Which ARM Linux distribution should I use in a Parallels VM on my Apple Silicon Mac?

Debian also publishes ARM64 installer images and is a solid option, although Ubuntu or Fedora may provide a smoother first experience with desktop hardware and VM integration. The checksum-verification commands shown on download pages are optional safety checks; they’re useful for confirming the ISO wasn’t corrupted, but you can install without doing them if you’re just experimenting. macOS may not have the exact verification utility mentioned in the instructions by default.

The reason Mint Cinnamon failed is that the usual Mint image targets Intel/AMD processors. A VM on Apple Silicon generally needs an ARM64 operating system so it can use the Mac’s processor efficiently. You can emulate an x86 version with something such as QEMU, but it will usually be slower and more complicated than using an ARM-native distribution.

Fedora KDE Plasma ARM64 would be a good alternative if you want something that feels closer to Mint Cinnamon. KDE has a familiar desktop with a taskbar and application menu, and the ARM build should run natively on Apple Silicon. Parallels may also offer a guided installation under its free operating-system options, which can avoid most command-line work.

Ubuntu is probably the easiest choice here because it provides ARM64 images and has a straightforward graphical installer. Fedora and Debian also support ARM64 and should work in Parallels. Ubuntu Asahi is a separate project intended mainly for installing Linux directly on compatible Apple Silicon hardware, so it isn’t the same thing as installing regular Ubuntu in a VM.