Re:2020 Mac Mini – Putting Apple Silicon M1 To The Test
by rowanG077 on Tuesday November 17, 2020 @11:04AM
(#25125321)
Actually it would only require Apple to release internal documentation. There are enough Linux nerds to write all the drivers. Graphics will probably be the hardest.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:2020 Mac Mini – Putting Apple Silicon M1 To The Test
by foldr on Tuesday November 17, 2020 @11:06AM
(#25125346)
"Only". It would probably be easier for them to maintain the Linux drivers themselves than to thoroughly document every feature of the SoC.
It's not just about individual drivers though, it's about the surrounding kernel infrastructure and the whole desktop experience. For example, getting instant suspend/resume working on Linux is not (I'm fairly sure) just a matter of writing a driver for a particular bit of hardware.
Re:2020 Mac Mini – Putting Apple Silicon M1 To The Test
by rowanG077 on Tuesday November 17, 2020 @11:10AM
(#25125392)
They don't need to anything new. What they already have is enough. Their own software engineers could handle it fine. It's good enough for people who want this.
There are people who have clean room implemented entire nvidia drivers. Without doc. We can manage fine with whatever incomplete doc Apple allready has.
Re:2020 Mac Mini – Putting Apple Silicon M1 To The Test
by ogre_codes on Tuesday November 17, 2020 @11:59AM
(#25126081)
It's been a few years since I used Linux so forgive me if I'm off base here. But last time I used Linux with Nvidia, you had the choice of using FOSS drivers with mediocre performance, or having closed source drivers that performed on-par with Windows.