In an exciting announcement, after nearly two years of development for Apple Silicon Mac, just in time for Christmas presents, the Asahi Project has unveiled the first stable Fedora Asahi Remix release, a cutting-edge Fedora-based Linux distribution specifically tailored for Apple’s M1 and M2 series devices.
Seamless Integration with Apple Silicon
Based on Fedora 39, Fedora Asahi Remix promises a fully integrated experience for MacBook, Mac Mini, Mac Studio, and iMac device users.
The collaboration between Asahi and the Fedora Project has resulted in a distro that’s not only feature-rich but also boasts quick updates and bug fixes. Users can install this new operating system from macOS using a simple command line.
Plasma 5.27 for a Superior User Experience
Emphasizing user preference, Fedora Asahi Remix offers KDE Plasma 5.27 as its primary desktop environment.
It shines with its advanced Wayland support and extensive customization options, enhancing the user experience on Apple hardware. Features like Night Color, adjustable trackpad settings, and display scaling customization are effortlessly accessible.
Moreover, with Fedora 39 currently featuring Plasma 5.27, users can look forward to the arrival of Fedora 40, slated for release in late April 2024, which will upgrade to the much anticipated KDE Plasma 6.
For those who prefer GNOME, the distro also supports GNOME 45, ensuring a versatile and user-friendly environment for everyone.
Complete Wayland Integration
Fedora Asahi Remix offers a pure Wayland environment, ensuring a smooth, tear-free desktop experience. It’s a perfect match for Apple hardware, offering seamless HiDPI support. The Wayland ecosystem is set to introduce support for HDR, display notches, and accurate display calibration.
On top of that, breaking new ground, the distro comes with unique OpenGL 3.3 support and an OpenGL ES 3.1 implementation for Apple Silicon, ensuring high performance for apps and games. Moreover, users can look forward to future OpenGL 4.x and Vulkan support.
Top-Notch Audio Quality
The distro introduces a fully integrated DSP solution for desktop Linux, offering high-quality audio without additional setup. This innovative feature, combined with customized DSP filter configurations and advanced audio technologies like in-house backed Bankstown bass boost and Smart Amp, promises an unmatched audio experience on a Linux laptop.
Comprehensive Device Support
Fedora Asahi Remix is compatible with a wide range of Apple Silicon Macs, including:
- MacBook Air
- MacBook Pro
- Mac Mini
- Mac Studio
- iMac
- Mac Pro
To learn more, check out the official announcement from Asahi or visit Fedora Magazine’s blog post.
Dammn.
This almost makes the M1 Macs desirable for me now.
(well, if not for the horrific repair scores and the impossibility fo upgrade anything.)
Sigh, the Framework remains my next laptop for now but these Mac Linux news are very exciting.
BTW, this demonstrates the power of the Linux desktop ecosystem.
Not even Microsoft managed this with Windows.
I say: Year Of The Linux Desktop.