Yesterday, Hector Martin announced his resignation as the project lead of Asahi Linux, a community-driven effort aimed at porting Linux to Apple Silicon Macs. This initiative started shortly after Apple’s transition to ARM architecture began in early 2021. The project made significant progress, releasing an alpha build for M1 and M2 Macs in early 2022, marking a notable achievement in enabling Linux on Apple’s new hardware.
However, Martin cited burnout and challenges with the Linux community as reasons for his departure. He highlighted that despite the impressive progress, the project faced criticism and complaints from certain users, leading to a frustrating environment. Martin described the early days of the project as highly productive, stating, "The first couple of years were amazing," as the community built a stable Linux experience from scratch with limited vendor support.
Despite initial support from Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel, Martin expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of practical involvement from him and noted that other developers were often negative towards the project, which contributed to a decline in morale. He recognized Torvalds’ earlier endorsement but felt that ongoing support was essential for the project’s success.
Moving forward, Martin stated that the Asahi Linux team will continue the project without him. They aim to achieve kernel upstreaming in 2025, which would integrate M1 and M2 Mac drivers into the main Linux kernel, a major milestone for the project. Additionally, the team is focusing on enhancing testing processes and developing new features for existing devices, including DisplayPort alt mode and DirectX 12 support.
Asahi Linux remains a downstream effort for now, and the priority is to establish a solid foundation before addressing support for newer hardware like M3 and M4 Macs. While uncertainties loom with Martin’s exit, the team’s commitment provides hope for the community looking for ongoing development in the realm of Linux on Apple Silicon.
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