The AmigaOS alternative AROS is now running on Apple Silicon

Macaros gives AROS a practical way to run on modern Apple Silicon Macs without trying to replace macOS or take control of the hardware underneath it. Instead, AROS runs inside macOS as an ARM64 application, using Apple’s operating system for things such as sound, networking, storage and graphics. It’s still experimental, but the new release fixes several rough edges and makes the setup more usable. For anyone familiar with AROS, the idea is fairly simple. You get the Wanderer desktop, native AROS software and some support for older Amiga applications, all running on an M-series Mac. You don’t need a separate machine, and you don’t need to reboot into another operating system.

AROS on Apple Silicon, without replacing macOS

Macaros doesn’t turn an Apple Silicon Mac into a native AROS machine. That’s an important distinction. AROS runs as an ARM64 process under macOS, while macOS continues talking directly to the Mac’s hardware. Macaros then passes selected services through to the AROS environment. Graphics appear inside a native Cocoa and Metal window, while macOS also handles things such as audio, networking and access to shared files.

That setup avoids one of the biggest problems involved in bringing another operating system to current Macs: writing drivers for Apple’s hardware. Instead of trying to support every component directly, Macaros lets macOS do that job.

Version 0.2.1 cleans up the first release

One of the main changes concerns emu68k, the compatibility layer used for running older 68K Amiga software. The new package includes the host-side library that the layer needs, while improved checks can detect missing compatibility components before they cause problems. Clipboard handling has also been reworked.

AROS now uses writable RAM storage for clipboard data when Macaros runs from its read-only disk image. That sounds technical, but the result is straightforward: copying and pasting between macOS and AROS should behave more consistently. Standard Edit-menu commands and familiar shortcuts such as Command-C and Command-V can work across the two environments.

The release also corrects version information throughout the application and its accompanying files. Macaros is Developer ID signed, although this release isn’t notarised by Apple. That means macOS may still ask for manual approval the first time you open it.

What exactly is AROS?

AROS stands for AROS Research Operating System. It’s an open-source operating system based around compatibility with the AmigaOS 3.1 programming interface. The project dates back to the mid-1990s. Its developers wanted to recreate the core behaviour of AmigaOS in a form that wasn’t tied to one specific computer or processor. AROS isn’t simply an Amiga emulator.

It’s a separate operating system that can run on several processor architectures. Over the years, versions have appeared for x86, x86-64, PowerPC and ARM-based systems, as well as in hosted environments running on top of other operating systems. That makes Apple Silicon a logical target.

Apple moved its Macs away from Intel processors and onto its own ARM-based M-series chips. Macaros uses the AArch64 version of AROS, which matches the 64-bit ARM architecture used by those processors.

Native software and older Amiga programs

Macaros includes the Wanderer desktop along with ARM64 builds of several AROS applications. Zed, a code editor, is included, as is Ferail, a file manager. Both are still developing. Ferail doesn’t yet cover every everyday file-management task, and the AROS version of Zed doesn’t include every feature available elsewhere. Older Amiga applications are a different matter.

Macaros uses the developing emu68k layer to run some software written for Motorola 68k processors. Compatibility isn’t complete. Some programs depend on parts of AmigaOS that AROS doesn’t yet provide. So don’t expect every classic application to open and work perfectly.

Still experimental, but becoming easier to use

Macaros isn’t trying to compete with macOS as a daily desktop operating system. It’s better viewed as a hosted AROS environment built specifically for Apple Silicon. There are still limits. Some setting changes need a restart, 68K compatibility remains incomplete, and the developers recommend avoiding important data while the software is still at this stage. What version 0.2.1 does is make the original release less awkward.

It improves packaging, fixes missing compatibility pieces and makes basic interaction between AROS and macOS more dependable. For users who want to see how AROS behaves on an M-series Mac, that’s the main appeal. The concept itself hasn’t changed. AROS runs inside macOS, uses the Mac’s existing services and adds its own desktop and software on top.

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