The Asahi Linux project is set to port Linux to Mac computers with ARM chips developed by Apple. The developers have prepared a distribution renewal, which was published in June and includes support for OpenGL 3.1. ASAHI Linux is based on the ARCH Linux package base and includes a traditional set of programs, as well as the KDE Plasma desktop.
The distribution was built using standard Arch Linux repositories, and all specific changes are made in a separate repository. The project is aimed at supporting the GPU AGX of the Apple M1 and M2 chips, and two drivers are being developed in conjunction with each other. The DRM-SAHI driver for Linux nucleus is written in Rust, while the asahi driver for mesa is written in SI.
The MESA-Driver provides OpenGL support in the user space and is currently undergoing compatibility tests with OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 3.1. As a result, the playing spectrum and programs for working with graphics have expanded, and modern games can be launched on Asahi Linux. In the near future, the developers plan to complete the work to ensure support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and computing shaders.
The ultimate goal of the project is to create a driver for a graphic API Vulkan, which will allow modern games to be launched. Reverse engineering from MacOS is used in the development of independent drivers because the Apple M1/M2 chips use their own GPU, which performs closed firmware and uses complex data structures.