Linux approaches computers with Apple M1 processors thanks to the m1n1 hypervisor

For some time now there have been efforts to bring Linux to Apple computers with Apple Silicon M1 processorsand among them are the efforts of the team behind Asahi Linux, a Linux distribution that is being designed specifically for iMacs, Mac minis, and MacBooks with these processors –and eventually their successors-.

In the project’s Twitter account we can see a good part of what this enormous development has meant, but in the case that concerns us today, we find the significant advance that the m1n1 hypervisor that has been developed to be able to use linux in these devices it has managed to make the 8 cores of the M1 processor functional even with support for SMP.

This implies that operating systems running on top of this hypervisor will work with a performance practically identical to what we would find when running the operating system in question on the hardware itselfwithout any layer of software in between, allowing both research on the operation of macOS to be more efficient, like the performance of any other operating system such as Asahi Linux is infinitely better.

Logically, we are not near the end of the development of this Linux distribution, but without a doubt it is a great step forward that, together with the development of a graphics driver, allows you to use Linux on M1 Macs without major difficulties.