Developers have managed the feat of starting Linux on old iPads dating from 2013 and 2014 equipped with A7 and A8 chips.
Apple is undoubtedly one of the manufacturers to make the most effort to ensure that its older devices can benefit from the most recent updates. For example, iOS 15, the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS, can be installed on iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, two devices launched in September 2015, representing almost seven years of support. software, a real record.
However, beyond a certain time, devices whose configuration is too dated can no longer perform miracles and Apple then declares them officially obsolete. The iPhone and iPad are then still functional, but no longer benefit from any new functionality through updates. As for mobile apps, developers who have to update their programs regularly on the App Store to support newer devices usually end up dropping support for older versions of iOS and Android. ‘iPad OS. Apple’s old mobile devices then find themselves very quickly limited and often end their lives at the bottom of a drawer.
An end of life under Linux?
To avoid this sad fate for always valiant machines, developers have looked into a solution to run Linux on old iPads. And they succeeded in their tour de force by adapting version 5.18 of the Linux kernel which they managed to get started on a second generation iPad Air, a real feat, when you know that Apple is doing everything possible to prevent the running any other operating system other than iOS or iPadOS on its mobile devices.
To achieve this exploit, Konrad Dybcio and quaack723, the two developers behind the exploit, would have used “postmarketOS”, a distribution based on Alpine Linux originally created for Android devices, and would have relied on Checkm8, a bootrom exploit released in 2019.
iPad Air 2 running Linux 5.18, now with Tux ? https://t.co/qWENCvOd6e pic.twitter.com/xBGHaRvJ7L
— quack723 (@quaack723) June 1, 2022
For now, the hack is said to be partially functional on devices with an A7 and A8 chip, such as the first and second generation iPad Air, as well as some versions of the iPad mini. However, in the current state of things, the functioning of Linux on these old iPads is still wobbly. The work carried out by the two developers behind the project is still in its infancy, some basic elements such as support for Bluetooth and USB which are not yet functional.
It will therefore still be necessary to show a little patience to see a perfectly functional Linux distribution land on the iPad. Support for Linux on old Apple tablets would nevertheless be excellent news: in addition to bringing them back to life, old iPads could become formidable portable consoles dedicated to retrogaming, for example!
Source :
Ars Technica