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Comment by gjsman-1000 | Hacker News Reader

When Linux and (fingers-crossed) BSD get full M1 support in the next year or two, these machines will be fantastic Linux and BSD computers. Not just from the unique hardware advantages (quiet operation, performance, etc.), but also from the upstream open-source kernel support and community documentation that is being written.

And MacOS handles security on a partition level rather than on a system chip level, so I could have a Full Security MacOS install dual-booting with Linux/BSD someday. Exciting stuff.

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I'd be willing to help a small company form around this, a-la System76. I think that Mac hardware is great, and a better price-to-quality ratio than any other laptop. A hardened Macbook would be fantastic for millions or knowledge workers.

If you or someone else reading is seriously interested, let's have a chat. @HN_username at gmail

Be sure that apple doesn't try to sue you for that in any way. Fighting against them on court could already be your end.

>MacOS handles security on a partition level rather than on a system chip level

Really?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_T2

>>Controllers for microphones, camera, ambient light sensors and Touch ID, decoupling the main operating system's access to those.

> Really?

M1 macs are not T2 macs, nor does that have anything to do with the issue at hand. What the parent means is that it's not like Android where you "unlock your bootloader" and it's global and locks you out of certain features. The Apple Silicon secure boot mode is per OS install, so installing Linux does not taint your macOS security (i.e. you can still use iOS apps and watch Netflix in 4K on macOS).

This is the M1, which does not quite work like the T2 does.

The partition-level system means that you could have a Full Security MacOS install (with Secure Boot equivalent, System Integrity Protection, AMFI, etc. turned on), a Permissive Security MacOS install (no Secure Boot, SIP, or other measures, or some on and some off), and a Linux install all dual-booting on the same system.

Unlike other architectures, there's no "this chip is in full security mode or no security mode," like unlocking the bootloader on Android, where the entire system is secure or insecure. On the M1, you can just have OS installs with different security.

Very interesting info, thanks! Do you know if all the partitions would be encrypted via hardware, like the T2 does? (by that I mean even a Linux partition)

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