Notable Developer Launches Patreon to Fund Apple Silicon Linux Port

Developer Hector Martin, who describes himself as someone who “likes to put Linux on top of things,” has launched a plan to create a Linux port for Apple Silicon Macs.

Martin, also known as “Marcan,” created a Patreon in an effort to raise enough funds to handle the complexities of introducing Linux on Macs with an M1 chip. Creating a Linux port is no easy task and Linux creator Linus Torvalds even said he didn’t think it was a possibility.

Martin has experience running Linux on unusual platforms and has been able to create a Linux port for the PlayStation 4, but recognizes that an “Apple Silicon” Linux port is a much more serious business. Creating a Linux port for Apple Macs is a full-time job, and Martin says it’s not sustainable without financial support. He started a Patreon that asks for $ 4000 per month with pledge levels of $ 3, $ 6, and $ 12. He is 88% funded and does not plan to start the project unless he gets the full amount.

According to Martin, he is qualified to take over the project due to his experience working on Linux ports for other devices like the PlayStation 4. In the FAQ on his website:

I have reverse engineered devices for more than half of my life, since the early 2000s. I have worked to create unofficial open software support for platforms such as the Nintendo Wii (where I’m one of the biggest contributors to hardware documentation, open libraries, jailbreaking software (The Homebrew Channel), recovery tools (BootMii), etc.), the Sony PS3 (where j wrote AsbestOS and a Linux patchset to allow Linux to run on the PS3 Slim as well as PS3 units updated after removing original Linux support), PS4 (which I ported Linux to, to the point of being able to run Steam games with full graphics support OpenGL / Vulkan), and other smaller platforms.

I always strive to write clean, robust code that is safe, user-first and upstream. I support the development of open hardware and software. I’ve been through the Linux kernel patching process a few times and know what it takes to pull things back together.

Martin says he wants to create a Linux port for “Apple Silicon” Macs that people “really want to use” with all the basic hardware that works, decent power management, and more. The “big time wasted” will be GPU support, which is necessary for port to be possible. Martin was able to get the PS4 version up and running because it uses a GPU that is only slightly customized, but “Apple Silicon” will be more difficult. There is a proof of concept, however, in New, a GPU pilot project for NVIDIA cards.

The project is not sanctioned by Apple, but until Martin uses the macOS code to build Linux support, he says it is legal for him to distribute it to users. Apple also allows custom kernels to be booted on “Apple Silicon,” which paves the way for Linux support, but Martin will have to reverse engineer the Apple drivers.

Linus Torvalds said earlier this month that he would love a Mac ‌M1‌ if it ran Linux, but doesn’t think it’s possible without Apple’s cooperation. “The main problem with the ‌M1‌ for me is the GPU and the other devices around it, because that’s probably what would hold me back from using it as it wouldn’t have Linux support unless Apple did. ‘open,’ Torvalds said. He went on to say that he thinks it “seems unlikely” that Apple will open its chipsets, but “you can still hope.”

If the project is funded, and it looks like it will, Martin plans to grow outdoors with regular pushes to GitHub, and he’ll accept help from anyone who wants to contribute.