Haiku OS Finally Boots on M1 Mac Bare Metal! Shock of Full 8-Core Operation

📰 News Overview

• The ARM port of Haiku OS has successfully run bare metal on M1 Mac.
• By combining m1n1 and u-boot, it’s now possible to boot a UEFI image from USB just like on a regular PC.
• Although there are some issues with USB functionality, all 8 cores are properly recognized, and it has reached the desktop display.

💡 Key Points

• The OS runs directly on Apple silicon hardware without any virtual machines (VMs) in between.
• Specific implementation details show how they circumvented Apple’s proprietary boot process using m1n1, achieving standard UEFI boot.
• Despite being in early development stages, they have cleared major hurdles like multi-core operation and GUI display.

🦈 Shark’s Eye (Curator’s Perspective)

Haiku, carrying the spirit of BeOS, has begun to chip away at the “modern fortress” of Apple silicon! The bare metal operation, harnessing hardware power directly without virtual machines, embodies the dream of OS enthusiasts. Particularly impressive is the completion of the port that instantly activates all 8 cores on the uniquely structured M1 Mac! While challenges like USB drivers remain, the fact that UEFI booting from USB is now possible hints at a future where M1 Macs are liberated as “general-purpose PCs”!

🚀 What’s Next?

• Fixes to the USB drivers will allow standard use of keyboards and mice.
• Support for other Apple silicon (M2, M3, and beyond) will accelerate.
• The combination of the lightweight Haiku OS and powerful Apple silicon promises to create a super-fast retro-modern environment.

💬 Shark’s Take

The day when M1 Macs turn into Haiku machines is not far off! This is the spirit of a shark challenging the limits of hardware! Excitement is through the roof!

📚 Terminology

• Bare Metal: Running an OS directly on computer hardware without an intermediary layer like a virtual machine.

• UEFI: A standard interface specification that establishes communication between the OS and hardware firmware.

• ARM Port: Modifying an OS originally designed for a different CPU to work with ARM architecture processors.

• Source: Haiku OS runs on M1 Macs now