Apple A18 Pro receives initial Linux kernel support

Linux kernel developers have submitted initial patches to provide support for Apple’s A18 Pro chip, identified technically as SoC t8140. This development is part of the ongoing efforts by the Asahi Linux project to enable open-source operating systems on Apple Silicon architectures.

The patches introduce essential device trees and bindings to allow the kernel to recognize the processor, manage power states, handle hardware interrupts, and operate the watchdog timer. However, the implementation is currently in an early stage; it is limited to a single CPU core due to constraints regarding WFI and WFIT instructions used for energy management and core synchronization.

Notably, the code references a previously unannounced device codenamed ‘MacBook Neo’ (internal designation Mac17,5 or j700). This suggests Apple may be developing a new line of portable computers based on the A18 Pro chip. Current support remains minimal, covering only the CPU, interrupt controller, watchdog, serial interface, and framebuffer, while memory controllers and other peripherals are not yet supported.