Linux Kernel Patches Out For Review To Enable USB4/Thunderbolt For Apple M1 / M2 / M3

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Published: 2026-08-31T13:20:20.016Z • Permanent link

A team of Linux kernel developers, led by Intel's Randy Dunlap, has been working tirelessly to bring USB4/Thunderbolt support to Apple's M1, M2, and M3 systems. This monumental task has been a long time coming, with the latest set of 19 patches submitted to the Linux kernel mailing list aiming to bridge the gap between Apple's proprietary hardware and the open-source world. These patches are a direct result of collaboration between Apple, Intel, and other industry players, who have been pushing for greater interoperability between Linux and Apple's SoCs.

Key figures in this effort include Apple's Joakim Verona, who has been instrumental in providing Apple's silicon expertise to the Linux community. Intel's Randy Dunlap, meanwhile, has played a crucial role in ensuring the technical feasibility of these patches, drawing on his extensive experience with Linux kernel development. Other institutions, such as the Linux Foundation, have also contributed to this effort, providing resources and support to help bring these patches to fruition.

These patches have been in development for several months, with the first public discussions dating back to May 2022. Since then, the team has worked tirelessly to address a range of technical challenges, from device driver development to system configuration. The end result is a set of patches that, if accepted, will enable the mainline Linux kernel to run on Apple's M1, M2, and M3 systems, opening up a world of possibilities for developers and researchers.

The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching, with significant consequences for the Operating Systems domain. Companies like Apple, which have historically been at the forefront of innovation, will now be able to tap into the vast resources of the open-source community, accelerating the development of new technologies and applications. Research communities, meanwhile, will be able to leverage the power of Linux to tackle complex problems in fields like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity.

The impact will also be felt in the wider market, where the ability to run Linux on Apple's M1, M2, and M3 systems will open up new opportunities for developers and businesses. For example, companies like Dell and HP, which already support Linux on their PCs, will now be able to offer their customers a wider range of options, including Apple's popular MacBooks. In the policy environment, this breakthrough could also have significant implications for issues like data security and user privacy, where the flexibility and customizability of Linux will be a major advantage.

This breakthrough is part of a larger pattern of collaboration and convergence between industry players and open-source communities. In recent years, we've seen a growing trend towards greater interoperability between different technologies and platforms, with the Linux kernel playing a key role in this process. For example, the Linux kernel has been instrumental in driving the development of containers and virtualization, technologies that have become increasingly important in the cloud computing era.