When will Apple deprecate kexts?

[DarkSilentSC]

Totally out of curiosity. Lots of signs that Apple is trying to move away from relying on kexts, especially during Monterey days. Do you think Apple will completely deprecate the use of kexts when they release OS that drops support of x86_64 and going forward with only M processors? Would you see a picture of heavily torturing new kernel to forcefully support kexts even after?
Total assumption but thought here is the appropriate thread to casually talk about it haha.

 

[Edhawk]

I don't think it will matter when Apple drop x86_64. It is not as if the Hackintosh world will be able to use the macOS installer, when Intel systems are completely dropped by Apple.

They have probably already dropped their reliance on kexts in the Apple Silicon OS. You would hope they have moved away from this old process with their new 'Closed shop' ARM system. Driver Extensions (Dexts) in place of Kernel Extensions (Kexts) seems to be the way they are going, in the last few Intel based macOS releases.

Currently they are supporting the old Intel system and their new ARM system. That is why the OS downloads are so much bigger (12+GB) in recent versions of macOS. Because you are downloading both OS's in one package. With the installation package using the correct installer for the Intel or Arm system it is being used on. This will no doubt change to a much smaller download (4+GB) when they only need supply the Arm version of macOS.

The Intel based OS has always been kernel extension reliant, as that was how Apple designed their OS around the kernel. You would have thought that given the time span between the initial design of the Intel base OS and the new ARM OS that they would have come up with a better way to implement kernel extensions.

Question really is do the Apple Silicon devices require kernel extensions, other than those Apple create and include in the OS?

It is not as if they have a range of Mac Pro's in the Apple Silicon eco-system that allow users to add third-party components. And I am pretty sure the manufacturers wanting their device(s) made available for Apple Silicon users are having to jump through hoops and provide an approved DEXT (Driver Extension) before getting signed off for use in the Apple Silicon eco-system. With the usual Apple Tax levied.

 

[CaseySJ]

Recent rumors suggest that an “Extreme” version of the Apple Silicon processor has been canceled. That might apply only to M1 and perhaps M2. Rumors also indicate that the A16 in latest iPhone Pro models has a “Plan B” GPU that is much less of a year-over-year upgrade than Plan A was expecting to be. (Allegedly, Plan A called for hardware ray tracing and other enhancements that resulted in much higher than expected power consumption).

It seems Apple stumbled in their processor design department this year. Now, the word “stumble” is relative — Apple’s SoCs are still industry leaders. But we know that an Apple Silicon Mac Pro did not happen this year. And rumors suggest that an extreme variant of the chip might be cost prohibitive.

So what could Apple do instead? After having divorced from Intel, I have the perfect answer for Apple: Use AMD Epyc!!

Oh wait, those things are also cost prohibitive.

Okay I have another perfect answer (because there’s no single perfect answer) : Extend the Intel Mac Pro for another year and bring it up to date with drivers for WiFi 6E, Radeon 7900, Maple Ridge Thunderbolt, etc.

 

[atanvarno]

Okay I have another perfect answer (because there’s no single perfect answer) : Extend the Intel Mac Pro for another year and bring it up to date with drivers for WiFi 6E, Radeon 7900, Maple Ridge Thunderbolt, etc.

We can dream such sweet, sweet dreams. I did not check but I feel that apart from memory top end, 7950X has better performance than any Intel Xeon in current Mac Pro, in just about anything. It's on par or faster with M1 Ultra in multicore. But that would mean Apple supporting a whole stack of new tech which they don't plan to use.

Thus knowing Apple, they will just continue offering existing Intel MacPro with no changes whatsoever until ASi Mac Pro is viable and ready.