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Apple M1 gets OpenGL 4.6 and OpenGL ES 3.2 support on Linux

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Last updated: 6 Jun 2024 at 1:17 pm UTC

Developer Alyssa Rosenzweig announced in a blog post that support for the Apple M1 has been improved, with the latest updates bringing full conformant OpenGL 4.6 on the M1. This includes OpenGL ES 3.2 support too, bumping it up from OpenGL 4.1.

Poking a bit of fun at Apple, Rosenzweig noted "Unlike the vendor’s non-conformant 4.1 drivers, our open source Linux drivers are conformant to the latest OpenGL versions, finally promising broad compatibility with modern OpenGL workloads, like Blender, Ryujinx, and Citra."

So for all of you who have a device with the M1, you should hopefully now be able to run even more games and software. OpenGL 4.6 brings with it the likes of compute shaders, SPIR-V, upgraded transform feedback and more.

More from the blog post:

While the vendor doesn’t yet support graphics standards like modern OpenGL, we do. For this Valentine’s Day, we want to profess our love for interoperable open standards. We want to free users and developers from lock-in, enabling applications to run anywhere the heart wants without special ports. For that, we need standards conformance. Six months ago, we became the first conformant driver for any standard graphics API for the M1 with the release of OpenGL ES 3.1 drivers. Today, we’ve finished OpenGL with the full 4.6… and we’re well on the road to Vulkan.

The power of Linux and open source at play here once again. The full post is worth a read if you're into learning more behind the scenes on the driver development.

You can try it out with the Fedora Asahi Remix.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly. You can also follow my personal adventures on Bluesky.
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11 comments Subscribe

M@GOid 15 Feb 2024
Congratulations on this milestone. While a good chunk of the code for OpenGL 4.6 already existed inside Mesa, I bet it was not easy to reverse engineer the hardware, to plug it in the Linux ecosystem.

It would be interesting to see if the Linux driver can outperform Apple's. That would be really funny if it did.
STiAT 15 Feb 2024
Impressive. No arguments there.
If I had the money, these kind of advancements would make it very tempting to buy Apple hardware


Last edited by TruckStopSantaClaus on 16 Feb 2024 at 12:23 am UTC
nlborlcl 16 Feb 2024
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If only Apple wasn't so broke they could support OpenGL 4.6.
Purple Library Guy 16 Feb 2024
If only Apple wasn't so broke they could support OpenGL 4.6.
Oh dear, how are you going to get your tongue out of your cheek? Looks like it's wedged in very hard, there.
elmapul 16 Feb 2024
holycrap! that is impressive! that just proves that apple could do if they wanted but chose not.
slaapliedje 16 Feb 2024
holycrap! that is impressive! that just proves that apple could do if they wanted but chose not.
Oh, that's because Apple is all about proprietary APIs, cables, etc. I'm honestly surprised most docks that are TB4 will work on a mac at this point... Kind of shocked you can use generic mice with it as well. Though of course you need either a USB-C or a dock to actually use generic mice...
elmapul 17 Feb 2024
holycrap! that is impressive! that just proves that apple could do if they wanted but chose not.
Oh, that's because Apple is all about proprietary APIs, cables, etc. I'm honestly surprised most docks that are TB4 will work on a mac at this point... Kind of shocked you can use generic mice with it as well. Though of course you need either a USB-C or a dock to actually use generic mice...
yeah i know its intentional im just saying that fanboys have no excuse to deffend now.
Highball 19 Feb 2024
If only Apple wasn't so broke they could support OpenGL 4.6.

According to the Steam for Mac discussion board on Steam, Apple apparently can't afford to implement Vulkan either.
Cyril 19 Feb 2024
If only Apple wasn't so broke they could support OpenGL 4.6.

According to the Steam for Mac discussion board on Steam, Apple apparently can't afford to implement Vulkan either.

So bad... I don't know, maybe they could open a Kickstarter campaign to finance it?! Yeah I Know, it's stupid, they know their fans wouldn't donate enough...
()
slaapliedje 20 Feb 2024
If only Apple wasn't so broke they could support OpenGL 4.6.

According to the Steam for Mac discussion board on Steam, Apple apparently can't afford to implement Vulkan either.

So bad... I don't know, maybe they could open a Kickstarter campaign to finance it?! Yeah I Know, it's stupid, they know their fans wouldn't donate enough...
()
I've heard even their Vision Pro was based on metal... oh wait, it was built WITH metal... because having a heavy / heat conducting thing on your face is a brilliant idea.

Apparently they are getting a whole lot of returns of their Vision Pros...
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