Linux now works on the Mac mini with M1 processor — but Apple did not make it easy for the team to port the OS with its custom firmware and unique data paths. Here's how Corellium got it done. Now that Linux is fully usable on Macs with M1 processors the team at Corellium has detailed their process for porting the OS. In Thursday's post, Corellium says that they have been studying Apple's custom processors since the iPhone 6 released in 2014. The company used some exploits and the previous study to build a kernel port to the A10 processor in early 2020. Apple released the Macs with M1 processor in November 2020. A follow-on OS update enabled users to install custom kernels. Following the addition of that ability, the Corellium team began working on a Linux port.