An iPad running a Linux desktop

The iPad is too powerful to not get the Linux treatment.

Linux on iPad

iPad Linux tracks community efforts to run Linux on iPads, especially the models Apple no longer supports. Those iPads still work, and with Linux they could keep going as cheap computers or parts for projects.

Releases

Projects that run Linux directly on iPad hardware, not inside an app.

These projects rely on jailbreaks and boot exploits, which can leave an iPad unusable or erase its data. Back up first, and only use a device you can afford to lose.

Omarchy A

by Henrik Klee, OrchardLinux · Updated October 2026

    • Installable
    • Touch
    • Wi-Fi
    • Bluetooth
    • Tethered boot
    • No GPU
    View on GitHub Orchard

    A bootable Arch Linux ARM desktop for the iPad, with Omarchy's look adapted for touch. On the iPad 6 Wi-Fi model it installs onto the tablet's storage, beside iPadOS. Orchard is the hardware support, kernel patches, and the tool that builds, boots, and installs it. iPad 5, iPad 7, iPad Air 2, and iPhone 6 support is in Orchard and still experimental.

    • iPad (6th gen, Wi-Fi) · Apple A10
    • iPad (5th gen) · Apple A9 · experimental
    • iPad (7th gen) · Apple A10 · experimental
    • iPad Air 2 · Apple A8X · experimental
    • iPhone 6 · Apple A8 · experimental

    What you need: for Omarchy A, the iPad 6 Wi-Fi model on iPadOS 16 or later, a Mac or Linux computer, and a USB data cable. Free at least 9 GB that iPadOS is not using, with Resize APFS, then run orchard install omarchy-a from DFU. The other devices are brought up from the Orchard repo.

    On the iPad 6, Linux lives on its own partition beside iPadOS. A restart still needs a computer: put the iPad in DFU and run orchard launch. The desktop signs in as tablet. You choose a sudo password and a 6-digit lock PIN during install. There is no disk encryption, and the boot exploit gives anyone holding the device full access. Use a spare iPad.

    Working
    • On the iPad 6 Wi-Fi: Omarchy A, a touch desktop on Arch Linux ARM
    • Multitouch, swipes, hardware buttons, and an on-screen keyboard
    • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
    • A boot partition and a Linux system on the internal storage, beside iPadOS
    • Battery level, backlight, and charging. Apple chargers can supply up to 2.4 A; a computer or many USB-A chargers stay at 500 mA
    • One DFU session downloads the release, writes it, and starts the desktop
    • On the iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi, experimental, in Orchard: a RAM boot with display, Wi-Fi, battery level, backlight, and buttons
    • On the iPhone 6, experimental, in Orchard: a tethered RAM boot to a console, with touch
    Shortcomings
    • Every cold start needs a computer and DFU mode.
    • No GPU acceleration, so the desktop is drawn in software.
    • Speakers, the microphone, the cameras, and suspend are missing.
    • Omarchy A installs on the iPad 6 Wi-Fi model. iPad 5, iPad 7, and iPad Air 2 are experimental hardware support in Orchard. The iPad Air 2 and the Samsung iPad 5 boot from RAM. The iPad 7 is mostly untested.
    • The iPhone 6 boots from RAM. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and installing onto its storage are still open.
    • iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have device profiles in Orchard, and they have not been tested on hardware.
    Built on

    Built on checkm8 by axi0mX, palera1n and PongoOS, m1n1 from Asahi Linux, Hoolock Linux, and Project Sandcastle. iPad 7 touch work by Pauli1Go. iPad Air 2 support comes from Martin Puškáč's port, brought over by micro23. iPad 5 support comes from Berkay Kösebay.

    Project Cascadia

    by rzxvx · Updated October 2026

      • Not installable
      • GPU desktop
      • Touch
      • Wi-Fi
      • Bluetooth
      • Speakers
      View on GitHub

      Runs Linux and Alpine on the original iPad mini, with a GPU-drawn touch desktop, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. An experimental build also boots Linux to a shell on the iPhone 11.

      • iPad mini (1st gen) · Apple A5
      • iPhone 11 · Apple A13 · experimental

      What you need: for the iPad mini, that Wi-Fi model, a Mac or Linux computer, and either jailbroken iOS or a Raspberry Pi Pico. The iPhone 11 build needs that phone, a computer, and a usbliter8 board.

      iOS stays installed. Linux isn't written to the device's storage; its files live on a connected computer, where what you install survives a reboot, or in memory for a single boot. Putting Linux on the iPad itself is still on the roadmap, and that removes iOS.

      Working
      • On the iPad mini: Linux 6.12 and Alpine Linux 3.24
      • Both CPU cores
      • Multi-touch, and an XFCE desktop drawn by the GPU, with an on-screen keyboard
      • Wi-Fi on 2.4 and 5 GHz, including password-protected networks
      • Bluetooth, including a keyboard
      • Speakers, the battery level, and charging over the cable
      • Volume and brightness buttons, the side switch, and the screen turning with the iPad
      • SSH, and installing packages with apk
      • Read-only access to iOS system files
      • On the iPhone 11, experimental: Linux 7.2 boots to a shell on the screen and over USB, with SSH. Alpine's files live on a connected computer, and all six cores run.
      Shortcomings
      • It can't boot by itself. The iPad mini starts from jailbroken iOS or a Raspberry Pi Pico, and the iPhone 11 needs a usbliter8 board.
      • USB accessories such as flash drives and USB keyboards don't work.
      • Your iOS data, such as photos and apps, can't be read.
      • The iPhone 11 build has no touch, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, audio, or desktop.
      • No other iPad model boots yet.
      Built on

      Built on iBSSloader by teutekeune, checkm8 by axi0mX, Legacy iOS Kit and EverPwnage by LukeZGD, checkm8_bootkit by NyanSatan, iBoot32Patcher by iH8sn0w, and the Z2 touch work from Project Sandcastle. The iPhone 11 port is built on Hoolock Linux and m1n1 from Asahi Linux, and boots with usbliter8.

      Resources and Tools

      Apps that bring Linux to iPadOS today, the tools developers use to port it to the hardware, related projects, and people worth following.

      Hardware Compatibility
      Software Compatibility
      Type of Project

      Apps

      iSH

      A Linux shell that runs as an app, from the App Store

      iOS 11+ App
      UTM

      Virtual machines on iPadOS. UTM SE is on the App Store; the full app is sideloaded.

      iOS 11+ App
      QMole

      Linux compatibility container for iPad

      iPad 1 Compatibility Layer

      Dev tools

      usbliter8

      An A12/A13 SecureROM exploit

      A12–A13 Exploit
      Project Sandcastle

      Linux and Android on iPhone 7

      Bootable OS
      checkra1n / PongoOS

      A jailbreak for A7–A11 devices, built on checkm8. It must be rerun after every reboot.

      iOS 12.3+ Boot Exploit
      Legacy iOS Kit

      Restore, downgrade, and jailbreak older devices. Cascadia uses it to put the iPad into a mode that can load Linux.

      32-bit Tool
      EverPwnage

      Untethered jailbreak for 32-bit devices on iOS 7.0–9.3.6, including the A5.

      A5 iOS 7–9.3.6 Jailbreak
      ipwndfu / checkm8

      axi0mX’s open-source jailbreak tool, and the checkm8 BootROM exploit it carries.

      A5–A11 Exploit
      iBoot32Patcher

      iH8sn0w’s patcher for 32-bit iBoot, from iPhone OS 2 through iOS 10.

      32-bit Patcher
      checkm8_bootkit

      NyanSatan’s kit for booting a custom bootloader on 32-bit devices.

      32-bit Boot tool
      Linux Apple Resources

      SoMainline’s guide to building and booting a custom Linux kernel on iPhones and iPads

      A7–A11 Kernel & Guide
      iBSSloader

      teutekeune’s original work booting Linux on the iPad mini 1. Project Cascadia is built on it.

      iPad mini 1 Boot chain

      Other projects

      ios-linuxkit

      An ARM64 Linux runtime for iOS projects

      Runtime
      postmarketOS

      Touch-optimized and pre-configured Alpine Linux

      Bootable OS
      Wawona

      Shows Linux desktops from other machines on iPadOS. Public beta, no jailbreak.

      Compositor

      Who to follow

      iPad Linux@iPadLinux on 𝕏 Watch Henrik KleeOmarchy A rzxvxProject Cascadia teutekeuneiBSSloader LukeZGDLegacy iOS Kit axi0mXcheckm8 NyanSatancheckm8_bootkit iH8sn0wiBoot32Patcher Konrad Dybcio@konradybcio on 𝕏 Nick Chan@riscv64 on 𝕏 Asahi Linux@asahilinux on 𝕏 Markuss Broks@quaack723 on 𝕏

      News

      October 25, 2026

      How Henrik Klee brought Linux to iPad

      Henrik Klee on building Omarchy A, a bootable Arch Linux ARM desktop, for an iPad 6. Touch, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a Linux partition beside iPadOS are working. The installer goes from DFU to the desktop in one boot.

      Read on 𝕏

      October 2026

      Project Cascadia's iPad mini desktop now runs on the GPU

      XFCE is drawn by the GPU. Wi-Fi joins password-protected networks, and Bluetooth, speakers, and the battery gauge work. An experimental iPhone 11 build boots Linux 7.2 to a shell.

      Read on GitHub

      September 2026

      Project Cascadia boots native Linux on the iPad mini

      rzxvx's port runs Linux 6.12 and Alpine Linux on the original iPad mini, with touch, Wi-Fi and an XFCE desktop.

      Read on GitHub

      June 18, 2026

      Research and Proof of Concept for A12/A13 SecureROM Exploit

      usbliter8 documents an "unpatchable" BootROM vulnerability in A12 and A13 devices, discovered by a research team at Paradigm Shift.

      Read on Paradigm Shift

      March 9, 2025

      More Apple Silicon Updates For Linux 6.15

      This is not only about the newer M-Series Apple SoCs but also the Apple SoCs powering devices like the iPad, iPod, and iPhone.

      Read on Phoronix

      November 11, 2024

      Basic Support For Many Pre-M1 Apple Devices Coming To Linux

      '...it's the very basic / initial form of support.'

      Read on Phoronix

      February 19, 2023

      Does Linux run on the iPad in February 2023?

      A check-in on where Linux on the iPad stood in early 2023.

      Read on Medium

      June 8, 2022

      Linux on A7-A8X

      How we got Linux on the iPhone, iPad and other iDevices

      Read on Konrad Dybcio's Blog

      January 12, 2021

      A developer got Ubuntu Linux booting on the Apple iPhone 7

      Video of Ubuntu running on an Apple A10 processor.

      Read on XDA Developers

      November 21, 2020

      "Linux on iPad" on Hacker News

      This site reached the Hacker News front page, with over 280 comments on the state of Linux on iPads.

      Read on Hacker News

      March 20, 2020

      The state of Linux on the iPad in March 2020

      A summary of the options for running Linux on an iPad in March 2020.

      Read on Medium

      March 4, 2020

      Run Android on an iPhone With 'Project Sandcastle' Jailbreaking Tool

      Corellium used the checkra1n jailbreak to port Android to the iPhone. The result, Project Sandcastle, loads Android 10 on an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus.

      Read on PCMag

      Got a news tip for us?

      Working on a port, or found an article we missed? Open a GitHub issue with a link, the device and chip it covers, and whether the project is still active.

      Issue