restart-to-linux

Simple CLI and launcher app for macOS users who want a one-time restart into Asahi Linux.

Contents

• Disclaimer
• Install
• Use
• Development

Disclaimer

One could, of course, just do this via simple CLI:

sudo bless --mount "/Volumes/Your Linux Volume" --setBoot --nextonly && sudo shutdown -r now

I built this small app because:

1. it was fun.
2. I wanted a clean Finder and Spotlight path in addition to the CLI.
3. I like the way it works.

If you decide to use it, I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to report any issues.

On the tested Apple Silicon Asahi dual-boot machine, the observed behavior is effectively "restart to Linux once": ordinary macOS restarts still return to macOS, while restart-to-linux sends the next boot into Linux.

Install

Dependencies

This project is macOS-only and relies on system tools already present on macOS, primarily:

• bless
• diskutil
• osascript
• codesign

Check your environment with:

restart-to-linux --check

Brew

Install:

brew tap jtbrough/tap
brew install jtbrough/tap/restart-to-linux
restart-to-linux --install-app

Uninstall:

restart-to-linux --uninstall-app
brew uninstall restart-to-linux

--install-app installs Restart to Linux.app into ~/Applications so it can be launched from Finder, Spotlight, or the Dock.

After installation, Spotlight indexing may take a few minutes before the app appears in search results.

Manual

Install:

git clone https://github.com/jtbrough/restart-to-linux.git
cd restart-to-linux
./install.sh
restart-to-linux --install-app

Uninstall:

restart-to-linux --uninstall-app
./uninstall.sh

Use

Via CLI

restart-to-linux --check
restart-to-linux --version
restart-to-linux --list
restart-to-linux --dry-run
sudo restart-to-linux --bless-only
sudo restart-to-linux

If multiple mounted APFS System volumes match:

• the CLI shows a numbered chooser when run interactively
• the CLI refuses to guess in non-interactive mode and requires --target

Explicit selection:

sudo restart-to-linux --target "/Volumes/Your Linux Volume"

Via GUI

Install the launcher app:

restart-to-linux --install-app

Then launch Restart to Linux.app from Finder, Spotlight, or the Dock.

If multiple valid Linux targets are available, the app presents a chooser dialog before requesting administrator privileges.

Development

Project layout:

• src/: installable payload
• packaging/: Brew and macOS packaging
• tests/: test suite
• tools/: validation helpers

just lint
just validate
just test
just ci
just build-app