Linux VMs have the ability to run x86 applications thanks to Rosetta 2.
Apple has announced a fascinating new feature in the coming macOS 13 Ventura in terms of improved Linux support. It gives new capabilities to users using a Linux distro in the form of a virtual machine (VM) on the Mac equipped with Apple silicon. This allows people to work with x86 software inside the VM.
According to The Register(which opens in a new tab) states, this feature is due to Rosetta 2, which is Apple’s translation technology, which was used in the M1 chip, allowing it to run x86 applications.
With macOS 13 Apple extends support for Rosetta’s x86 64-to-Arm translation abilities, so that it can work within Linux virtual machines, which means those who run Linux in this way can seamlessly make use of apps that were written specifically for Intel x86 processors.
This is definitely a great bow to tie to the bow of Linux virtual machines however, they’re a bit niche for a group of Mac owners.
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The effort required to get this cool new feature operational was likely to be simple, and may be part of a bigger strategy by Apple to convince Docker creators that the next laptop should be one that is an Apple SoC-powered Mac which allows them to utilize x86-64-based containers on such machines.
This could be a too-small market for Apple to reach out to through future Macs that run Ventura.
Of course, it’s simply a cool feature to have and is just one of the many features to be found in the arsenal of features introduced in macOS 13.
Ventura is also expected to be an absolute success (sorry that we haven’t seen it enough since the big announcement) with some significant changes to the interface – such as the introduction of Stage Manager and a host of accessibility enhancements, and there’s no denying the work being done on the gaming front, which will usher into Resident Evil Village on the Mac in the coming months.
If you’re eager to see macOS to arrive with its official launch set for 2022-23, there’s an early version is available (it’s an early build intended for developers, but the public beta doesn’t start off until the month of July, at when time Ventura is bound to be in better condition).