Linux on Apple devices
{{Short description|Linux kernel running on devices made by Apple}}
The Linux kernel can run on a variety of devices made by Apple, including devices where the unlocking of the bootloader is not possible with an official procedure, such as iPhones and iPads.
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 devices. The developer suggested that they used the checkm8 exploit which was published back in 2019.{{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}}{{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}}
iPhone devices
In 2008, the 2.6 Linux kernel was ported to the iPhone 3G, the iPhone (1st generation), and the iPod Touch (1st generation) using OpeniBoot.{{Cite web |last1=Yam |first1=Marcus |last2=Ngai |first2=Amos |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}}
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.{{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}}
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 computers
= Motorola 68k Macs =
Linux can be dual-booted on Macs that use Motorola 680x0 processors{{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}} (only 68020 and higher, and only non-"EC" processor variants since an MMU is required{{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}}). The Linux/mac68k community project provides resources to do so,{{Cite web |title=Linux/m68k for Macintosh |url=http://www.mac.linux-m68k.org/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Linux/m68k for Mac}}{{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}} and an m68k community port of the Debian Linux distribution is also available.
= PowerPC Macs =
In 1996, Apple announced that they were supporting a Linux port to the PowerMacs.{{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}}
PowerPC Macs can run Linux through both emulation and dual-booting ("bare metal"). The most popular PowerPC emulation tools for Mac OS/Mac OS X are Microsoft's Virtual PC, and the open-source QEMU.
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.
By 2008, a number of major Linux distributions had official versions compatible with Mac PowerPC processors, including:
- Gentoo
- Debian (until Debian 8,{{Cite web |title=Debian for PowerPC |url=https://www.debian.org/ports/powerpc/index.en.html |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Debian Ports}} revived shortly after as a Sid community porthttps://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/ports/)
- Ubuntu (until Ubuntu 16.10{{Cite web |title=PowerPCFaq |url=https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PowerPCFAQ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Ubuntu Wiki}}{{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}})
- Fedora (until Fedora 17 for G3 and G4 processors, and Fedora 28 for G5{{Cite web |title=Architectures/PowerPC |url=https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Architectures/PowerPC |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=Fedora Wiki}})
- Yellow Dog Linux (discontinued in 2009{{Cite web |title=DistroWatch.com: Yellow Dog Linux |url=https://distrowatch.com/table.php?distribution=yellowdog |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=DistroWatch}})
All of the above PowerPC ports have since been discontinued, except for Gentoo 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, and VirtualBox.
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.{{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}}
Macs which utilize the T2 chip from 2018 can run Linux distributions natively using the T2Linux project.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.t2linux.org/ |title=Home - t2linux wiki}}
= Apple silicon Macs =
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.{{cite web |title=Feature Support |url=https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support |website=GitHub |access-date=1 January 2024}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{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.}}