Apple Silicon Linux users can now run Quake3 with GPU acceleration. They can also follow the development in real time on YouTube.
Asahi Linux developers have announced that the Linux distribution targeting Apple Silicon CPUs now natively supports graphics acceleration. This is a major step forward for the distribution and support of Linux on modern Apple hardware.
Asahi Linux Brings 3D Acceleration to Apple Silicon
Asahi Linux announced 3D acceleration support for Apple Silicon in an official blog post signed by developers Alyssa Rosenzweig and Asahi Lina, a VTuber who garnered an audience for Asahi Linux live development on YouTube.
“We’ve worked hard over the past two years to bring this new pilot to everyone,” the blog said, “and we’re really proud to finally be here. It’s still an alpha pilot, but it’s is already good enough to run a smooth desktop experience and some games.”
Although porting Linux to different architectures is routine, Asahi Lina is one of the first to do so with an audience, reaching over 12,000 viewers on YouTube with her live streams.
What can Asahi Linux run with acceleration?
Although Apple Silicon graphics acceleration does not work with some newer libraries, Asahi Linux can run some games like Quake 3 and Neverball. It can also take advantage of the acceleration features used by Linux desktop environments to look smoother and allow eyes like transparency to work.
Asahi Linux currently supports OpenGL 2.1 and OpenGL ES 2.0 acceleration on Apple Silicon. The developers are working on adding support for later versions of OpenGL as well as Vulkan. This will open newer software for acceleration on the distro, including newer games.
What does this mean for Asahi Linux?
Asahi Linux’s pace of development shows just how flexible Linux is.
The developers cited the open source nature of Linux to facilitate porting to a new architecture. “Thanks to the power of free and open source software, we stand on the shoulders of the giants of FOSS,” the blog says.
While most Mac users, even developers, will probably just run macOS, Asahi Linux will offer users an alternative to Apple’s operating system. The work of the developers will also benefit other distributions in the future that create Apple Silicon ports.
Linux Development Accelerates with Asahi
Asahi Linux continues its rapid pace. While many Linux PC users can dual boot between Windows and Linux, the ability to do the same on Mac is less well known. It’s possible to dual-boot macOS and Linux on an older Mac with the right know-how.
