtualization on Mac is not as good as on Linux". Now I understand you meant "Docker and virtualizating Linux isn't the same as bare metal Linux".
      - mort96 1y ago
        Oh, I get the misunderstanding now. Yeah I meant that Docker and virtualization isn't the same as bare-metal Linux. Sorry for being a bit unclear
    - carlosjobim 1y ago
      [flagged]

Forgeties79 1y ago

I get this feeling but frankly I feel more comfortable running Linux on 2+ year old hardware than brand new hardware having experienced both now, if for no other reason than all the questions you have have probably been asked and answered. And yeah each iteration of the M chip has gotten better, but even a standard M1 is a very capable chip these days. My work laptop is a 2021 MBpro. M1, 16gb ram, nothing special. Still very capable machine for video editing. One of my department livestream machines is an M4 Mac mini, 16gb ram as well. I regularly juggle between the two and the only two big things I notice are 1) multi screen support (M1 can only push to one external which is annoying), and 2) noticeably better but not wildly improved render times (admittedly this difference is a bit more stark when you’re doing heavy lifts like resolve fusion comps and intense coloring/masking). On any given day they are basically the same machine to me. Suffice to say if you’re running on an M3 right now and are feeling the need for an M5, unless you’re doing really bleeding edge heavy duty work, I just don’t think there’s that much you’re missing out on. So Linux on an M3 to me is great.

dangus 1y ago

My advice is if you’re truly a Linux user first, give up the idea that Mac hardware is the only best/acceptable hardware. Break the cycle and don’t just buy Apple because their hardware is 10% better than competitors. The market really isn’t limited to “buying a windows laptop and putting Linux onto it” anymore. Lots of OEMs support Linux as a first-class citizen. For me personally I’m enjoying my Framework laptop a lot. Is it the same kind of hardware polish as a Mac? No, of course not. But owning a Framework is like owning an Apple in the sense that the community has fully integrated Framework systems into the ecosystem. One command installs Framework fan profiles into Bazzite Linux. One command inside Linux updates UEFI and device firmware, try doing that with Windows! Is the battery like half as good as a MacBook Pro? Yeah. It sucks a little bit. But also, owning/carrying around a $50 portable battery isn’t such a bad thing, and the weight difference is a wash since the 13” Framework is lighter than the 14” MacBook Pro. And on the plus side, I paid a less than MacBook Air money for a system with 2TB of storage and 32GB of RAM (DIY previous AMD generation model), fully upgradable, fully repairable, with customizable I/O. A new battery is DIY, $60, not $250 with a wait for service. Replacing a broken screen is DIY $200, not $700 and a visit to the Apple service depot. One day, I’m sure framework will be selling an ARM mainboard with similar battery life compared to a Mac, and when that day comes I don’t even have to buy a whole new system to get one. And on top of all that, it’s still a nice laptop that feels premium even though it’s assembled DIY. I’d say the keyboard is better than a Mac keyboard (though the trackpad isn’t). But also, there are other OEMs where running Linux is a joy and a breeze, along with being fully supported and even sold preinstalled. System76, Lenovo, Dell, and HP all have Linux-supported configurations.

notepad0x90 1y ago
I don't think any other competitor makes hardware of a similar class in terms of quality. Framework is great, but it doesn't even come close in terms of quality. Specs are one thing, how the product looks, feels, attention to detail, and most importantly: long term viability! even if you take away everything else, macbooks are though. I've used a couple for over a decade with no hardware repair (except when I broke a screen). Most mac users have similar experiences, so it's not survivor's bias. If all you care about is specs or open hardware, obviously Apple hardware is not for you. I don't want framework or system76 to move to ARM, a lot of people like me still _need_ x86 hardware.

moffkalast 1y ago

[flagged]

gavinsyancey 1y ago
This is false. Per the asahi project, https://asahilinux.org/docs/platform/security/#apples-unspoken-agreement https://asahilinux.org/docs/platform/security/#apples-unspok... > When documenting the security model, Apple use the example of an XNU kernel developer wishing to test their changes on a second macOS installation. It is apparent however that the platform security model was engineered to allow third party operating systems to coexist with macOS in a way that does not compromise any of Apple's security guarantees for macOS itself. *Rumours circulating that Apple are actively hostile towards efforts such as Asahi, or that their security must be bypassed or jailbroken to run untrusted code are unfounded and false*. In fact, Apple have expended effort and time on _improving_ their security tooling in ways that _only_ improve the execution of non-macOS binaries. Regarding Framework laptops being "Macs for Linux," Frameworks are fantastic in their own way but they don't come anywhere near the build quality (or battery life) you get with a Mac.
soupy-soup 1y ago
IIRC, when the Asahi project first started, Apple's response was they they didn't care about the project, and would make no efforts to hinder or help them. They also hinted that running an alternate OS was an acceptable use of device. We will see if they continue that attitude.
- Forgeties79 1y ago
  Man you randomly reminded me of when magic lantern was completely changing the game with their firmware side load on Canon DSLR’s. Then after a few years Canon decided “nah screw y’all” as they quietly pushed a firmware update that blocked it.

Teever 1y ago

Can you tell me more about promiscuous mode in Asahi? I'm not able to find much reliable stuff when I search. Is they possible with the built in WiFi chipsets?

mort96 1y ago
Promiscuous mode is just when the WiFi chipset picks up all the WiFi packet it sees. In the normal mode, the chipset will drop everything that's meant for a different MAC address. The ability to switch to promiscuous mode is very common, and Linux exposes generic APIs to switch an interface to promiscuous mode if the driver supports it.

hanikesn 1y ago

>I'm not really sure what to do. Maybe this MacBook Pro was just a one-off, and I have to go back to buying Windows laptops and putting Linux on them. But they just aren't as nice. Why would you think that? They're working hard on upstreaming all patches ATM, adding new hardware support will be much easier afterwards.

mort96 1y ago
And what's the ETA for M5 support?
- scuff3d 1y ago
  [flagged]
  - bigyabai 1y ago
    Alternatively, you can buy a laptop from an OEM that doesn't play keep-away with the Linux upstream using their drivers. I write lots of Linux software but I have no intention to explicitly support Asahi or Macs whatsoever. Apple's greed is not something I will support with my money or my time, if Apple wants to court the Linux community then they can do it the same way Intel, AMD and Nvidia get along with us. Making your fans reverse-engineer devicetree drivers is just insulting. Mac hardware is and will be a second-rate Linux experience, which is a shame because Apple could be competing with Nvidia for market share if they simply gave a shit.
    - rogerrogerr 1y ago
      It's really pretty incredible - that people are putting up with Apple's "keep-away" is evidence of just how unbelievably far ahead they are in hardware.
      - bigyabai 1y ago
        Or it could be a symbol of an unhealthy emotional attachment to Apple, that customers perceive to be symbiotic but business-wise is wholly parasitic. Like I said, Apple could be a real player... if they had any incentive to compete.

psanford 1y ago

I had an M2 air running asahi that I loved and had similar worries. I ended up buying a maxed out refurbished M2 which I expect will last me a few more years.

evertedsphere 1y ago
how's the battery life / what's your usual workload

gedy 1y ago

Son has a Framework with Linux and he prefers it to a MacBook Pro (with or without Linux).

smm11 1y ago
Yeah, run Linux on the laptop made for it, and OS X on the laptop made for it. Asahi is a bit like DOOM.

doctorpangloss 1y ago

another POV is that Asahi Linux would get way more adoption if it were "just" a better way to run Linux VMs and containers on macOS.

mort96 1y ago
I don't see the connection between Asahi and Linux VMs. All the work in Asahi is about making drivers for Apple's hardware and board bring-up, none of that is relevant for VMs. It sounds like you're saying Asahi Linux would get more adoption if it was something completely different which shares nothing at all with what Asahi actually is?

a-dub 1y ago

lenovo p1 and x1 are pretty nice. lunar lake machines are posting macintarm style benchmarks for battery life for light tasks. the screens are matte by default. you can upgrade ram and disk rather than discard (all the framework hype has been the thinkpad standard of upgradability for over a decade). the keyboards are fantastic. they have a pointer stick. no unified cpu/gpu memory, but you can get nvidia gpus and work with cuda rather than mlx. it's actually getting really good.

pmarreck 1y ago

I have a Framework laptop and it's pretty sweet. I also own an M4 so I can compare the two. The M4 wins on slickness due to 1) unibody 2) Apple Silicon (and running local AI models, and the occasional game that is actually optimized for Mac like BG3) 3) excellent screen (HDR, high contrast, etc.), but the Framework wins on cool-ness and, frankly, ethics. (Especially since I put NixOS on it with ZFS-on-root mirrored across 2 internal SSD's.)

johnboiles 1y ago

> there's for example Linux-specific software which puts the WiFi card in promiscuous mode and does useful stuff with that In the past, I've made this specific thing work with USB passthrough, Virtualbox, and external USB WiFi adapters with monitor mode support.

ActorNightly 1y ago

>I'm not really sure what to do. Get any of the modern laptops with good battery life, install linux + Elementary OS without any hacks or workarounds (or better yet, i3wm which is the best window manager for laptops), and never look back. Or do what I do, which is buy $200 dells/thinkpads of ebay, and for anything requiring CPU, just ssh into your home server. Personally I went a step further and use a lapdock with a samsung phone - acts like a laptop with Termux, and I can do pretty much everything with good battery life, because lapdock battery also charges the phone.

wetpaws 1y ago
[dead]
Difwif 1y ago
I used to be in this camp until I tried and bought an M1 Macbook as my daily driver. I thought I was going to be Thinkpad/XPS w/ Linux until I die. I don't love MacOS but POSIX is mostly good enough for me and the hardware is so good that I'm willing to look past the shortfalls. Seriously I would love to switch back to a full-time Linux distro but I'm more interested in getting work done and having a stable & performant platform. Loosing a day of productivity fixing drivers and patching kernels gets old. The M-series laptops have been the perfect balance for me so far.
- mikeweiss 1y ago
  This was me too. It just works and it's nice to use. Sometimes life's too short to be hacking around all day.
- prmoustache 1y ago
  >Loosing a day of productivity fixing drivers and patching kernels gets old. You are talking like it was 1997. The typical linux users don't have to do that. Only those who buy unsupported devices on purpose for the challenge to make them work.
  - Difwif 1y ago

shepherdjerred 1y ago

I wonder if you’ll find apples native contains support useful at all https://github.com/apple/container https://github.com/apple/container

hamandcheese 1y ago
"Native" is a misnomer as it is still virtualizing Linux.
mort96 1y ago
No, it doesn't really solve any of the issues I mention.

baby 1y ago

Why is docker so bad on mac and why is apple not fixing that?

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
oblio 1y ago
Because they don't care and don't have to care.
zbentley 1y ago
There is now work from Apple in that direction: https://github.com/apple/container https://github.com/apple/container No idea what the future of that project, or its potential integration with other container management systems might be, but it is certainly interesting at first glance.
- baby 1y ago
  According to chatgpt: Why Not Use Apple Containers Instead? Because Apple containers: Aren’t meant for system-level isolation — they’re for app sandboxing. Don’t provide process namespaces, cgroups, or Linux syscalls, which are essential to containerization. Wouldn’t be compatible with the entire Linux-based Docker ecosystem (images, tooling, etc.). So Docker sticks with Linux containers, running them in a VM layer on macOS.
jemmyw 1y ago
Because docker containers need to run on a Linux kernel so it requires some form of VM on non Linux systems. No matter how well integrated that is it's never going to be as lightweight as running containers on Linux. It wouldn't be a trivial task to implement an emulation, if that's even possible.

m463 1y ago

Most engineers/scientists/tech people will just have to understand at a fundamental level that they are just not the target market for apple. That is the kind of thing that needs a strong vision from the top to provide.

oblio 1y ago
The eternal optimism of the techie mind. I saw this coming when Asahi was launched. What they did was impressive but nobody is superhuman and inherently Apple is all about control. Linux will always be - at best - a third rate citizen.
- EbEsacAig 1y ago
  /thread

jacquesm 1y ago

My daily driver is a 2014 Thinkpad. The only mod compared to stock is that I maxed out the ram. It's been an absolutely amazing machine, especially given that it cost all of $200 second hand (W540). I find it really hard justifying buying hardware that doesn't allow me to do anything that I couldn't do before. Up to 2003 or so I was always chasing the latest and the greatest but now I find that I can do everything I need on this old beast.

EbEsacAig 1y ago
I used to have a W540. It was a stunningly useful and practical machine. Fond memories.
- jacquesm 1y ago
  It's indestructible too.
ac29 1y ago
I got a new laptop recently and while I didnt need more speed or memory, the fact that it uses less than half the energy as my previous laptop (and correspondingly lasts more than twice as long on battery) is extremely nice. As an aside - I was under the impression x86 chips were still way behind Apple in battery life, but this doesnt seem to be the case. My new computer has a generation or two old Intel CPU (Meteor Lake) and I am getting 12+ hours out of a ~50Wh battery.

EbEsacAig 1y ago

> I wish things had turned out otherwise, and we didn't have to choose between buying a Mac without Linux support and buying a 3-5 year old Mac with Linux support. And I expect that as time goes on, Asahi will just fall further and further behind. IMO your expectation is correct. Such is the fate of all reverse engineering projects, or more generally, all heroism-based projects. Heroism is not sustainable. A sustainable business model is sustainable.

mycall 1y ago
There is no reason heroism cannot be a sustainable business model. Social entrepreneurship, B-corps, even Patagonia or Ben & Jerry's embed environmental or social activism directly into their core strategy and values.

thiht 1y ago

> I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. It's getting a bit old, so it would be nice to replace it Why though? My 2021 M1 still feels more beefy than pretty much any other laptop on the market. I have a M1, and an M4 for work and I barely feel any difference between the 2, they’re pretty much top notch. Sure, the M4 pro is more future proof, I can imagine myself still using my M1 in 2030 and my M4 in 2035. But I honestly don’t see the point in replacing an M1 with an M4 today. Just my opinion though, I’m sure you have your own reasons for wanting to upgrade (I would guess RAM), but manage your expectations: the M1 is still an amazing machine.

killingtime74 1y ago
“640K ought to be enough for anybody.” M5 is roughly twice the speed of M1 now. It's a no brainer other than money. 4 years of wear and tear and battery cycles is also not nothing.
- benoau 1y ago
  It's a bit like Bugatti being faster than a Lamborghini... M1 is so good Apple is still making MacBook Airs with it, and that's still better than most PCs on the market heh.
mort96 1y ago
Don't get me wrong, it still is an excellent machine. But the prospect of over double the multi-core performance and 1.5x the single-core performance, hopefully equating to close to half the compile times, is tempting. Wildly better GPU performance would also be useful now and then. I'd also take the opportunity to get more RAM (16GB is usually enough but not always) and more storage (1TB is sometimes a bit tight to be honest and I find myself uninstalling things to make space for other things). Do I need it? No, of course not. But could I make use of the extra power? For sure. And shiny new things are fun.
doublebind 1y ago
My 32GB RAM M1 is a fantastic machine, but it's getting old for the type of work I do. And I can't upgrade the RAM. I installed Omarchy via Asahi Alarm [1] and have been running it for 3 weeks without issues. I spent half a day setting everything to my taste (keyboard bindings, monitors, waybar, etc.), and I'm still getting used to Hyprland, but I have a fast machine. RAM usage with everything I need open is considerably lower than on macOS (80% -> 50%), and I don't have to pay a monthly subscription for every little piece of software not built into macOS. Asahi isn't perfect (touchpad rejection being my main issue), but I can live with the inconveniences. This is still a very good machine, and I can't afford a new one right now. [1] https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/pull/1897 https://github.com/basecamp/omarchy/pull/1897

heavyset_go 1y ago

Thanks for pointing out one thing that gets lost in a lot of these discussions: the fact that the Linux kernel itself is something that is desirable, especially if you're a power user, sys/networking/etc admin or developer. There are so many big and little things you get for free with the kernel running directly on your hardware that you just don't, and can't, get on macOS or Linux VMs.

vpShane 1y ago
It is desirable. a bit off topic: I forgot the login to my Mac M1 and now I can't 'install Linux' on it, due to 'activation lock' - no apple support since I can't remember the phone number or e-mail and got it from e-bay. it worked, installed Mac, but I went full Linux and let it sit for a minute. Apple Support told me in their own words it's bricked. It's mine. I own it. I'd _love_ to play with M1 with my own Linux install. I'm not about to open it up and unsolder/solder things though.
- heavyset_go 1y ago
  It's rough hearing that something similar is still an issue. I had a similar problem[1], like... 10 years ago now, with the original iPad Mini. Apple support told me they couldn't do anything about it and I was essentially locked out of my own device forever. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26482635 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26482635
- ValentineC 1y ago
  > I forgot the login to my Mac M1 and now I can't 'install Linux' on it, due to 'activation lock' - no apple support since I can't remember the phone number or e-mail and got it from e-bay. You got locked out of your own Apple account? I don't see how getting it used from eBay matters.

d3Xt3r 1y ago

> go back to buying Windows laptops and putting Linux on them. But they just aren't as nice. There are native Linux laptops from several manufacturers such as Slimbook, Star Labs, System76, Tuxedo etc. Or if you prefer mainstream OEMs both Lenovo and Dell sell laptops with Linux preloaded (or have official Linux compatibility listed on the spec sheet). And of course, there's also Framework, if you're in the lucky 10% of the world's population where they ship to. Personally I'm a big fan of ThinkPads - I have the Z13 Gen 1 and it's honestly running Linux on it has been one of the best non-MacBook laptop experiences I've ever had. Just picture this: all day battery life, suspend/resume that works 100% of the time, every bit of firmware upgradable from within Linux (fwupd) and literally *zero* errors in the dmesg/boot logs. I've had this machine for over 3 years now (running Bazzite and CachyOS, both on KDE) and have had no major with either the hardware or software. I've also got an M1 MacBook Air, and the only thing it does better is the battery life, but otherwise I vastly prefer my ThinkPad. Happy to answer any questions.

jpdb 1y ago
I have the same z13 gen one, but my m1 is a Pro. I do absolutely love the z13 and prefer it most of the time...but I definitely would not call the battery life "all day" or even "almost all day"
- d3Xt3r 1y ago
  Have you configured your tunables with powertop, set amd_pstate = active (and/or set up TLP)? If not, give that a try, it's a game changer. Also by all day I meant working day (8+ hours), which is good enough for me to take my laptop off-site and work without a battery. Still falls a good bit short from the Apple Silicon MacBook or course, can't really compete with that until we get a decent Linux-native ARM notebook (unless you count Chromebooks).
  - mort96 1y ago
    > Have you configured your tunables with powertop, set amd_pstate = active (and/or set up TLP)? If not, give that a try, it's a game changer. The nice thing about Macs is that you don't really have to do that...

pabs3 1y ago

> I have a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro. > It's getting a bit old What about it is getting old? I'm still on a bog-standard 2013 Intel desktop and its mostly fine.

p0w3n3d 1y ago

Does mlx acceleration work under asahi?

paulddraper 1y ago

Frameworks are excellent on nearly every dimension

jjtheblunt 1y ago

> I'm not really sure what to do. You might try the UTM.app from the App Store (or build it), disable Qemu and enable Apple Silicon hypervisor, which i explain in the comment below, for very similar context and reason. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45696676 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45696676

mort96 1y ago
That would fix the partscan thing I'm guessing, but it introduces its own issues, and still doesn't give me the abilities that Linux on bare metal does.
- jjtheblunt 1y ago
  What issues would it introduce that you're thinking of? (Perhaps i can test it and let you know.)
  - mort96 1y ago
    I've had tonnes of issues passing through USB devices to UTM. There are SBCs I'm working with which appear as one kind of USB device, then a flashing tool sends a command which makes the SBC disappear and re-appear as another kind of USB device, which the flashing tool then writes an image to. I have gotten it to work in UTM a few times, but it's very janky every time.
    - jjtheblunt 1y ago
      having written a usb driver myself while at apple, i wonder if it's the devices, but of course could be the utm wrapper. good to know though...i was wondering.