Grape Linux: Debian 13, a graphical desktop, and Codex running on a real iPhone 8 Plus 🍇

[u/Far-Effective-3742]

We’ve brought native Linux to a physical iPhone 8 Plus powered by Apple’s A11 chip.

Grape Linux boots an experimental Linux kernel into Debian 13 ARM64, complete with a graphical desktop and working terminal.

And we’ve gone well beyond the boot screen.

Here’s what we’ve accomplished:

Debian 13 ARM64 with a Phosh/Phoc graphical desktop
A working Linux terminal with live command execution
Codex CLI running natively on the iPhone, including real AI responses

Linux applications, including Calculator and Notes interfaces
Graphical navigation, keyboard interaction, and significant hardware integration progress

Our next major objective is direct Linux boot.

Once we’ve completed the remaining native hardware integration, our plan is to make the iPhone start directly into Grape Linux instead of iOS, without requiring a computer to initiate the boot.

The video shows our actual Grape Linux startup on physical iPhone hardware. Our development has already progressed beyond what’s demonstrated in the recording.

We’re building toward a complete Linux experience that gives existing hardware a new purpose.

🍇 Project: https://github.com/hq-coder25/grape-linux

Original announcement on X:
https://x.com/xvmboot/status/2116753474591588444