Linux on Apple devices: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:53, 31 March 2023

Latest revision as of 07:19, 28 March 2025

(33 intermediate revisions by 21 users not shown)

Line 1:

{{Short description|Linux kernel running on devices made by Apple}}

The [[Linux kernel]] is able tocan run on a variety of devices made by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]], including devices where the [[Bootloader unlocking|unlocking of the bootloader]] is not possible with an official procedure, such as [[iPhone]]s and [[iPad]]s.

== iPad devices ==

In June 2022, software developers Konrad Dybcio and Markuss Broks managed to run Linux kernel 5.18 on a [[iPad Air 2]]. The project made use of the [[Alpine Linux]] based [[Linux distribution]] called [[postmarketOS]], which is primarily developed for [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices. The developer suggested that they used the [[checkm8]] exploit which was published back in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |date=2022-06-02 |title=Have an old iPad lying around? You might be able to make it run Linux soon |url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/06/developers-get-linux-up-and-running-on-old-ipad-air-2-hardware/ |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ein Jahr Arbeit: Tüftler bringen Linux auf das iPad Air 2 |url=https://www.derstandard.de/story/2000136457167/ein-jahr-arbeit-tueftler-bringen-linux-auf-das-ipad-air |access-date=2022-06-15 |website=[[Der Standard]] |language=de-AT}}</ref>

== iPhone devices ==

In 2008, Linux kernelthe [[Linux_kernel_version_history#Releases_2.6.x.y|2.6 Linux kernel]] was ported to the [[iPhone 3G]], the [[iPhone (1st generation)]], and the [[iPod Touch (1st generation)]] using [[OpeniBoot]].<ref>{{Cite web |lastlast1=Yam |firstfirst1=Marcus |last2=publishedNgai |first2=Amos Ngai |date=2008-12-02 |title=iPhone Hacked to Run Linux |url=https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iPhone-3G-Apple-linux-jailbreak,news-3061.html |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=[[Tom's Guide]] |language=en}}</ref>

Corellium's Project Sandcastle made it possible to run Android on an [[iPhone 7]]/7+ or an [[iPod Touch (7th generation)]] using the checkm8 exploit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Run Android on an iPhone With 'Project Sandcastle' Jailbreaking Tool |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/run-android-on-an-iphone-with-project-sandcastle-jailbreaking-tool |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=PCMAG |language=en}}</ref>

== iPod devices ==

{{Main article|iPodLinux}}

iPodLinux is a Linux distribution created specifically to run on Apple's [[iPod]].

There is an experimental port of the mainline Linux kernel to iPod Nano 5G by [https://github.com/freemyipod/linux freemyipod/q3k].

== Mac ==

Debian can be installed on the Apple [[iBook]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dornfest |first=Rael |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/79871186 |title=Mac OS X hacks |date=2003 |publisher=O'Reilly |others=Kevin Hemenway |isbn=0-596-00460-5 |edition=1st |___location=Beijing |pages=234–242 |oclc=79871186}}</ref>

== Mac computers ==

=== Motorola 68k Macs ===

Linux can be [[Multi-booting|dual-booted]] on Macs that use [[Motorola 68000 series|Motorola 680x0]] processors<ref name="macworld-linux-on-68k-mac">{{Cite web |title=How to install Linux on a vintage 68K Mac |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/220967/how-to-install-linux-on-a-vintage-68k-mac.html |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=[[Macworld]] |language=en-US}}</ref> (only 68020 and higher,<ref name="macworld-linux-on-68k-mac" /> and only non-"EC" processor variants since an [[Memory management unit|MMU]] is required<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Debian on Motorola 680x0 |url=https://www.debian.org/ports/m68k/index.en.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Debian Ports}}</ref>). The ''Linux/mac68k'' community project provides resources to do so,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Linux/m68k for Macintosh |url=http://www.mac.linux-m68k.org/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Linux/m68k for Mac}}</ref><ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks">{{Cite book |last1=Rothman |first1=Ernest E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S_OSYVXMAYUC |title=Mac OS X For Unix Geeks (Leopard): Demistifying the Geekier Side of Mac OS X |last2=Jepson |first2=Brian |last3=Rosen |first3=Rich |date=2008-09-18 |publisher=O'Reilly Media, Inc. |isbn=978-0-596-52062-5 |edition=4th |pages=174–187 |language=en}}</ref> and an m68k community port of the [[Debian]] Linux distribution is also available.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

=== PowerPC Macs ===

In 1996, Apple announced that they were supporting a Linux port to the PowerMacs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=K. Johnson |first=Michael |date=May 1, 1996 |title=Stop The Presses |url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/1263 |access-date=2024-12-20 |website=[[Linux Journal]]}}</ref>

[[PowerPC]] Macs can run Linux through both [[Emulator|emulation]] and [[Multi-booting|dual-booting]] ("bare metal")<!-- what about virtualization? -->. The most popular PowerPC emulation tools for Mac OS/Mac OS X are Microsoft's [[Virtual PC]], and the open-source [[QEMU]].<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

Linux dual-booting is achieved by partitioning the [[boot drive]], installing the [[Yaboot]] bootloader onto the Linux partition, and selecting that Linux partition as the Startup Disk. This results in users being prompted to select whether they want to boot into Mac OS or Linux when the machine starts.<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

By 2008, a number of major Linux distributions had official versions compatible with Mac PowerPC processors<!-- Macs were Big Endian; G3 and G4 were 32-bit, G5 was 64-bit. Many distros now only support Little Endian PPC. -->, including:<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

* [[Gentoo Linux|Gentoo]]<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

* Debian<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" /> (until Debian 8,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Debian for PowerPC |url=https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/index.en.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Debian Ports}}</ref> revived shortly after as a Sid community port<ref>https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/</ref>) <!--really terrible horrible thing to use as a citation but it is the download mirror that has updated Debian Sid 12 images on PowerPC, their official docs are out of date though and don't reflect this-->

* [[Ubuntu]]<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" /> (until Ubuntu 16.10<ref>{{Cite web |title=PowerPCFaq |url=https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Ubuntu Wiki}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ubuntu: A follow-up on 32-bit powerpc architecture [LWN.net] |url=https://lwn.net/Articles/717495/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=LWN}}</ref>)

* [[Fedora Linux|Fedora]]<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" /> (until Fedora 17 for G3 and G4 processors, and Fedora 28 for G5<ref>{{Cite web |title=Architectures/PowerPC |url=https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Architectures/PowerPC |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Fedora Wiki}}</ref>)

* [[Yellow Dog Linux]]<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" /> (discontinued in 2009<ref>{{Cite web |title=DistroWatch.com: Yellow Dog Linux |url=https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=yellowdog |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=DistroWatch}}</ref>)

All of the above PowerPC ports have since been discontinued, except for Gentoo<!-- Iffy use of primary citations, but it's better than misleading readers, providing info that's 15 years out of date, or being recentist and only adding current stuff. --> and Debian (official support ended in Debian 8)

=== Intel Macs ===

Macs with Intel processors can run Linux through [[virtualization]] or through dual-booting. Common virtualization tools for Intel Macs include [[VMware Fusion]], [[Parallels Desktop for Mac|Parallels Desktop]], and [[VirtualBox]].<ref name="MacOSXUnixGeeks" />

In 2010, Whitson Gordon from Lifehacker noted that Apple has streamlined the process of dual booting Windows on Macs, but not for Linux. [[rEFIt]] made it possible to dual boot Linux.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-05-05 |title=How to Triple-Boot Your Mac with Windows and Linux, No Boot Camp Required |url=https://lifehacker.com/how-to-triple-boot-your-mac-with-windows-and-linux-no-5531037 |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=Lifehacker |language=en-us}}</ref>

Macs which utilize the T2 chip from 2018 can run Linux distributions natively using the T2Linux project.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://wiki.t2linux.org/ |title=Home - t2linux wiki}}</ref>

Linux can also be installed on [[Motorola 68000 series|Motorola 68k]] based Macs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to install Linux on a vintage 68K Mac |url=https://www.macworld.com/article/220967/how-to-install-linux-on-a-vintage-68k-mac.html |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=[[Macworld]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Apple silicon Macs ===

The [[Asahi Linux]] project is porting Linux to the [[Apple M1|M1]] (and up) based [[system on a chip|SoCs]].

Macs with [[Apple silicon]] processors can run Linux through the [[Asahi Linux]] command line installer for certain distributions including Fedora, Debian, and Ubuntu. While most features are available, some are unavailable on certain silicon processors and devices.<ref>{{cite web |title=Feature Support |url=https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support |website=GitHub |access-date=1 January 2024}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[iBoot]]

* [[Cydia]]

* [[MkLinux]]

* [[Linux range of use]]

* [[OtherOS]]

Line 33 ⟶ 59:

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

{{Apple Inc.}}

{{Apple-stub}}

{{Linux-stub}}

* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080323104004/http://www.kernelthread.com:80/mac/vpc/|date=March 23, 2008|title=Amit Singh's "Many Systems on a PowerBook" article}}

{{Apple Inc.}}

[[Category:Apple Inc.]]

[[Category:Linux kernel]]