Asahi fork embraces LLMs and lands Linux on the M4 Mac mini

Gravity Linux, a newly launched distro, has already demonstrated accelerated desktop performance on the M4 Mac mini. This project, a Fedora remix, was initially forked from Asahi Linux due to policy disagreements, particularly regarding the use of large language models (LLMs). Despite the project's early stage, it boasts GPU acceleration with OpenGL ES 3.0 and OpenGL 3.3 support, positioning Gravity ahead of Asahi Linux in terms of hardware generation.

However, the initial alpha release has limitations, such as incomplete power management and issues with USB-C displays and Thunderbolt support. The development team, comprised of Cody Ho and Niklas Sheth, attributes their rapid progress to the use of AI tools, notably LLMs, which enabled them to achieve results in weeks that would typically take much longer.

Notably, their approach involves largely unattended LLM loops, a stark contrast to Asahi Linux's explicit prohibition of generative AI for material contributions. While Gravity's first alpha release highlights the potential of AI-assisted reverse engineering, the codebase still requires extensive testing and human review before it can be upstreamed.