Linux kernel 7.0 arrived after nearly three years in the 6.x series. For Asahi Linux, that means time for a progress report packed with gains. The team automated their installer at version 0.8.0, tying updates to GitHub workflows that push to alx.sh/dev on main branch commits and alx.sh for tags. No more manual delays—the last tagged release sat from June 2024. Asahi Linux Progress Report 7.0 details how this fixes devicetree sync issues, like USB subsystem changes in 6.18 that broke booting.
Installations now run UEFI-only from live media such as Gentoo Asahi LiveCD. Shrink macOS, drop in m1n1 stage 1, devicetrees, and U-Boot. Firmware lands on the EFI System Partition, mounted by a Dracut module to /lib/firmware. Post-install updates pull from macOS Recovery too. Ambient Light Sensor support taps the Always-On Processor, grabbing calibration from macOS. Boot with kernel 6.19+, iio-sensor-proxy, and specific args. Power management sees the new PMP driver shave 0.5W—or 20%—off idle draw on a 14-inch M1 Pro. It pulls reports from SoC blocks via PMGR shared memory. Flip the devicetree flag APPLE_USE_PMP to enable. Base M1 needs tweaks; upstream merge follows validation. Phoronix notes this ties into broader Apple SMC power driver work landing in 7.1.
Bluetooth holds steady now. Broadcom HCI extensions prioritize audio over WiFi interference—no more dropouts. Display controllers gain Variable Refresh Rate on HDMI and DisplayPort. Toggle via firmware param IOMFBParameter_adaptive_sync for minRR, plus modeset and kernel arg appledrm.force_vrr. Internal MacBook Pro screens stay static. Upstream eyes modeset-free switches. The report quotes developers: “The parameter we had been setting this entire time had nothing to do with power sequencing, it was the minimum refresh rate toggle for VRR.”
Audio stack matured big. Upstream Cirrus Logic and TI drivers handle headphone jacks, speakers, I2S, Apple DMA. A bus keeper API configs amp chips. Speakersafetyd watches voice coil temps using Thiele/Small params from I2S feedback. CS42L84 stretches to 44.1–192 kHz sample rates, merged for 7.1 and backported to 6.19.9. Custom Apple variants lacked datasheets. Team traced macOS. Borrowed compatible registers. Bluetooth coexistence fixed stream priority in BlueZ.
M3 hardware? PCIe, MacBook keyboards, trackpads, SMC RTC/reboot, NVMe—all match early M1 alpha. Installer support lags. Linuxiac flags Mac Pro installer addition and Fedora Asahi Remix 44 prep, syncing Plasma 6.6 with its setup wizard over Calamares, Plasma Login Manager ditching SDDM on new installs. Upstream Mesa ends vendored bits.
Challenges persist. VRR demands modeset, dodging compositor exposure. PMP stays opt-in pending checks. Firmware blobs can’t redistribute; installer bridges that. ALS raw data screamed for calibration. Bluetooth audio choked on WiFi. DCP firmware quirks forced hacks. Undocumented chips? MacOS traces became gospel.
Progress builds on prior reports. February’s 6.19 covered USB-C DisplayPort, early M3, 120Hz internals. Hacker News lit up with the 7.0 drop, thread here. Phoronix calls M3 nearing ‘original alpha quality of the M1.’ Sustained reverse-engineering pays off, as CosmicJS observes.
And the road ahead. PMP upstreaming. VRR KMS polish. M3 installer. More audio, DCP pushes. Fedora 44 lands April 28. Apple Silicon Macs from M1 to M3 run it, Mac Pro too. Power drops. Displays flex. Audio sings. Linux claims ground on locked hardware. Developers watch closely—upstream momentum accelerates.
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