1 This pages explains how to install Debian on Apple Silicon machines.
4 The USB-A Port on the Mac Mini will not work in u-boot and grub. The two
5 additional USB-3 ports on the iMac 4 port model don't work in u-boot, grub
6 and Linux. In order to install Linux on a FileVault-enabled Mac run the
7 installer from Recovery open Disk Utility > Expanding "Macintosh HD" >
8 Selecting locked volume > click "Mount".
10 <div class="info">This installation is not suited to be mixed with other ASAHI or BSD installations until further investiation.</div>
13 If you don't want to use the prebuild artefacts, you can build them yourself using the [bootstrap.sh](https://git.zerfleddert.de/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi/m1-debian/blob_plain/refs/heads/master:/bootstrap.sh) script.
17 [Video Recording](https://tg.st/u/debian_asahi_installer.mp4)
19 * Poweroff your Mac. Hold and press the power button until you see a wheel chain and Options written below. Approx 20 seconds.
21 * In the boot picker, choose Options. Once loaded, open a Terminal under Utilities > Terminal
23 * Run the asahi installer and select Debian:
25 curl -sL https://tg.st/d | sh
27 * Follow the installer instructions.
29 * Once Debian is booted log in as root without password and set a root password
34 * Configure wifi by editing the wpa_supplicant.conf, enabling the interface and remove the # before allow-hotplug to enable it during boot.
36 vi /etc/wpa_supplicant/wpa_supplicant.conf
38 vi /etc/network/interfaces
40 * Reboot to see if grub was correctly installed
44 * Install a desktop environment for example blackbox
46 apt-get install -y xinit blackbox xterm firefox-esr lightdm
48 * Create yourself an unprivileged user
50 useradd -m -c 'Firstname Lastname' -s /bin/bash <username>
53 * Optional install sshd. You can not log in as root, but only with your unprivileged user
56 apt install -y openssh-server
58 * Consult the **[/root/quickstart.txt](https://git.zerfleddert.de/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi/m1-debian/blob_plain/refs/heads/master:/files/quickstart.txt)** file to find out how to do other interesting things.
62 [Video Recording](https://tg.st/u/live.mp4)
66 - USB Stick. this is what this guide assumes, but it is also possible
67 to run the Debian livesystem from another PC using m1n1 chainloading.
68 But if you know how to do that, you probably don't need this guide.
69 - If possible use an Ethernet Dongle, less typing.
71 * Create USB Stick with a single vfat partition on it and untar the modified Debian installer on it. Instructions for Linux:
73 # Identify the usb stick device
77 parted -a optimal $DEVICE mklabel msdos
78 parted -a optimal $DEVICE mkpart primary fat32 2048s 100%
81 curl -sL https://tg.st/u/asahi-debian-live.tar | tar -C /mnt -xf -
84 In order to format the usb stick under Macos, open the disk utility, right-click on the usb stick (usually the lowest device in the list) and select erase. Choose the following options:
88 Scheme: Master Boot Record
90 Than open a terminal, and run the following commands:
94 curl -sL https://tg.st/u/asahi-debian-live.tar | tar -xf -
96 * You need to run the asahi installer and have either an OS installed or m1n1+UEFI.
98 * If you have a EFI binary on the NVMe and want to boot from the usb stick, you need to interrupt u-boot on the countdown by pressing any key and run the following comamnd to boot from usb:
102 * Reboot with the USB stick connected, the Debian livesystem should automatically start, if it doesn't load the kernel and initrd manually, you can use tab. For x try 0,1,2,...
104 linux (hdX,msdos1)/vmlinuz
105 initrd (hdX,msdos1)/initrd.gz
108 * Log in as **root** without password.
110 * Consult the **[/root/quickstart.txt](https://git.zerfleddert.de/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi/m1-debian/blob_plain/refs/heads/master:/files/quickstart.txt)** file to find out how to get the networking up, etc.
114 * If I install Debian, will it still be relatively easy to update the Asahi work as it develops?
116 Yes, long answer below.
118 To update the kernel to the lastest "stable" asahi branch you need to run
121 curl -sL https://tg.st/u/ksh | bash
123 Later it might be necessary to upgrade the stub parition in order to
124 support the GPU code. As soon as that happens, I'll add the
125 instructions and a video in order to do so, but short version is:
127 - Backup /boot/efi/EFI
128 - Delete the old stub and efi/esp partition
129 - Rerun the asahi installer with m1n1+u-boot option
130 - Put the /boot/efi/EFI back
132 So, you never need to reinstall Debian. Kernel updates are easy, stub
133 updates are a little bit more cumbersome but also seldom.