Trying Asahi Linux

So, dusted off @Vik-Thor / Lirleni Hankeshe 's old M1 Mac mini to try out Linux on it... And it's a mixed bag.

Right off the bat, the install procedure is odd if'n you're used to installing on a Windows machine. No live install, instead a Curl command is used to start the process from the Mac's terminal, with the first step being to partition the hard drive. Yes, the same HD holding the OS on the computer you're using. The partition feature is nice, after selecting the partition to re-size, you can specify the size you want by size or percentage.

Once done, it's time to reboot and pick your OS. This is a finicky process, not only do you need to do it a specific way, but I was doing other things and I guess the Mac went to sleep, as coloured static took over the screen. Problem was that it wouldn't wake up, so we had to reset which didn't work the first time... And I realized I didn't know my user name on the Mac, oops.

Ok, try three, and it works. Installer comes up automagically, Calamares, which doesn't seem to be used for anything more than setting up your account and basic settings like keyboard and time zone. Once that's done, its time to log in, something that was a little bit bumpy, and do the obvious, update the system.

More bumps in that process, but soon enough we have Linux up and running, Fedora KDE as it happens. I don't really like KDE, but your only desktop options are KDE or Gnome, and I really, really don't like the modern Gnome, I'd've rather they had Cinnamon, but KDE I can tolerate. The problem for me with KDE is two fold, too many customization options, and sometimes odd ways to do things, like 24 mode in the clock is in... clock widget settings, not the system date and time settings I think, nor region settings. Plus region settings are rather rigid, you can't just tweak certain aspects of the system to your taste, such as how dates are displayed, you need to find a region that matches your taste. And yes, that effects language, keyboard and other stuff. Cinnamon is more basic, but it works the way I expect a computer to work, in fact I've heard of it being held up as a really good choice for new users coming from Windows.

Now here's where things really become a problem, not all software works on the M1. Telegram? Nope. Signal? Nope. That's bad as I use IM to contact household and move files between devices. Telegram does have a web interface, but that's really clunky, and really only an emergency choice. I've still gotta try other software, but I suspect this can't be a daily driver as too little programs that I depend on will work here. But, we'll see.

Couldn't resist showing how janky this test system is. Yes, the mouse is resting atop the Mac, and we're using an old keyboard that's missing a key (I think I have some compatible keys around here somewhere though not that letter), and a VGA monitor. Yes, really, I ran short on digital monitors, so that's running a cheap Chinese HDMI to VGA converter powered by a wall wart as the Mac's USB port wasn't good enough. I don't remember the resolution, but it's fairly bonkers.

#Linux #mac #Apple