Asahi Linux now supports M3 Macs, but GPU support is still missing

Asahi Linux now officially supports Macs with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips. The project merged M3 support into its installer on September 6, giving owners of newer Apple silicon Macs a supported path to try Linux.

This is a major compatibility step, not a finished desktop Linux port. Asahi says most of the hardware support already available on M1 and M2 now works on M3, but GPU and full display-controller support remain unfinished.

The core Mac hardware is working

Asahi says M3 support includes the webcam, internal microphones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB up to the hardware’s 10 Gb/s limit, and hardware-accelerated video decoding with AV1 support. The M3 feature-support table breaks down the status for individual Mac models and components.

Two MacBook Pro devices with M3 chips shown against a black background

The rollout covers M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max Macs. If you are comparing those chips before trying Linux, this M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max comparison explains where the hardware tiers differ.

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The important limits are graphics and sleep

The biggest problem is the GPU. Asahi warns that users should not expect performant or power-efficient 3D acceleration yet, which makes this release a poor fit for graphics-heavy work or gaming.

There are a few other practical limits:

Sleep does not work because of limitations with the firmware-provided framebuffer.
The HDMI port on MacBooks that have one is disabled until full display-controller support arrives.
The M3 Ultra Mac Studio is not supported yet.
M3 installation is behind the installer’s Expert mode while the work is still fresh.

Asahi hopes to remove the Expert-mode requirement around the Fedora Linux 45 beta in a couple of weeks, provided testing does not uncover major regressions. The project has not promised a date for GPU or full display-controller support.

Should you install Asahi Linux on an M3 Mac?

Linux enthusiasts who can live with broken sleep, missing HDMI output, and unfinished graphics now have a genuine way to test Asahi on M3 hardware. For a daily driver, it makes more sense to wait until GPU and display support are further along.

The same M3 Macs already run Apple’s current software. This macOS Golden Gate compatibility list can help you check the official macOS path before deciding whether the early Asahi release fits your needs.