Linux kernel 6.2 has been released, bringing support for the M1 processor, Apple’s Custom Silicon that powers its Mac computers.
The Asahi Linux Project has been working to reverse engineer drivers for the M1 in an effort to bring native Linux support to Apple’s chip. The project has been making major progress and, thanks to their work, mainline support for the M1 is now in the kernel.
Read More: Asahi Linux Shows the M1’s Greatest Limitation May Be macOS
Phoronix details the extent of the support:
There is now mainline support for the Apple M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra SoCs. There was already supported carried by Asahi Linux’s kernel build while more of that work has been upstreamed for Linux 6.2. There is additional driver work for these newer Apple Silicon SoCs still to be upstreamed. For now the best hardware support for Apple M1/M2 devices on Linux is with using the Asahi Linux code.
Unlike Windows, where drivers must often be installed manually, most Linux users simply rely on the kernel — the core component of the OS — to provide the drivers for their hardware. Having mainline support for the M1 in the kernel is a major step forward, giving Linux users the ability to run some of the most powerful and efficient chips currently on the market.
