How can I install Linux on my M3 Pro MacBook Pro?

Ronasara wrote:

I would suggest installing it on a separate external disk. (An SSD, which will function faster than a mechanical drive.) You will need to format the disk properly. Then you need to determine which version best suits your needs.

There are no full Linux distributions available for Apple Silicon Macs yet. The Asahi one is only for those Linux developers although the Asahi team is working on a Fedora remix for Apple Silicon Macs.

I would suggest installing it on a separate external disk. (An SSD, which will function faster than a mechanical drive.) You will need to format the disk properly. Then you need to determine which version best suits your needs.

The same way you Installed Windows in Parallels.

You will need an ARM compatible version of Linux though, you cannot run regular x86-64 versins of imux on an Aple silicon Mac, event through Parallels.

https://linuxhint.com/run-linux-m1-based-mac/

You simply need an ARM64 Linux distribution that you then install as a supported Parallel's Guest. I keep all of my Parallel's guests on an external Crucial X8 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 SSD (1050 MB/s) that is plugged into a StarTech USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 hub that is directly connected to a Thunderbolt port.

You may need to exclude that external SSD from Time Machine and Spotlight (Privacy).

vainkop wrote:

https://github.com/t2linux/T2-Ubuntu-Kernel

Sorry, that is for an Intel Mac with a T2 security chip which is generally one from 2018 - 2020.

An M3 Mac is using a customized ARM CPU, so the page you linked will not work at all for an M-series Mac. The only real Linux distribution available for M-Series Macs is the released Asahi Fedora Remix which I previously mentioned. I would advise against installing it except on an external drive unless the user is willing to perform a DFU firmware restore to get rid of Linux & bring everything to macOS factory configuration (I have seen some people report have issues on getting rid of it & restoring the drive space to macOS).

Edit: Here is the URL for the Asahi Fedora Remix for those interested:

https://asahilinux.org/fedora/

I highly recommend having a good backup before trying Asahi Fedora Remix as well as having access to another Mac running macOS 14.x in case a DFU firmware Restore is needed to bring back macOS.

https://github.com/t2linux/T2-Ubuntu-Kernel

vainkop wrote:

Yes by bad. But you can install Ubuntu too & be able to dual boot https://github.com/UbuntuAsahi/ubuntu-asahi

Interesting, I hadn't heard about this option.

There are many Arm64 Linux distributions available. Here's a link to a Wikipedia list containing links to individual distributions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:ARM_Linux_distributions

I run both Debian and Ubuntu in VMWare Fusion on my M1 Macbook Pro besides Windows 11.

Yes by bad. But you can install Ubuntu too & be able to dual boot https://github.com/UbuntuAsahi/ubuntu-asahi