There’s no denying the fact that M1 Macs are the most revolutionary devices that we’ve seen in the past decade. However, one of the many things they lack is the ability to run Linux. The recent Linux Kernel releases have improved M1 support, but Linux is still not very usable on M1.
As of writing this, the only way to install Linux on M1 Macbooks is by using a Virtual Machine software like Parallels. Canonical has also followed the same road and is now offering ‘Multipass,’ which it claims is the fastest and easiest way to install Linux on M1 Macs.
In a blog post, Canonical says, “Multipass is Canonical’s answer: free VM software that removes all set-up and configuration overhead so developers can get straight to the projects that matter to them.” Adding to this, Canonical product manager Nathan Hart said, “Canonical wants to get developers running on Linux faster than any other option on the market, and the Multipass team has helped accomplish that.”
This has been made possible thanks to Aliases, which, according to Canonical, “allow Multipass users to tie commands within a VM to commands on the host OS. Aliases can give users a near-native experience for any Linux program. For example, aliases could be an alternative to Docker Desktop for developers looking to run Docker on Windows or Mac.”
Multipass 1.8.0 is now available on Linux, Windows, and macOS. To install it on an M1 Mac, head over to this website, download and install Multipass for MacOS and launch an instance with a couple of commands.
What’s your take on Multipass? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
