Asahi Linux
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Asahi, a project to bring Linux to the Apple Silicon Mac, has released a new progress report that details expanded USB and peripheral support.
A project to port Linux to Apple Silicon Macs, the latest update to Asahi Linux has new hardware support, new features, and fixes for "longstanding pain points." It also features a new bleeding-edge kernel branch with support for suspend and the display controller.
The team reminds users to keep their Linux installations up to date. Early in the macOS Ventura betas, they found an issue that would make Linux unbootable after the upgrade.
A package update fixed the bug earlier in 2022. However, they still see users recently upgrading to macOS Ventura, or even the latest 12.x macOS releases, and end up with unbootable Linux installations.
Changes in Asahi
The blog post is a lengthy one, with many new updates. Most of the updates pertain to peripherals, USB-C, and headphones.
Until now, Asahi Linux has only supported USB 2.0 on the Thunderbolt ports. The team now believes that USB 3 support should be reasonably solid, but users should expect some glitches, particularly while quickly hotplugging devices. According to a headline in the post called "USB3, Chapter 2x7 Gen3.1415." this may include support for USB 3.1.
However, users should be able to fix the glitches by disconnecting and reconnecting the device.
Meanwhile, work continues supporting a Mac's speakers. The team needs to implement a safety model, so users don't blow out their speakers, as happened during testing. The speakers remain disabled, but progress is being made.
But thanks to a reverse-engineering of a headphone codec used in newer Macs, Asahi now has headphone jack support.
Support for keyboard backlighting is also included in the new update. However, the team is still working to support display brightness.
It's a nice update to Asahi Linux, and users should be able to install it and get practical use out of it soon. Advanced Mac users can find installation instructions on the Asahi Linux.
