Fedora Asahi Remix, a notable variant of Fedora Linux tailored for Apple Silicon hardware, has consistently evolved since its first stable release, making waves in the tech community.
As the distro continues bridging the gap between Linux and Apple hardware, the developers have been making significant efforts in this direction, with the latest batch of updates really impressive. Here’s what it’s all about.
Improved HDMI Support
A standout feature in the recent update is the improved HDMI support. More specifically, the distro now fully supports HDMI output on Apple’s M1 and M2 devices, including the Pro/Max/Ultra models. This means you can easily connect your device to an external display, enhancing your visual experience.
Better User Experience
Fedora Asahi Remix now offers a unified kernel package (kernel-16k) for complete hardware integration. The distro also addresses DRM requirements, ensuring compatibility with popular streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. Moreover, H.264 support is now included out of the box, courtesy of OpenH264 from Cisco.
Advanced GPU Capabilities
The team has made significant strides in GPU reverse engineering. This effort has resulted in the world’s only conformant OpenGL ES 3.1 implementation for M1- and M2-family graphics hardware. The leap from OpenGL 2.1 to 3.1 is significant because it unlocks a new realm of graphical applications and games on Asahi Linux.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Enhancements
Connectivity has also received a boost with fixes for Bluetooth Low Energy-based pairing issues and support for the new Bluetooth/Wi-Fi chip used in the M2 Pro/Max machines. The Wi-Fi experience has notably improved with support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, alongside throughput and power management enhancements.
Trackpad and Touchbar Upgrades
The update brings correct size reporting for trackpads, a minor yet significant enhancement for user interaction. Moreover, the introduction of the Apple Z2 Touchscreen driver is a notable addition, especially for 13-inch MacBook Pro users, enhancing the functionality of the touchbar.
NVRAM Tools for Enhanced Boot Management
Managing boot options and configurations becomes smoother with the new NVRAM tool suite. This includes tools like ‘asahi-bless’ for OS selection, ‘asahi-btsync’ for Bluetooth configurations, and ‘asahi-wifisync’ for Wi-Fi settings, making the dual-boot experience between Linux and macOS more seamless.
Camera and Speaker Improvements
The camera and audio capabilities of Fedora Asahi Remix have seen substantial improvements. The camera now benefits from a sophisticated driver capable of leveraging Apple’s image DSP for high-quality video capture.
At the same time, the audio quality has been elevated with the introduction of speakersafetyd, a userspace daemon written in Rust, alongside advancements in DSP techniques for an enhanced audio experience.
Extended Battery Life
Last but not least, one of the update’s key features is the implementation of Energy-Aware Scheduling (EAS), which optimizes power consumption and battery life by making intelligent scheduling decisions based on the power profile of CPU cores.
Upcoming Features
Looking ahead, the Fedora Asahi Remix team is working on hardware video decode support, better integration of 3D acceleration in VMs for gaming, and the implementation of DP Alt Mode and Thunderbolt support.
To learn more about all novelties, check out the official announcement from Asahi.
