Maybe I’m too entrenched in FOSS political vision, but why devote these tremendous efforts to improve products of a company like Apple. I don’t understand the motivation behind Asahi linux, except “just because it can be done” ie academic purpose
It’s more like reducing global ewaste and keeping ecology better, when apple drop support, people better use still capable hardware than buy a new one from apple
Yea. I like my MacBook and I like macOS (yes, I know, shame on me). But in a few years, when Apple eventually stops supporting it, I can just put Linux on it and keep using it (or give it to a relative who just needs a working computer). It’s good hardware and in true Apple fashion, it will probably outlast its software. I also have an old Core 2 Duo unibody macbook laying around and while it is possible to put the latest macOS on (thanks hackintosh community), Linux is a much better experience and the MacBook is sturdier and has a better trackpad and keyboard than most new laptops, even many that are much more expensive.
A lot of people say it’s good although personally it hasn’t been a huge improvement for me, I’m guessing there’s certain hardware-software integration in macOS and software optimizations that contributes to the battery life that isn’t happening in Linux. It’s dying less quickly than my HP laptop though. I also tend to not close stuff so that may be a problem.
It saves ewaste. In 6 years, will macOS still be supported on these machines? Maybe. Will an open source distro be supported? If it’s still thriving, yeah.
Absolutely nothing comes close to the thinness and lightness, combined with battery and performance of my M2 Air. And that’s not to mention that Apple’s touchpads are still so far ahead of everyone else that I’d like to laugh about it, but it’s too embarrassing for that. It’s not like I’m not aware of the linux/windows alternatives, it’s that there simply are no alternatives…I’d rather deal with Apple’s shit software instead of everyone else’s subpar hardware, because software is changeable.
Also, since the Asahi team actually knows what they’re doing, it turns out that their linux support on Apple Silicon is often better in a lot of ways than most windows-centric laptops. They take a long time to support certain hardware capabilities, but once they do you can be sure that it works flawlessly. Can’t say the same about any other laptop I owned before (although Framework, System 76 and Tuxedo laptops are probably good in that regard).
Also, while the keyboard on my Dell XPS broke a whopping 5 times in the last few years, the Macbook Air has yet to show any signs of wear. The reason I got a Macbook is because I need to get work done and need a reliable machine for that. And what can I say, my god has it ever been reliable.
Thank you for detailing this. I’m no fan of OSX or Apple the company but the quality of their laptop hardware is undeniable. They’re really good at it.
In my field of work, I’m stuck with the Apple ecosystem anyway. So having the chance to run linux on my M1 for all my personnal project is awesome. Also, as much as I hate Apple, those computers are just absolute beast in term of processing power, battery and design.
And longevity. I have a 2011 MBP thats now running Debian and is still a tank. I’ve had two MacBooks since I got it but the damn thing refuses to die.
My daily laptop is an M2 Air which is ridiculously powerful for my needs, so when Apple drop OS support for it I’ll put Asahi on it and keep it trucking until the wheels fall off.
I agree. There is literally 0 reason to buy anything from Apple when there are much better and much cheaper options that are already well supported by GNU/Linux. I will never understand people who will go out of their way to waste money on the next big thing from Apple only to get Linux on it.
M1 is far from the latest, you can pick them up real cheap used now. I would need to do some real research before recommending my Intel mac strategy of buying locked systems that just need a reinstall because most pawn shops don’t know what they have, but I’m sure if it works then that would be the best used option possible.
I own an M1 Air running Asahi Linux because I heard very good things about the laptop when I got it and it was a reasonable price. I don’t have a Framework to test alongside it so I don’t know how it compares with the latest x86 chips. The M1 touchpad is awesome, aesthetics are great with it being light and the material being a lot more durable than my HP Envy laptop that kept getting random dents, doesn’t have the hinge misalignment issue, screen is also good. Battery life and performance is great on macOS, not as impressive on Linux (performance is still good aside from missing hardware processing support for certain things, I do end up bottlenecking it when compiling Rust programs), lack of fan noise is nice but also bad for cooling, with Linux it tends to get warm and throttle. Asahi Linux is very impressive but still missing microphone support and doesn’t support FDE which is extremely precarious, harder to use alternative distros to Fedora Workstation. Repairability is shit, the keyboard is also shit.
The newer M* models don’t have good Asahi Linux support and look overpriced and I don’t even know if the Air line still offers 16GB RAM models which is a must have (32GB is better). At this point in time if my Macbook were to randomly die my next laptop probably won’t be a Macbook (unless I replace it with another used M1), also I wouldn’t recommend it to most people right now because of issues with Asahi Linux being under development like the two I pointed out earlier.
Maybe I’m too entrenched in FOSS political vision, but why devote these tremendous efforts to improve products of a company like Apple. I don’t understand the motivation behind Asahi linux, except “just because it can be done” ie academic purpose
It’s not improving it cause apple can use it. It’s improving cause people can use it even after apple is not supporting it or don’t like apple’s OS.
To me it’s similar to buying illegal animal products and showcasing it for public awareness
“It’s not to support the poachers but to raise awareness”
It’s more like reducing global ewaste and keeping ecology better, when apple drop support, people better use still capable hardware than buy a new one from apple
Yea. I like my MacBook and I like macOS (yes, I know, shame on me). But in a few years, when Apple eventually stops supporting it, I can just put Linux on it and keep using it (or give it to a relative who just needs a working computer). It’s good hardware and in true Apple fashion, it will probably outlast its software. I also have an old Core 2 Duo unibody macbook laying around and while it is possible to put the latest macOS on (thanks hackintosh community), Linux is a much better experience and the MacBook is sturdier and has a better trackpad and keyboard than most new laptops, even many that are much more expensive.
I only use old PC hardware (mostly apple) that friends and family give me for free 😂 Linux is great
x86 isn’t open either and a lot of people like the M1’s efficiency (I’m an Asahi Linux user)
How is the battery life on Asahi Linux compared to MacOS?
A lot of people say it’s good although personally it hasn’t been a huge improvement for me, I’m guessing there’s certain hardware-software integration in macOS and software optimizations that contributes to the battery life that isn’t happening in Linux. It’s dying less quickly than my HP laptop though. I also tend to not close stuff so that may be a problem.
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It saves ewaste. In 6 years, will macOS still be supported on these machines? Maybe. Will an open source distro be supported? If it’s still thriving, yeah.
Absolutely nothing comes close to the thinness and lightness, combined with battery and performance of my M2 Air. And that’s not to mention that Apple’s touchpads are still so far ahead of everyone else that I’d like to laugh about it, but it’s too embarrassing for that. It’s not like I’m not aware of the linux/windows alternatives, it’s that there simply are no alternatives…I’d rather deal with Apple’s shit software instead of everyone else’s subpar hardware, because software is changeable.
Also, since the Asahi team actually knows what they’re doing, it turns out that their linux support on Apple Silicon is often better in a lot of ways than most windows-centric laptops. They take a long time to support certain hardware capabilities, but once they do you can be sure that it works flawlessly. Can’t say the same about any other laptop I owned before (although Framework, System 76 and Tuxedo laptops are probably good in that regard).
Also, while the keyboard on my Dell XPS broke a whopping 5 times in the last few years, the Macbook Air has yet to show any signs of wear. The reason I got a Macbook is because I need to get work done and need a reliable machine for that. And what can I say, my god has it ever been reliable.
Thank you for detailing this. I’m no fan of OSX or Apple the company but the quality of their laptop hardware is undeniable. They’re really good at it.
In my field of work, I’m stuck with the Apple ecosystem anyway. So having the chance to run linux on my M1 for all my personnal project is awesome. Also, as much as I hate Apple, those computers are just absolute beast in term of processing power, battery and design.
And longevity. I have a 2011 MBP thats now running Debian and is still a tank. I’ve had two MacBooks since I got it but the damn thing refuses to die.
My daily laptop is an M2 Air which is ridiculously powerful for my needs, so when Apple drop OS support for it I’ll put Asahi on it and keep it trucking until the wheels fall off.
And that 2011 will still be going.
Yep, same. My 2012 mb is on Mint and it still blows away most of the modern PC laptops sub 500$ . Pre 2016 intel MB are amazing machines.
I hate macOS therefor it’s useful cause I like to tinker. And make things do things.
I agree. There is literally 0 reason to buy anything from Apple when there are much better and much cheaper options that are already well supported by GNU/Linux. I will never understand people who will go out of their way to waste money on the next big thing from Apple only to get Linux on it.
M1 is far from the latest, you can pick them up real cheap used now. I would need to do some real research before recommending my Intel mac strategy of buying locked systems that just need a reinstall because most pawn shops don’t know what they have, but I’m sure if it works then that would be the best used option possible.
I own an M1 Air running Asahi Linux because I heard very good things about the laptop when I got it and it was a reasonable price. I don’t have a Framework to test alongside it so I don’t know how it compares with the latest x86 chips. The M1 touchpad is awesome, aesthetics are great with it being light and the material being a lot more durable than my HP Envy laptop that kept getting random dents, doesn’t have the hinge misalignment issue, screen is also good. Battery life and performance is great on macOS, not as impressive on Linux (performance is still good aside from missing hardware processing support for certain things, I do end up bottlenecking it when compiling Rust programs), lack of fan noise is nice but also bad for cooling, with Linux it tends to get warm and throttle. Asahi Linux is very impressive but still missing microphone support and doesn’t support FDE which is extremely precarious, harder to use alternative distros to Fedora Workstation. Repairability is shit, the keyboard is also shit.
The newer M* models don’t have good Asahi Linux support and look overpriced and I don’t even know if the Air line still offers 16GB RAM models which is a must have (32GB is better). At this point in time if my Macbook were to randomly die my next laptop probably won’t be a Macbook (unless I replace it with another used M1), also I wouldn’t recommend it to most people right now because of issues with Asahi Linux being under development like the two I pointed out earlier.